Presidents Consulting Service

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Presidents Consulting Service

Through the Presidents Consulting Service, recently retired presidents provide advice to current presidents and help those presidents and their institutional colleagues solve problems. Both new and experienced presidents are likely to find this Service useful.

The goal is to provide realistic and rapid assistance, grounded in experience in similar types of institutions. Consultants are available for both telephone conversations and campus visits (and any combination). An entire consultation may take place by phone; up to three hours of phone consultation time will be available to any individual CIC president during the year. Campus visits of up to two days duration are also possible. Presidents decide whether consultants work solely with the president or also with other individuals from the institution, and presidents determine the level of confidentiality.

In general, the Service is not intended to support extended relationships. Longer-term consulting or mentoring relationships that may emerge from this CIC consulting work will be entirely up to the president and the consultant.

As a new president, use of the Presidents Consulting Service enabled me to gain an independent perspective on the college's finances, alternative methods of viewing those finances, and insights regarding personnel.
Our consultant quickly became
a mentor to me and a team member seeking ways to strengthen
our college financially. The visit and recommendations enabled our administration to establish priorities and create a plan
of action in working with the college finances.
—William N. Johnson, President, Iowa Wesleyan College

Funder: The Henry Luce Foundation

Program Status: Begun in 2002, the Presidents Consulting Service (formerly the Panel of Presidential Consultants) is currently directed by Allen Splete, CIC president emeritus. Guidelines for using the service are here.

Program Description:

Focus Areas
Consultant assistance is currently available in the following areas. The examples given under each area are intended to be suggestive rather than exhaustive. As this program evolves, other areas of consulting assistance may be added.

President-board relations: strengthening the president and board chair relationship, facilitating a board retreat, revising by-laws and board committee structure, developing board fundraising roles, and selecting board members

Financial management: addressing a budget deficit, understanding audits and current accounting practices, managing the endowment, and working with the finance committee of the board

Crisis management: coping with natural disasters and major campus incidents, relating to the community, and communicating with institutional constituencies about sensitive subjects

Presidential evaluation: working with board chairs to devise appropriate approaches

Mentoring: working with a president to include the possibility of a longer-term relationship, addressing either specific functions or the broad range of presidential responsibilities

Administrative reorganization: assessing the effectiveness of current structures, proposing improved communication and governance processes

As a new president, my learning curve on several critical issues was substantially shortened because of the insight and
wisdom the consulting presidents brought to the college. In less than two days, they thoroughly understood the problems and provided clear, sound advice on how to move forward. The consultants were sensitive to different perspectives and the campus culture in formulating recommendations.
—F. Dominic Dottavio, President, Heidelberg College

Fees and Expenses
All expenses for phone consultations will be covered by CIC. For campus visits, CIC will reimburse presidents and institutions for one-half of the total amount spent on consultants’ fees and related travel expenses. Consultants have agreed to the following fee schedule: $500 per day for campus visits, and $250 for a day of preparatory work.

Roster of Consultants
A group of recently retired presidents of independent colleges and universities have offered to assist current presidents through this Service. A list of these individuals along with biographical information can be obtained here.

To use the Service:

Identifying a consultant and arranging a consultancy. A president seeking consulting assistance should contact Allen Splete, director of the Presidents Consulting Service and CIC president emeritus. After discussing the president's concerns, Dr. Splete will identify an appropriate consultant and put the president in touch with the consultant. At that point, the president will contact the consultant to make specific arrangements. Consultancies that start as a phone conversation can, with approval from Dr. Splete, also include a campus visit.

Documentation, payment, and reimbursement. CIC intends for the procedural aspects of this program to be simple.

For telephone consultations, presidents do not need to provide CIC with any documentation; consultants will be responsible for that documentation.

For campus visits, CIC will send presidents a letter that confirms the consultant and date(s) of the visit as well as a form to request reimbursement. After the president has paid the consultant's fees and expenses, the president will submit a brief, written report to CIC and request reimbursement for one-half of eligible costs.

The guidance and advice that I received through CIC's Presidential Consulting Service represented a worthwhile investment of time and resources. The consultant served as a sounding board as I gained confidence in my own leadership instincts, gave me the extra shove when I needed to make changes, and supported me every inch of the way.
—Diane Steele, SCL, President, University of Saint Mary

Evaluation. CIC will ask all presidents participating in this Service to help evaluate the program.

For Questions, Contact:
Allen P. Splete
Director, Presidents Consulting Service
Council of Independent Colleges
One Dupont Circle, Suite 320
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 466-7230
E-mail: asplete@cic.nche.edu