The workshop will engage campus leaders, career professionals, and employment experts as we design a model for a National Center for Careers and the Liberal Arts. Once launched, the Center will augment the work already being done at independent colleges and universities by supporting campus initiatives and providing research, employer partnerships, and thought leadership. The Center will also serve as a national voice supporting the career readiness of CIC graduates.
This timely project responds to the radical changes taking place in the nature of work and the pathways from college to career. We hope your institution will want to join us to develop the shape and scope of this initiative at this early conceptual phase. The workshop will include deep learning, lively conversation, and practical outcomes. In addition to campus teams, the gathering will include career experts and thought leaders. The workshop is supported by generous funding from the Lumina Foundation.
Institutions are invited to submit a single application to send one or two participants to the workshop. Team members should be the institution’s most experienced and innovative experts in career preparation. CIC hopes to feature a wide array of perspectives on career preparation at its member institutions, including not only career center professionals but also faculty champions for career readiness, senior academic affairs administrators who shape the curriculum and experiential learning initiatives, and presidents who have placed career readiness at the heart of their strategic plans. We encourage you to include a senior administrator on your team.
Applications should include a letter from the president briefly describing the institution’s approach to career readiness; a description of what the members of the proposed team will contribute to the workshop; and a CV or bio of each team member. Applications should be submitted online by Friday, January 23, 2026. For selected teams, there is no cost for registration, meals, or lodging. Some limited subsidies for travel costs are available for institutions facing severe financial challenges.
Application Details
Applications should include a letter from the president briefly describing the institution’s approach to career readiness; a description of what the members of the proposed team will contribute to the workshop; and a CV or bio of each team member.
The nomination should include:
- Letter from president describing the institution’s approach to career readiness;
- Description of what the members of the proposed team will contribute to the workshop; and
- CV (s) for representative(s).
Please submit the completed nomination online by Friday, January 23, 2026.
Participation Details
The workshop will be held March 5–7, 2026, in Chicago, IL. Up to 25 institutional teams will be selected to participate. Lodging, most meals, and materials will be provided thanks to the generous support of the Lumina Foundation. The only cost to participants or their institutions is transportation to and from the workshop location.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or comments please contact Stephen Gibson, CIC’s director of programs, at sgibson@cic.edu or (202) 466-7230.