Many of the major addresses and sessions at the 2009 Presidents Institute in Bonita Springs, Florida, January 4–7 examined the impact of the current economic crisis on the future of the nation’s independent colleges and universities under the theme of “Investing in the Future.”

The conference also featured distinguished speakers on a number of other important topics. Noted literary scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. urged presidents to incorporate ancestry tracing (the technique employed in his acclaimed PBS documentary series, “African American Lives”) in coursework to help students understand the diversity of culture and demography of the United States. The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson stressed the need for investing in the future of science education and called on higher education leaders to provide students with meaningful international experiences. Other speakers underscored the imperatives of educating students for lives of social responsibility and student engagement, integrating data collections for improved decision-making, and best practices in president-trustee relations, among many other topics.

This year’s meeting featured near-record participation of presidents (312) and spouses (167). Podcasts of some of the major plenary addresses are available here, as are many of the powerpoint presentations and handouts.

Speakers at this year's Institute included (l-r) Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Paul H. O’Neill, Shirley Ann Jackson, Molly Corbett Broad, and George Kuh.