Breakfast is provided for all Institute participants. Sunday’s roundtable discussions offer chief academic officers and their team members the opportunity to network with counterparts at other CIC institutions and to exchange practical advice about how to strengthen collaboration across their roles. Table prompts will guide the conversations.
Academic Honesty Policies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
How are CIC colleges and universities incorporating statements about the use of artificial intelligence tools in their academic honor policies? Participants from institutions with established policies will share feedback about how they are working and give advice to those who are in the process of policy development.
Facilitator: David Mengel, Provost, University of Portland (OR)
Adding a Director of Faculty Development
George Fox University (OR) created a director position to guide the development and implementation of faculty development programs. How is the role defined, to whom does it report, and what are the advantages and drawbacks of such a model? Participants are invited to join George Fox’s chief academic officer in a conversation that will answer these questions as well as to share effective faculty development models from their own campuses.
Facilitator: Mary Peterson, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, George Fox University (OR)
Advancing Civil Discourse
How are CIC colleges and universities advancing civil discourse as a campus priority? Stonehill College (MA) created the Integrating Democratic Education at Stonehill (IDEAS) program as one avenue to equip students with the confidence and skills to engage in civil discourse. Stonehill’s chief academic officer will share information about the program design and benefits to date. Participants are invited to discuss their own campus strategies for fostering civil discourse.
Facilitator: Peter Ubertaccio, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stonehill College (MA)
Advising Models That Retain Students
What advising models are CIC institutions using or developing to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population? How do chief academic officers and their team members collaborate with other stakeholders across the university to construct an effective advising model? What roles do faculty members play in an advising process that retains students? Participants will discuss these questions and share strategies from their own institutions that have improved student advising and facilitated retention and persistence.
Facilitator: John Ayabe, Provost, Simpson University (CA)
Becoming a Welcoming Campus for Community College Students
How can CIC institutions become welcoming campuses for community college students? Over the past year, Ohio Wesleyan University has built a robust transfer culture to attract, enroll, and support community college students. Ohio Wesleyan’s provost will share how she and others brought together multiple offices in a coordinated effort to create real access and degree completion for community college transfer students that led to quintuple transfer enrollment growth. Participants are invited to ask questions and to share their institutional strategies for enhancing campus culture for students who transfer from two-year colleges.
Facilitator: Karlyn Crowley, Provost, Ohio Wesleyan University
Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Career Readiness Through Liberal Arts Education
In today’s evolving job market, the skills cultivated through a liberal arts education—critical thinking, communication, and adaptability—are more crucial than ever. This discussion will explore strategies for integrating career readiness initiatives with traditional liberal arts curricula through innovative academic pathways, ensuring students are well-equipped for diverse professional pursuits. Participants will gain insights into best practices for aligning academic programs with industry demands, fostering a holistic educational experience that helps students unlock the value of higher education while also creating new opportunities to sustain your institution.
Key Questions:
- How can liberal arts degree programs incorporate career-focused skills without compromising the integrity of a broad-based education?
- What are effective methods for engaging industry partners in identifying and developing career-relevant skills in the classroom?
- How can universities measure and communicate the value of a liberal arts education in terms of career outcomes and employability?
Facilitator: Kevin Harrington, CEO, Rize Education
Building Humanities Programs for Underserved High School Students Through a Knowledge for Freedom Grant
The Knowledge for Freedom grant initiative, funded by the Teagle Foundation, supports programs at liberal arts institutions that invite underserved high school students to study humanity’s deepest questions about leading lives of purpose and civic responsibility. These high school students come into residence on a college campus, where they experience the intensity of a seminar-sized discussion taught by college professors focused on major works of philosophy and literature. Join this roundtable discussion to learn more about this transformational grant initiative and what it looks like in practice at a CIC member institution, including the application process and lessons learned from implementation.
Facilitator: Laura A. McLary, Nora Kizer Bell Provost, Hollins University (VA)
Community Connections
How are CIC colleges and universities creating positive visibility for themselves in their local communities? What have been opportunities and obstacles to doing so? Participants are invited to share their experiences and to seek advice about strategies to promote good town-gown relations.
Facilitator: Lindsay Hayasaka, Vice President for Academic Administration, Pacific Union College (CA)
Connecting Theory and Practice: Changes to Research Digest
This roundtable session will focus on the most recent updates to the Research Digest newsletter with one of the co-editors discussing what the editing team hopes to accomplish with each issue as well as opportunities for participants to discuss topics they would be interested in the Research Digest including.
Facilitator: Bethany Miller, Co-Editor, Digest of Recent Research and Associate Provost and Chief Data Officer, Macalester College (MN)
Creating a Free Expression and Civil Discourse Culture
GenZ students arrive on campus ill-equipped to have conversations with those whose opinions and experiences differ from their own, having grown up in neighborhoods where they know few whose politics, news sources, race, and socio-economic background differ from their own and having been socially isolated during the pandemic. Join us for a conversation about elevating skills for civil discourse across principled disagreement as a deliberate aim of students’ education through curricular and co-curricular programming.
