Building Places of Promise: Unlocking Student Success
CIC’s 2025 Institute for Chief Academic Officers invites chief academic officers, chief student affairs officers, and chief student success officers—including chief diversity officers; belonging, inclusion and culture officers; teaching and learning center professionals; and career services professionals—to collaborate at a deeper level and program for a stronger future.
The theme of this year’s Institute is Building Places of Promise: Unlocking Student Success and will focus on uniting around our foundational values—mission, passion, and purpose—to create student-centered environments where students can thrive through resilience and belonging. The Institute will address critical issues including navigating academic freedom, managing campus conflict, and preparing students for meaningful careers.
CIC has planned concurrent sessions that bring the Institute’s themes and objectives together, as well as interactive seminars that focus on campus free expression, civil discourse, student success, what happens when things go wrong, and sustaining wellness.
CIC also offers special pre-Institute workshops for new chief academic officers and experienced chief academic officers. A new addition to this year’s program is a third pre-Institute workshop centered around programming for effective student success.
Who Should Participate?
This year, the following campus roles are invited to the Institute:
- Chief academic officers
- Chief student affairs officers
- Chief student success officers
- Chief diversity officers
- Belonging, inclusion, and culture officers
- Teaching and learning center professionals
- Career services professionals
CIC membership is not required for registration; independent college and university administrators are encouraged to participate.
Pre-Institute Workshops
Workshop for New Chief Academic Officers
Saturday, November 1
7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Chief academic officers in their first or second year are invited to participate in this workshop, led by experienced colleagues, that addresses issues that newer CAOs often face. Participants will work in small groups, analyze case studies, and discuss topics such as accreditation; assessment and institutional effectiveness; faculty governance and leadership; appointments, promotions, and tenure and its alternatives; managing time, technology, and paper; and working with peer administrators. Participants will be paired with an experienced CAO mentor.
Workshop for Experienced Chief Academic Officers
Saturday, November 1
7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Having served for at least three or more years, chief academic officers usually have mastered the fundamentals of the role. At this stage, CAOs discover greater opportunities to lead rather than simply manage. What are the key questions CAOs can and should address at this stage in their careers? For example, how do CAOs balance attention to their institutions’ immediate issues with a focus on their long-term academic needs? How can CAOs attend to their own professional lives while also serving their institutions? How do CAOs work effectively with the president and other cabinet officers on strategic planning? Participants will explore these and related questions and gain fresh perspective on the next stage of their careers as CAOs. They will also leave with a sense of renewal that should sustain their passion and continued growth in this important role.
Programming for Effective Student Success
Saturday, November 1
7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
This workshop is designed for those in roles that collaborate on student success on campuses. The workshop will cover effective practices in supporting students to achieve their academic and professional goals. Participants can include officers from academic services; student affairs; student support, diversity, belonging, inclusion, and culture; teaching and learning centers; career services and athletics; among others.
Hotel and Travel
Hotel Reservations
JW Marriott Indianapolis
10 S. West Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 860-5800
Room Rate:
$239 single/double per night
Hotel Reservation Deadline:
October 3, 2025
PLEASE NOTE:
Hotel Reservation Procedure: Participants first need to register for the Institute in order to make a hotel reservation at the CIC discounted rate. Reservation details including a discount code will be provided to Institute participants with the confirmation email once registration is completed.
Registration will open on Monday, June 16, 2025. Hotel rooms may sell out before the deadline, so participants are encouraged to register for the Institute and reserve their hotel rooms as soon as possible. Please note that hotel reservations made after the deadline will be accommodated only on a space-available basis and may be at a rate higher than the CIC rate.
Registration Information
Registration will open on Monday, June 16, 2025.
The deadline for the early-bird registration rate is September 2, 2025. To ensure timely preparation of accurate and complete conference materials, please register for the Institute by Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
Not a CIC member? In addition to reduced registration fees for the Institute, view the full list of member benefits.