Criteria
Institutions must:
- Be a nonprofit (501(c)3 IRS status), independent institution
- Offer a program leading to a bachelor of arts degree or its equivalent;
- Demonstrate a commitment to liberal arts and sciences;
- Possess at least Candidacy Status of a United States regional or national accrediting association; and
- Have been in operation for a minimum of three years.
Benefits
- Leadership Development—Programs for campus leaders and faculty to learn from experts and exchange ideas on issues facing independent colleges and universities. Most are member-only, with some open to nonmembers (members prioritized). Key programs include:
- Faculty Development—Faculty can apply to programs that strengthen teaching, learning, and the quality of education on their campuses, including:
- Institutional Development—Member institutions engage in consortial and campus team programs that aim to implement new campus initiatives by facilitating candid exchanges among campus leaders. These face-to-face and online opportunities include a set of implementation resources. Programs include:
- Networks
- AI Ready—Fosters learning, shares resources, and increases effective adoption related to artificial intelligence (AI).
- Belong: An Inclusive Learning—Addresses the strategic priority for equitable student success through campus webinars, monthly “push resources,” microcredentials for faculty and staff, and a campus leader community of practice, to promote a culture of belonging on your campus that increases student retention.
- Graduate Program Network—Assists with launching new graduate programs, growing or maintaining existing programs, or preparing to sunset existing grad programs. Share resources with your peers, learn from experts, and develop best practices.
- Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE)—Enrich the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students.
- Online Course Sharing Consortium—Supports course sharing among participating institutions, providing a cost-saving and revenue-generating opportunity. The newly launched Skills Marketplace helps streamline access to credentials and certifications.
- Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP)—Offers an employee benefit that provides college tuition for full-time employees, their spouses, and their children, while offering participating institutions the opportunity to increase revenue for room, board, and fees.
- Resources
- Corporate Affiliate Program—CIC works with vendors to provide members with discounted services and products.
- CIC Insights Tool —Benchmarking reports that help you understand your institution’s metrics compared to self-curated peers, prioritize areas for attention, and communicate your findings with stakeholders across your campus.
- Listservs by Campus Role—Participate in secure discussions with your counterparts at member institutions to collaborate on best practices and access an archive of documents and material resources.
- News, Research and Webinars
- Partnerships and Mergers (CPAM) Project—Access new resources to explore alternative structural arrangements that can strengthen your institutions and help fulfill your missions.
- Solution Center—Connects with the tools and services that can take your institution to the next level. Streamline campus operations, increase engagement, or explore the latest in technology.
- Media Relations—Member perspectives are represented through published op-eds, press releases, books, and national outreach. CIC collects and analyzes data to support timely responses to external inquiries about independent colleges and universities.
Dues Assessment
Dues vary by undergraduate full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment, while partially accounting for graduate enrollment, and are set by an annual vote of the membership. CIC uses the latest U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey data and FTE definitions to calculate dues. Add full-time undergraduate enrollment, plus .392857 of your part-time undergraduate enrollment to get undergraduate FTE. For graduate FTE, add full-time enrollment plus .382059 of part-time graduate enrollment to get graduate FTE. Add the undergraduate FTE plus 10% of the graduate FTE to calculate dues as listed in the table.
| FTE Enrollment | 2026-2027 Dues |
|---|---|
| 0-599 | $3,450 |
| 600-1,299 | $5,150 |
| 1,300-2,099 | $6,150 |
| 2,100-2,999 | $7,500 |
| 3,000-3,999 | $9,000 |
| 4,000-4,999 | $10,500 |
| 5,000+ | $12,000 |
Contact memberservices@cic.edu for additional information.