The Presidential Renewal program is designed to support the personal revitalization of experienced member presidents at CIC institutions who want to continue to serve in the vital role of the college presidency.
CIC is in the process of renewing its grant for 2026–27, which would be the fourth offering of this program. If funded, twelve currently serving CIC member presidents will be selected to participate. We plan to open applications in November with a due date in early 2026; specific dates will be posted here as soon as they are available.
CIC is grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for its ongoing support of the Presidential Renewal program.
“When applying for the CIC Presidential Renewal Program, I didn’t fully know what to expect. Looking back on the experience I am thankful. I have a new group of thought partners. I gained new skills and ways of not only thinking about how to sustain multiple facets of my life, but actually moving from a mindset of productivity to sustainability. I encourage any president who is finding it challenging to recharge to give CIC the opportunity to support them.”
Richard Dunsworth, President, University of the Ozarks (AR)
Program Goals, Benefits, and Structure
Effective leadership requires passion for an institution’s mission and a relentless drive to achieve it. Just as high-performance athletes must execute a multi-faceted recovery plan after intense exertion, presidents must give similar attention to rest and recalibration to sustain their own leadership momentum.
This Presidential Renewal program progresses in two phases. In phase one, the focus is on personal renewal. Presidents take stock of their personal wellness—physical, emotional, and spiritual—in a series of individual and group activities during a four-day in-person summer seminar. Participants are exposed to various personal renewal practices and build out a personalized, practical action plan for personal sustainability within the job of the presidency.
In phase two, the program focuses on the interrelationship between personal and institutional sustainability. Presidents explore their vision for a meaningful presidency and their institution’s leadership needs with the goal of better aligning the two and learn ways to infuse strands of renewal throughout their institution. Recognizing that all presidencies end at some point, in virtual gatherings and the culminating in-person winter seminar held just prior to CIC’s Presidents Institute, participants develop proactive strategies to “end well,” whenever that time might come.
The two seminars and virtual gatherings include writing prompts, discussions, introspective exercises, short readings, small group exchanges, debriefings, the sharing of personal narratives, and visualizations. In the face-to-face gatherings, participants also have opportunities to learn about and participate in varied practices of physical, emotional, and physical renewal including meditation and prayer. Throughout the program year, there will be opportunities for one-on-one consultations with program leaders. This carefully structured program creates spaces for supportive peer relationships to nurture personal growth.
Presidential spouses and partners are strongly encouraged to participate as well in this exploration: sessions have been designed to respond specifically to the needs and aspirations of couples as well as individuals, both in the role of president and as a presidential partner. The program recognizes that the presidency has profound implications for relationships and family and is invariably a shared commitment.
Selected participants will take part in the following required elements:
An introductory webinar in early June 2026;
A four-day Summer Seminar in mid-June 2026;
A mid-fall 2026 webinar; and
A two-day Winter Seminar in January 2027.
Participants
Applicants to the Presidential Renewal program should be currently serving CIC member presidents who started their term during or before the summer of 2022, and plan to stay at the same institution during the 2026–27 academic year. They should be interested in a holistic—mind, body, and soul—exploration of sustainable leadership practices that will support the next chapter of their institution’s history.
Individuals who contribute to the diversity of perspectives and experiences in the program are especially encouraged to consider participating.
Each cohort includes approximately 12 presidents, as well as participating spouses and partners.
“I applied to the program with a bit of skepticism about whether any of the conversations or tools would actually benefit me or my spouse after five tough years of surviving this most extraordinary job. I’m so glad I set aside my doubts. Our engagement with the other participants and with our program facilitators was extremely nourishing. We left the first retreat with new skills and with a renewed sense of optimism about our ability as a couple to serve another term, but—this time—in a more sustainable way.”
Suzanne M. Rivera, President, Macalester College (MN)
Program Dates and Costs
2026–27 dates are subject to change. Dates will be confirmed before the application date.
Introductory Webinar
June 2, 2026
An introductory session will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 2, from noon to 3:00 p.m. (ET).
Summer Gathering
June 14–17, 2026
Summer Seminar location will be confirmed before the application date.
Fall Webinar
September 10, 2026
A session will be held virtually on Thursday, September 10, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. (ET).
Winter Gathering
January 3–4, 2027
The Winter Seminar will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego, California, immediately preceding the 2027 Presidents Institute. The seminar will begin at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, January 3, necessitating an arrival on Saturday, January 2.
Thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., there is no program fee to participate. CIC will provide participants and their spouses/partners all seminar materials as well as meals and lodging at both seminars for the duration of the program dates. In addition, CIC will provide a modest travel stipend to offset costs of attending the Summer Seminar.
