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CIC ANNOUNCES MELLON FOUNDATION GRANT FOR NEW INSTITUTIONAL DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE FOR NEW PRESIDENTS

WASHINGTON, DC – The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) announced today that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded CIC a grant of $100,000 to implement a pilot program of a new Institutional Diagnostic Service (IDS). This service, to be provided in cooperation with The Presidential Practice, will assist recently appointed college and university presidents in identifying serious problems that should be addressed immediately, as well as promising opportunities for strategic attention.

In announcing the initiative, CIC President Richard Ekman said “CIC has for many years made effective presidencies one of its principal concerns. A good start can lead to a long and effective tenure as a college or university president. The Institutional Diagnostic Service involves an intensive, multifaceted, on-the-spot diagnosis of the institution’s well-being to benefit presidents and their identification of strategic actions.” Ekman noted that ten presidents will be selected for the pilot project to receive support and test this innovative new approach to providing presidents with excellent information on challenges and opportunities at their institutions from the very start. “New presidents must learn significant cultural, organizational, and financial subtleties. The learning curve takes time for a new president to discern both the deeper problems and the true treasures of an institution.”

College presidents in their first or second year in office who apply for the Institutional Diagnostic Service will meet with a four-person team of former independent college and university presidents and experienced higher education consultants. The team will review a large quantity of written and electronic materials and spend a day-and-a-half on the campus, meeting with the president, members of the board, and senior staff, as well as discussing findings and possible strategies with the president. Following the site visit, the team will prepare a written report on its findings, recommendations, and next steps. In addition, team members and the president will hold a confidential follow-up conference call.

The Service for each institution will be coordinated by The Presidential Practice (TPP), an organization that provides coaching and counsel to newly and recently appointed presidents, as they work out complex institutional and cultural issues.

The current roster of consultants for IDS consists of the following individuals:

• Rita Bornstein, President Emerita, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL
• Scott Colley, President Emeritus, Berry College, Mt. Berry, GA
• Ann Duffield, Founding Principal, The Presidential Practice
• Gregory Farrington, President Emeritus, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
• James Galbally, Founding Principal, The Presidential Practice
• Robert Glidden, President Emeritus, Ohio University, Athens, OH
• Richard Kneedler, President Emeritus, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
• Stephen R. Lewis, Jr., President Emeritus, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
• Dale Rogers Marshall, President Emerita, Wheaton College, Norton, MA
• John McCardell, President Emeritus, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
• Kenneth Shaw, President Emeritus, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
• Jon Strauss, President Emeritus, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA

View more information about the Institutional Diagnostic Service.

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The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of more than 570 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities and 60 higher education affiliates and organizations that work together to strengthen college and university leadership, sustain high-quality education, and enhance private higher education’s contributions to society. To fulfill this mission, CIC provides its members with skills, tools, and knowledge that address aspects of leadership, financial management and performance, academic quality, and institutional visibility. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.

The Presidential Practice (TPP) is an organization that provides coaching and counsel to newly and recently appointed presidents, as they work out complex institutional and cultural issues. TPP draws upon years of experience in higher education and work with the leaders of more than 150 colleges and universities that participated in a national planning project (the Pew Higher Education Roundtable and the Knight Higher Education Collaborative) administered by the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Research on Higher Education from 1986 to 1999. It also includes 11 college and university presidents’ emerita and emeritus who through long and successful presidencies developed strategies for handling an array of challenging issues and opportunities.

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