 Presidential
Forums
A Presidential Forum is an ongoing group of 6-8 presidents from non-competing
institutions who meet several times each year in order to share problems
and solutions, and to do so in a way that will sustain candid communication
over the several meetings of the Forum.
Funder: The Henry Luce Foundation
Program Status: The initial forums were begun during the 2001-2002
academic year. Since 2002, 77 presidents have signed up for one of eight
regional Forums. George Houston, President Emeritus, Mount St. Mary's
University, and CIC Senior Advisor, is Director of the Presidential Forums
Program. He can be reached by telephone at (202) 466-7230 ext. 362, or
e-mail at ghouston@cic.nche.edu.
Program Description: The job of a college or university president
is complex, demanding, and often lonely. New challenges arise regularly,
and they are often unanticipated and unprecedented. In this period of
rapid and dramatic change in higher education, a president frequently
has the need to turn to trusted sources of expert assistance; these often
cannot be quickly identified.
The Presidential Forums are intended to assist CIC member presidents
address such challenges. Each Forum includes presidents from colleges
and universities that are somewhat comparable but are not in competition
with one another. Each Forum also is arranged to include people who came
to the presidency from different backgrounds, and who, therefore, have
different areas of expertise to share. An attempt is made to include in
each Forum a mix of relatively new presidents with more experienced presidents.
Forum members function as an informal board of advisors to one another.
The agenda at each meeting takes several forms, including some combination
of 1) having a member make a presentation of an idea, issue, problem,
or proposal on which she or he seeks advice in a non-threatening setting;
2) providing time for each member to give a brief update of events on
his or her campus or in his or her life since the last Forum; and 3) a
presentation of some new concept, idea, or program of mutual interest
to Forum members. During the course of the year, each member of the Forum
is the focus of at least one meeting. Participants at each Forum select
a facilitator from within the group.
The Forums provide relatively sophisticated expertise and assistance
to their members at relatively low cost. Members are able to obtain expert
assistance in a timely fashion as they deal with crises or can use the
Forum to pre-test major proposals before submitting them to their boards
or faculties. The Forums provide a relaxed, comfortable setting in which
members can freely share their ideas and concerns.
Summer 2004 Independent newsletter article: Presidential
Services Update, Presidential Forums
August 2001 Press Release: New
CIC Program Aimed at Strengthening Leadership of Colleges and Universities
For questions about the Forums, contact CIC Senior Advisor George
Houston at (202) 466-7230 ext. 362, or e-mail ghouston@cic.nche.edu.
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Presidential
Forums
