Building Community Serving Our Members
CIC strengthens independent colleges and universities and supports campus leaders on current and pressing priorities in higher education.
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2026 Presidents Institute Resources
Resources from the 2026 Presidents Institute are now available online.Read More -
2025 Institute for Chief Academic Officers Resources
Resources from the 2025 Institute for Chief Academic Officers are now available online.Read More -
New Presidents Resources
Campus leadership support and development is a key CIC priority. This page accumulates a growing list of resources primarily intended for first-time presidents of a CIC type college and university.Read More -
CIC Solution Center
An online platform connecting you to companies and consultants dedicated to the independent higher education sector, free of charge.Read More -
Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP)
CIC–TEP is a network of CIC member colleges and universities that are willing to accept as students, tuition-free, full-time employees and their family members. Nearly 440 colleges and universities from 47 states and seven countries are participating.Read More -
CIC Member Directory
Explore a map and search a listing of CIC, TEP, and NetVUE members.Read More
ABOUT CIC
What is an Independent College?
Simply defined, “independent” institutions are governed by boards of private citizens and operate independent of government control. They are nonprofit organizations supported primarily by tuition revenue, philanthropic gifts, and grants from foundations.
Learn More
Belong: An Inclusive Learning Community
Belong is a network of CIC member colleges and universities dedicated to making their campuses more welcoming and inclusive. Designed in partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), Belong offers a suite of professional development resources for faculty and staff to support student belonging in class and campus-wide.
Belong works in concert with your campus’s distinctive mission and values, equipping faculty and staff with evidence-based skills and knowledge that increase student belonging and advance campus retention efforts.
FAST FACTS
CIC Shows Strength in Numbers
Insights, News, & Research
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Council of Independent Colleges Elects 7 New Board Members, Names 4 New Officers
CIC is pleased to announce the election of seven members to the Board of Directors, and four existing directors named to new roles on the Executive Committee of the Board.Read More -
CIC Launches Texas Work-Based Learning Consortium with Support from Trellis and Greater Texas Foundations
The Tuition Exchange and CIC announce a new partnership that will simplify the scholarship application process for employees and their families at participating institutions.Read More -
One Application, Two Networks to Expand Access to Tuition Exchange Scholarships
The Tuition Exchange and CIC announce a new partnership that will simplify the scholarship application process for employees and their families at participating institutions.Read More -
Support for Current and Future College Presidents: CIC Receives $1.76M Leadership Grant
Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded CIC a $1,765,000 grant to continue two highly successful leadership development initiatives for college and university presidents, the Presidential Vocation and Institutional Mission program and the Presidential Renewal program.Read More
Upcoming Events
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Writing Vocation: A Colloquy for Future Contributors
Participants in the NetVUE colloquy on Writing Vocation will become familiar with and better equipped to write about vocation in different contexts. They will learn about opportunities within NetVUE to write about vocation, develop possible projects, and create a writing plan for such work. -
NetVUE Big Read Webinar: Narrating Vocational Journeys
Back to NetVUE Events Join us for a rich opportunity to hear how some of our NetVUE colleagues arrived at and navigate their callings to higher education. Presenters will draw on language and themes from Miller-McLemore’s recent book, Follow Your Bliss and Other Lies About Calling as they share their stories. Presenters include Douglas Johnson, […] -
NetVUE Webinar: Vocation & Character
Back to NetVUE Events Join us as we explore the deep connections between vocation and character, emphasizing how our sense of purpose has the potential to shape who we become. Presenters Paul Wadell, Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, and Hannah Schell, Associate Director of Advancement […]