Participants are expected to cover all travel costs for the Winter Seminar (which is co-located with the Presidents Institute to reduce travel expenses) and travel costs exceeding the stipend provided for the Summer Seminar. Immediately preceding the 2027 Presidents Institute, the seminar will begin at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, January 3, necessitating an arrival on Saturday, January 2.
“Participating in the CIC Presidential Renewal Program gave me the opportunity and space to reflect on what I value in my personal and professional life and to identify ways to more effectively align my time and energy with those priorities. The deft and thoughtful facilitators sparked a level of openness and vulnerability within my cohort of presidents that fueled deep insights and concrete strategies for renewal. I encourage seasoned presidents who want to rediscover the meaning and joy in their work to consider this program.”
Kathy Harring, President, Muhlenberg College (PA)
Program Leadership
Michael Le Roy and Celeste Schenck serve as co-directors of the Presidential Renewal program.
Michael Le Roy is president emeritus of Calvin University (MI), having served as president from 2012 to 2022. He previously served as executive vice president, vice president for academic affairs, dean of the faculty, and professor of political science of Whitworth University (WA) and as faculty member at Wheaton College (IL). He is principal of Michael Le Roy Associates, an advisor for MyNextSeason, and a member of the Macatawa Bank board of directors. Le Roy is passionate about investing in higher education leaders; he is currently working on a book that will provide leadership guidance to new college and university presidents. In this program, Le Roy is interested in supporting participants to become connected to the origin of the spirit of their work, to think about the connection between personal and physical life and professional sustainability, and to guide a renewed sense of purpose. Le Roy earned his BA in international studies and peace studies from Whitworth College; his PhD in political science, comparative politics, and international relations from Vanderbilt University (TN); and attended the Harvard University Graduate School of Education (MA). He won a Fulbright Award, which supported his research at Gothenburg University in Sweden.
Celeste Schenck is president emerita of the American University of Paris, where she previously served as provost, dean, and professor of comparative literature. An expert in global higher education, she founded the American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (AMICAL), a consortium of American universities across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa; and served as president of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU), a presidents’ organization spanning American-style universities across the world. Schenck is a Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and Organization Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) coach interested in supporting mid-to-late career academics. In this program, she is interested in bringing together concepts of storytelling with powerful experiential opportunities to guide participants in creating a roadmap to their next chapter. She is a former member of the CIC Board of Directors and currently serves on the board of the American University of Kurdistan. Schenck earned her BA from Princeton University (NJ) and her PhD from Brown University (RI). She founded two series in women’s poetry and feminist literary theory and has published widely on women’s autobiography; modern poetry; critical theory; and on development, educational, and pedagogical issues.
Other program facilitators will include Andrea Nelson Le Roy and Dominique Delor.
Following a formal education and a career in counseling and social work, Andrea Nelson Le Roy was trained in spiritual direction with the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids and has been practicing as a spiritual director since 2014. While she was raised in the Protestant tradition, she welcomes the opportunity to work with individuals from all faith backgrounds or those who have little to no experience in organized religion.
Dominique Delor is a medical doctor and longtime director of public health within the French national health system. He has experience managing work-related health in both individual and collective situations from public administration to large corporations. In retirement, he joins humanitarian missions to Madagascar and Zambia, serves on the board of a French national cancer association, and writes. He is particularly interested in stress management and high-performance aging and looks forward to working holistically with participants eager to improve their physical health and resilience.
Application Details
Applications will open in the fall of 2025 and will be due in early 2026; specific dates will be posted here as soon as they are available. Selected participants will be notified of selection status within six weeks of the application date.
The application portal is not yet open. Once open, presidents of CIC member institutions interested in participating will be asked to submit a brief application packet online. Applications consist of three items.
Completion of an online application portal that includes professional and personal information about the president, including whether a spouse or partner intends to participate in the program.
A thoughtful letter of application of no more than two pages prepared by the president that describes:
The reasons you are interested in this program at this moment in your presidency which would likely include a brief assessment of your current personal wellness (physical, spiritual, and/or emotional);
How you hope this program will benefit you as an individual and your spouse/partner (if applicable);
How you imagine a future renewed self may serve your institution; and
How you contribute to the diversity of perspectives in the program.
The letter should affirm your commitment to attend all sessions of the renewal experience, to engage fully and openly in the experience, and to support the leadership development of others in the small cohort.
A brief letter of support for the president’s participation in this program from the institution’s board chair.
Contact Information
Michael Le Roy and Celeste Schenck serve as co-directors of this program. Members can direct questions about the program to Michelle Friedman by email at mfriedman@cic.edu. They can also write to Michael Le Roy at mleroy@cic.edu or to Celeste Schenck at cschenck@cic.edu.
