Nota Bene: A New Year Tradition

For the past 26 years, I have opened the new year by attending the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Presidents Institute. It is the premier annual meeting of college and university presidents and the largest in the country. Although my schedule is routinely filled with a variety of meetings and events on-campus and around the country, I always find this CIC gathering of 360 private college presidents to be a time of personal reflection and restoration.

Based in Washington, D.C., CIC works to raise the quality of education and strengthen resources at some 765 independent colleges, universities and higher education organizations. CIC’s 2017 Presidents Institute explored the theme of “Education for America's Future" and other important issues of presidential leadership, drawing on the lessons learned by experienced campus CEO's and the perspectives of other distinguished speakers.

The time was very productive. I was able to accomplish:

• A planning session with Derck & Edson of Lititz, PA, the firm that has facilitated our 10-year Campus Master Planning efforts;
• A meeting with Academic Search, Inc. Board of Directors, a group I chair;
• A meeting with the American Academic Leadership Institute Board of Directors (I serve as vice chair); 
• A meeting with The Learning House, the full-service provider of online learning that is our partner in developing a program at VWC.
• A meeting of the 25 private college leaders nationwide selected to meet with Mexican university rectors in Guadalajara, Mexico. (More on this in another Nota Bene).

Throughout the week, a theme came through loud and clear as I visited with my colleagues at the meeting. In the volatile, often uncertain world of higher education, many things remain constant. These include the need to build and maintain healthy enrollments and endowments, to teach well, and to give our efforts an honest and thorough assessment. We will always want to recruit the best students, faculty, and administrative staff that we can. A mainstay of Virginia Wesleyan's history is the devotion of all members of the campus community to academic, career, and life success for students. Our beautiful campus needs constant care, too, and the challenges of security and resource development in every area of the College are ongoing. 

Much of what we do is predictable and knowable; however, there are many recent developments and trends that bring uncertainty and demand vigilance.Most have a direct correlation to the future of all small, private colleges like VWC, and all will have increasing influence in the years ahead. I have no doubt that with persistent effort and strong connections to our colleagues in the higher education community and beyond, we will continue to accomplish great things.