CIC’s New Presidents Program (NPP) provides the relevant tools and wise counsel that keep a young presidency on a smooth course. The agenda focuses on the practical needs and resources to help participants avoid early pitfalls while capitalizing on the opportunities that the first year represents. Ample opportunities for formal and informal conversations allow participants to build community.
Mary Pat Seurkamp, CIC senior advisor, who for 15 years served as president of Notre Dame of Maryland University, directs CIC’s New Presidents Program.
A Message From the Director
Welcome to the CIC family! I am pleased to invite you to participate in the 2024 New Presidents Program (NPP) on January 3–4 in Hollywood, Florida. I hope you will join this interactive, practical, and network-building program, with its dynamic parallel program for new presidential spouses and partners, as you launch your presidency.
The NPP immediately precedes CIC’s 2024 Presidents Institute, by far the largest annual meeting of college and university presidents in the country. This year’s Institute will provide innovative opportunities to think creatively and in community about how to design a thriving future for your institution and shape the trajectory of independent higher education. I encourage you to make participating in the full Presidents Institute a cornerstone of your early presidency.
My 15 years as president of Notre Dame of Maryland University were a capstone to a 42-year career in independent higher education filled with rewards and meaning. I remember well, in my early years as president, the excitement about opportunities to move an institution forward — as well as the challenges, which can at times be overwhelming, especially in the first months. The possibility for significant achievement exists, but unintentional missteps can threaten to derail long-term success. CIC’s NPP and Presidents Institute helped me connect with both seasoned college and university leaders and those who were, like me, new to the role. These colleagues formed a network of informal advisors that helped me launch a strong start in those early years. Some became long-time friends and trusted professional resources.
Please contact me by email at mseurkamp@cic.edu or by phone at (443) 253-5497 with any questions you may have about CIC’s 2024 New Presidents Program.
I look forward to seeing you in January.
Mary Pat Seurkamp
CIC Senior Advisor and Director, New Presidents Program
President Emerita, Notre Dame of Maryland University
CIC is grateful to Ellucian for its ongoing support of the New Presidents Program.
“CIC’s New Presidents Program helped me to better understand the various facets of my journey as a new college president. The guidance and advice provided by the program facilitators helped me answer numerous questions I had as I started my new job. The program also provided me with a network of colleagues who I know I can call upon for continued support and advice.”
Kyle Farmbry, President, Guilford College (NC)
Program Features
Many of the more than 1,600 new presidents who have participated in the program since 1989 point to these features as particularly valuable:
Presenters are current or recently retired CIC presidents and spouses or partners who understand the needs of their new colleagues.
Professional networks are created as participants build relationships with colleagues who often continue to serve as informal advisors.
The program makes efficient use of time and represents excellent value.
Trusting friendships are established among participants providing confidential support and counsel on the most sensitive and consequential issues.
The concurrent and at times overlapping Spouses and Partners of New Presidents Program provides an opportunity for presidential couples to spend meaningful together.
“It would be hard to enumerate all the benefits of the New Presidents Program. At a formative time in my presidency, I was able to engage with new and seasoned presidents around critically important topics and to raise questions and concerns in a supportive context. Many of the people I met through the program remain friends and trusted advisors. CIC has designed an experience that offers both useful tools for action and inspiring exemplars of presidential leadership.”
Katie Conboy, President, Saint Mary’s College (IN)
“Professional development has always been extremely important to me in every role I have taken in higher education. CIC has often been the source of my most valued educational and enrichment programs, and the New Presidents Program was no exception. My board was excited to have me participate, and the lessons I learned and the connections I made with other presidents have served me extremely well during my first two years as president.”
Michael Sosulski, President, Washington College (MD)
Hotel Information
The Diplomat Beach Resort provides a beachfront location that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. The hotel features bright guest rooms, two beachfront pools, including an infinity pool, and an ultramodern spa. The hotel also includes ten restaurants, two of which are celebrity chef-owned, and state-of-the-art fitness and entertainment areas. Additional features are beach and waterfront activities, such as fishing and jet skiing, off-property golf and tennis, as well as a Kids Club. Guests can explore the area by taking the Sun Shuttle, operated by Circuit.
Location: Diplomat Beach Resort, Hollywood, FL.
Hotel room rate: $279 single/double per night (includes Wi-Fi and complimentary fitness center use)
Spouses and Partners of New Presidents Program
Concurrently and at times overlapping with the NPP, CIC offers the Spouses and Partners of New Presidents Program (SPoNPP). The agenda is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of their role, engage participants in fellowship with others new to the role to develop a support network, and equip participants with tools for success. Led by a team of experienced presidential spouses, the program is highly interactive, stimulating, informative, and entertaining.
“CIC’s Program for Spouses and Partners of New Presidents fundamentally changed how I see my role. As a spouse with a demanding career, I believed that my role was very limited, but the program allowed me to identify specific areas where I could bring value and contribute to my partner’s success. I left the program not just with more information, but also a set of specific objectives and a network of resources to help me succeed.”
David Colquhoun, Presidential Spouse, McDaniel College (MD); Biologics/Advanced Workflows Specialist, Mid-Atlantic and Tristate Regions
