CIC Announces Appointment of Vice President for State Fund Programs

3/16/2016 — Washington, DC

​​​The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) today announced that Carol Schuler has joined the CIC staff as Vice President for State Fund Programs. Schuler comes to CIC from Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia, where she has served since 2001, most recently as vice president for development. She will begin her full-time duties at CIC in June 2016, when Edward “Ned” Moore retires from his position as Executive Director and Vice President for State Fund Programs.

“Carol has demonstrated real enthusiasm for CIC’s cause and its mission. She brings highly relevant professional experience that corresponds to many of the key areas of responsibility that are of priority interest to State Fund Members, their executive officers and staff, and their member college presidents,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “As a seasoned professional with strong leadership qualities and an outstanding record of success, she will be a significant resource and valuable source of support for the State Funds.”
 
As vice president for development at the Davis and Elkins, Schuler has secured significant gift and grant support for the college’s operations, endowment, and capital projects, working with individuals, corporations, state and federal agencies, and foundations. She has also been the college’s principal liaison to Congressional and state government offices, designed and led fundraising campaigns, and organized major special events.
 
Her experience also includes leadership of the college’s communications and marketing, media relations, publications, and website design and direction, and her achievements in this area include awards for website design and the development and placement of three large stories in the Chronicle of Higher Education (two on the front page) about the college.
 
Schuler has served as an at-large director of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s District II, and as a member of the CIC Task Force that planned the 2015 Institute for Chief Academic and Chief Advancement Officers in Baltimore.
 
Schuler earned a BA degree in journalism/mass communications at Purdue University, a master’s degree in advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and earlier studied music at DePauw University.
 
As part of its mission, CIC provides support and member services for its 31 State Fund Members, state-based consortia dedicated to advancing and strengthening independent colleges and universities through collaborative programs, seeking grants and scholarship support, and promoting to the public the value of independent higher education. Member services include conferences and other professional and organizational development opportunities. In addition, State Fund Members are eligible for annual scholarship and grant support from CIC from the $38 million endowment dedicated by the initial donor—the UPS Foundation—to the advancement of the mission and programs of the State Fund Members and their member colleges.

​The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of 765 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that has worked since 1956 to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities as well as conferences, seminars, and other programs that help institutions to improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility. CIC conducts the largest annual conferences of college and university presidents and of chief academic officers. CIC also provides support to state fundraising associations that organize programs and generate contributions for private colleges and universities. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.​