The Diversity, Civility, and the Liberal Arts Institute is intended for CIC member colleges and universities that have experienced episodes of student unrest, that might experience student protest, that have students who are concerned about issues of equity and social change, or that are facing the challenges of diversity and civility.

Thank you for an amazing conference...[and] an amazing opportunity.”
—Michael Nixon
Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Andrews University

Twenty-five (25) campus teams will be selected through a competitive application process for the 2019 Institute. Each team will include two faculty members from the humanities or social sciences and two administrators. The instructors should be full-time, permanent members of the faculty who are known to be influential in shaping campus opinion and who will be expected to take a leading role in sharing the content of the Institute with their colleagues. One administrator should be the chief academic officer or other senior administrator in academic affairs. The second administrator should be someone who can take a lead role in bridging classroom and co-curricular activities. This could be the chief student affairs officer, chief diversity officer, mission officer, director of spiritual life or campus ministry, director of athletics, or others.

Please note that a significant quantity of reading will be required of each team member prior to the Institute (see the 2018 reading listOpens in new window). Each institution will be expected to develop a specific plan to apply the content of the Institute to the curriculum, advising and other student services, and co-curricular activities on its campus. A preliminary version of this plan is a necessary part of the application process.

Thanks to the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, there will be no cost to Institute participants for lodging, books and materials, or most meals. In addition, CIC will provide each team with a stipend of up to $1,000 to offset some travel costs. The 2019 Institute will be held at the Georgian Terrace HotelOpens in new window in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 2–5, 2019.

We learned a great deal from our participation in the [2018] Institute that has helped us refine our action steps on diversity and inclusion. We are very grateful to CIC for the opportunity to participate.”
—Caroline J. Simon
Provost and Executive Vice President, Whitworth University

The application deadline is Wednesday, November 14, 2018. The selected institutions will be notified in January 2019.

Applications must be submitted online. Please download and read the Guidelines for ApplicantsOpens in new window carefully before preparing an application, as the instructions here do not include all the considerations that applicants should keep in mind.

​Complete applications will include the following:

1. A narrative statement of no more than six (6) pages that addresses:
   
   • specific challenges or opportunities on your campus related to diversity and civility that the Institute may help address;
   • previous or current efforts to support diversity and civility on campus;
   • a preliminary plan to apply the content of the Institute to the curriculum and co-curricular activities; and
   • the relevant experience and campus roles of the proposed team members. An important selection criterion is the likelihood that participating teams will apply what they learn at the Institute to effect positive change on campus.
     
     
2. A brief biography of each team member.
   
   
3. A letter of support from the institution’s president that affirms the institution’s commitment to key points that are detailed in the application.

​CIC hosted a voluntary informational webinar for prospective applicants on Thursday, October 5, 2017. The webinar was designed for institutions that intend to submit an application, are considering an application, or just want to know more about the program. 

During the webinar, Institute director Beverly Daniel Tatum and the CIC program staff responded to questions about the goals and content of the Institute, the application guidelines, the selection criteria, and what will be expected from individuals and institutions that are selected to participate in the Institute.

Presentation slidesOpens in new window and a recording of the webinarOpens in new window remain available.