(Sponsored by Harvest Table Culinary Group and McAllister & Quinn)
How to Manage Changing Workplace Expectations of Faculty and Staff
More and more, college and university employees are expressing feelings of being overworked, undervalued, and stressed. Employee recruitment and retention are significant challenges in higher education. How can presidents manage these challenges and respond to changing assumptions about the balance of work and life at their colleges and universities?
Natalie Harder, President, Coker University
Anne Ollen, Head of Programs and Operations, TIAA Institute
Lynn Perry Wooten, President, Simmons University
Chair: Christopher Ames, President, Russell Sage College
Innovative Mergers, Collaborations, and Partnerships
Mergers, collaborations, and partnerships have garnered increasing interest among CIC presidents. How can collaborations facilitate administrative efficiencies through shared resources? What physical and programmatic conditions allow for meaningful partnerships? How can affiliation systems allow colleges and universities to retain their identities while allowing for growth and new initiatives? Presidents working together on different types of innovative arrangements that mutually benefit their campuses will offer insights.
John L. Comerford, President, Otterbein University
Bassam M. Deeb, President, Trocaire College
William R. Groves, President/Chancellor, Antioch University
Lori V. Quigley, Interim President, Medaille University
Moderator: John Macintosh, Managing Partner, The Transformational Partnerships Fund
Lessons for Serving Hispanic Students
The U.S. Hispanic population is increasing, outpacing overall population growth, and shifting away from states with historically large Hispanic populations. The number of CIC members designated as HSIs (those where Hispanic students comprise at least 25 percent of the full-time equivalent student body) has grown to 58, with another 70 designated as “emerging.” This session will draw on the experience and expertise of presidents who have nurtured effective approaches for serving the academic and cultural needs of Hispanic students.
Montserrat Fuentes, President, St. Edward’s University
Brian L. Johnson, President, Warner Pacific University
Suzanne M. Rivera, President, Macalester College
Chair: Krista L. Newkirk, President, University of Redlands
Navigating the Download: Communicating as a Presidential Couple
Joint Session with Presidential Spouses and Partners
Communication is the best predictor of marriage happiness and relationship longevity for couples. Communication is even more crucial for the presidential couple given the nature of the role: public-facing, high-stakes, very complex, and 24/7/365. This session will offer a unique look at how experienced and creative presidential couples manage the volume of information they must regularly share with each other. Panelists will not only reveal their own approaches and experiences, but also invite dynamic sharing among session attendees. Couples will leave with concrete ideas for developing proactive strategies and rituals toward optimizing information-sharing, increasing joy, and navigating the communication complexity of being a presidential couple.
Brian J. Bruess, President, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
Carol Bruess, Presidential Spouse, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
Glenn McGee, Presidential Spouse, Salem College
Summer Johnson McGee, President, Salem College
Chair: Chris E. Domes, President, Neumann University
Presidential Considerations for the Future of Digital Transformation
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of many colleges and universities in recent years. As higher education leaders grapple with the consequences of this change, they are looking to new strategies to fulfill their institutional missions. How will digital transformation challenge workforce expectations and the core assumptions of the traditional residential campus? What solutions does digital transformation offer in the face of health crises, declining enrollments, public skepticism, and student debt? This session will focus on possibilities and pitfalls that deep changes to digital culture bring to campuses.
Barbara K. Altmann, President, Franklin & Marshall College
J. Bradley Creed, President, Campbell University
John O’Brien, President and CEO, Educause
Chair: Carmen J. Walters, President, Tougaloo College
The Role of the President in Fostering Democracy and Citizenship
Independent colleges and universities have a vital role to play in educating students to be engaged citizens and supporting democratic engagement in their communities. What is the role of presidential leadership in promoting civility, rationality, and responsibility to the public good in a time of polarization and hyper partisanship? Presidents with unique experiences in politics, the military, and the law will offer insights.
Robert W. Iuliano, President, Gettysburg College
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, President, Augustana University (SD)
Timothy E. Trainor, President, Mount St. Mary’s University (MD)
Chair: Robert E. Johnson, President, Western New England University