Facilitators:
Lena Hill, Provost, Washington & Lee University (VA)
Leanne Neilson, Provost, California Lutheran University
Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, Director, Campus Free Expression Project, CIC
Energy Management: Thriving as a Chief Academic Officer
Chief academic officers expend enormous creative, emotional, and intellectual energy in carrying out their duties related to such matters as finances, institutional vision, curricular direction, personnel, and student success. And then, when the work seems almost manageable, an unexpected crisis arises that requires immediate attention. How do CAOs avoid exhaustion and maintain their energy not just to survive in their roles but to thrive? Join a candid exchange about experiences and strategies for personal and professional renewal.
Facilitator: Teresa Garrett, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Hendrix College (AR)
Getting a Handle on Human Resources
When it comes to faculty evaluation and disciplinary action, the buck typically stops with the chief academic officer. How can CAOs effectively partner with their chief human resources officers and, if needed, the institution’s legal counsel? How can CAOs equip deans and chairs with HR management tools to head off challenges before they require direct CAO intervention? Discussants will share lessons learned and strategies for managing employee performance in a maze of bureaucracy and an increasingly litigious environment.
Facilitator: Michael Soto, Provost and Senior Vice President, Point Park University (PA)
Managing Nursing and Allied Health Programs
Many CIC colleges and universities have found the addition of health science programs to be a beneficial strategy for revenue growth. At the same time, nursing and allied health programs present notable challenges for deans and chief academic officers to manage, including specialized accreditors, significant equipment and laboratory needs, and industry competition in hiring potential faculty members. Join Rockford University (IL)’s provost in a discussion of implementation strategies for success and seek advice about ongoing concerns.
Facilitator: Elizabeth Davies, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Rockford University (IL)
Mission-Focused Faculty Development Programs
Many CIC colleges and universities recognize the importance of maintaining their identities as faith-based institutions at the same time that they are embracing and welcoming increased diversity in their faculties. What are the benefits and drawbacks of faculty development programs designed to engage faculty members in learning and reflection on institutional mission and legacy? What are features of successful programs? Join Bushnell University (OR)’s academic leadership team in a candid conversation.
Facilitators:
Agametochukwu D. Iheanyi-Igwe, Associate Dean, School of Bible, Theology, and Ministry, Bushnell University (OR)
Reed Mueller, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Bushnell University (OR)
Navigating Academic Reorganization
The need to optimize efficiencies and safeguard resources can lead institutions to undertake a reorganization of academic departments. Even when these proposed changes are budget-neutral and do not result in program cuts, faculty often feel threatened by and hostile to the idea of any change in administrative structure. What are the best practices for engaging stakeholders, fostering collaboration, minimizing resistance, and aligning academic goals with institutional priorities? Participants will share their experiences with managing academic reorganizations and offer suggestions and insights to administrators who are considering reorganizations in the near future.
Facilitator: Lynne Bongiovanni, Provost and Dean of Faculty, University of Mount Saint Vincent (NY)
New Approaches to Faculty Orientation Programs
How are CIC institutions creating or adapting their faculty orientation programs to accommodate changes in the make-up of their faculties—e.g., millennials, adjunct and non-tenure-track, those recruited from outside the academy, faculty teaching remotely? Participants will discuss content that they include in faculty orientation, new approaches to faculty orientation that have been successful, and other lessons learned from the changing profile of faculty members.
Facilitator: Donna N. Heald, Provost and Academic Dean, Loras College (IA)
Supporting Department Chairs Through Challenges
Department chair leadership is integral at many CIC colleges and universities and more often than not challenging. Chief academic officers and deans expect department chairs to implement policies and practices the chairs did not design and may not agree with. Since many chairs serve in the role only temporarily, they also may be reticent about making significant changes that are unpopular with their faculty colleagues. How can CAOs and deans support chairs in navigating the tensions of the role? Participants are invited to share their experiences and advice.
Facilitator: Timothy G. Campbell, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Midway University (KY)
Supporting Student Success
Many CIC colleges and universities report an increase in the number of first-year students who are both underprepared for college-level work and disengaged in the classroom. What programs and strategies are being designed and implemented to help these students succeed? Participants will share examples of initiatives that have been effective on their campuses and exchange advice about ongoing challenges to student academic success.
Facilitator: Ray Lutgring, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Lindsey Wilson College (KY)
The Chief Academic Officer as Mentor
Mentoring members of the academic affairs team is an important responsibility for chief academic officers. How do they balance their dual roles of mentor and supervisor? What other factors influence their mentoring strategies? How can CAOs best encourage professional growth when opportunities for advancement within the institution are limited? Participants will share experiences and advice.
Facilitator: Andy Chambers, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Missouri Baptist University (MO)
The Role of the Registrar on CIC Campuses
How have the roles and responsibilities of the registrar evolved on CIC college and university campuses? To whom does the position report? Where does the position fit in the organizational structure? This conversation will explore these and related questions about this essential campus role.
Facilitator: Jason Lowrey, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Bethel Lutheran College (MN)