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 currently accepting applications for the 2027–2028 program year, the fifth offering of this program. Applications are due on Wednesday, January 20, 2027. Twelve currently serving CIC member presidents will be selected to participate. Their spouses and partners will be invited to take part as well.
CIC is grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for its ongoing support of the Presidential Renewal program.
“It would not be an overstatement to say that the Presidential Renewal program changed my life. I am truly a renewed president and a renewed person as a result of the program. The program leaders were masterful in guiding the deep self-reflection I needed to become my best personal and professional self, and the work we did together has led to changes that I expect will benefit me for life. I gained meaningful friendships with fellow presidents and a renewed sense of purpose, both of which I expect will stay with me long after the program ends.”
Natalie J. Harder, President, Coker University (SC)
Program Goals, Benefits, and Structure
The presidency asks a great deal of those who lead: passion for the mission, strength in the face of uncertainty, and an unwavering commitment to the institution and the people it serves. As presidential tenures shrink and independent higher education navigates profound cultural, economic, governance, and political pressures, even those called deeply to this work may feel their long-term resilience eroding. The demands of being a leader can leave little space for renewal—and pull presidents away from the people and purposes that brought them to the role in the first place. The Presidential Renewal program creates the space and community presidents need to reconnect with those sources of meaning and build a more sustainable way forward.
Just as high-performance athletes must develop multifaceted practices for recovery after intense exertion, presidents must give similar attention to rest, recalibration, and the cultivation of sources of care, counsel, and renewal that sustain their leadership momentum.
The Presidential Renewal program unfolds in two phases. During the first half of the six-month program, the focus is on personal leadership renewal. Presidents take stock of their personal wellness—physical, emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual—via 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 practical action plan for personal sustainability. This project is accomplished in concert with a group of highly engaged peers.
In the second half, the program focuses on the interrelationship between personal and institutional sustainability. Presidents explore their emerging vision for a renewed approach to the presidency in the context of their institution’s current and changing needs, with the goal of better aligning personal renewal and institutional leadership. They also learn ways to make renewal more visible across the institution as an essential dimension of sustainable leadership. Recognizing that every presidency eventually enters its capstone years, participants develop a proactive plan for bringing renewed energy, wisdom, and experience to bear for the good of the institution while laying the groundwork for a presidency that ends well.
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 experience varied practices of physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual renewal including meditation and prayer. Throughout the program year, there will be opportunities for one-on-one consultations with the program leaders, both of whom are retired CIC presidents, and their own spouses, who have had distinguished careers as spiritual directors, therapists, and medical doctors. This carefully structured program creates spaces for supportive peer relationships to nurture personal growth.
The program recognizes that the presidency has profound implications for relationships and family and is, in many ways, a shared commitment for those in a partnership. Therefore, the Presidential Renewal program is designed with this commitment at its core. Spouses and partners participate fully in the experience, with opportunities to explore their own personal, relational, and spiritual renewal alongside their partners. By engaging intentionally in this work individually and together, couples can gain a clearer vision for their shared well-being and develop the mutual support and accountability that sustains renewal beyond the program walls. Spouses and partners are also encouraged to consider their own engagement (or not, as the case may be) in the current presidency and to develop an intentional vision for the years ahead, including life after the presidency.
Selected participants will take part in the following required elements:
An introductory webinar in early June 2027;
A four-day Summer Seminar in mid-June 2027;
A mid-fall 2027 webinar;
Participation in occasional virtual peer groups meetings in fall 2027; and
A two-day Winter Seminar in January 2028.
“The Presidential Renewal program was a tremendous gift to both my spouse Annie and me. It gave us the time and space to step away, become grounded again, and feel renewed, motivated, and inspired to continue serving. Perhaps the most meaningful part of the experience was the engagement with the facilitators and other participants. The depth of the relationships and bonds we formed was truly remarkable. We left the program feeling renewed, encouraged, and grateful for a community of colleagues who understand both the challenges and the blessings of serving in university leadership.”
Ross Allen, President, Bethel University (MN)
Participants
Applicants to the Presidential Renewal program should be currently serving CIC member presidents who started their term during or before the summer of 2023, and plan to stay at the same institution during the 2027–28 academic year. They should be interested in a holistic—mind, body, and spirit—exploration of sustainable leadership practices that will support the next chapter of their institution’s history, while also shaping their own personal lifetime leadership journey of purpose and fulfillment, in this and all phases of their life.
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.
Program Dates and Costs
Introductory Webinar
June 3, 2027
An introductory session will be held virtually on Thursday, June 3, from noon to 3:00 p.m. (ET).
Summer Gathering
June 20–23, 2027
The Summer Seminar will be held at the Inns of Aurora, a 350-acre collection of renovated historic homes in the easily-walkable village of Aurora, New York, directly on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region. The seminar will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 20 and end by 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 20. Please note that participants are required to participate in all aspects of the Summer Seminar and therefore may need to travel the day before and/or after the seminar.
Fall Webinar
September 14, 2027
A session will be held virtually on Tuesday, September 14, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. (ET).
Winter Gathering
January 3–4, 2028
The Winter Seminar will be held at the Omni Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, FL, immediately preceding the 2028 Presidents Institute. The seminar will begin at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on Monday, January 3, necessitating an arrival on Sunday, January 2.
Costs
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, all meals at both seminars, and lodging at the summer seminar 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 hotel and travel costs for the Winter Seminar (which is co-located with the Presidents Institute to reduce travel expenses) as well as travel costs exceeding the stipend provided for the Summer Seminar.
“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 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), where he served as president from 2012 to 2022. He previously served at Whitworth University (WA) as executive vice president, vice president for academic affairs, dean of the faculty, and professor of political science, and was a faculty member at Wheaton College (IL). He is principal of Michael Le Roy Associates and an advisor for MyNextSeason. He served on the Macatawa Bank board of directors and currently serves on the Governance and Risk Committee of Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU). Drawing on his work with colleges, universities, global nonprofits, and private-sector executives, Le Roy is passionate about investing in higher education leaders and strengthening sustainable working partnerships among boards, presidents, and leadership teams. He also works with presidents and boards to prepare for seamless presidential transitions by strengthening alignment, clarifying expectations, and planning intentionally for leadership succession. He helps presidents envision life and work after the presidency as part of a broader commitment to leadership renewal, institutional continuity, and vocational purpose. In this program, Le Roy supports participants as they reconnect with the originating spirit of their work, explore the relationship between personal and physical well-being and professional sustainability, and cultivate a renewed sense of purpose. Le Roy earned his BA in international studies and peace studies from Whitworth College; his PhD in political science 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 a founding member of 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
Applicants whose materials are received by Wednesday, January 20, 2027, will be given priority consideration. Applicants will be notified of selection decisions by Tuesday, February 9, 2027.
Presidents of CIC member institutions interested in participating are asked to submit a brief application packet online. Applications consist of three items.
Completion of an online application 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;
How you imagine this program will benefit 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.
