Hiring and Supporting a Pioneering President - Advice and Guiding Questions for Governing Boards, Presidents, and Candidates

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Resource for independent colleges and universities focused on hiring and supporting “pioneering” presidents—leaders who bring specific, sometimes not fully visible, and institutionally relevant identities to the role. The guide compiles practical advice and lessons from presidents and board chairs, covering defining the role, managing the search and announcement, preparing and piloting campus culture, onboarding, first-year support, and ongoing board and stakeholder engagement. It also provides guiding questions across each step, reflecting themes drawn from a 2024 convening in Washington, DC.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

A Letter from CIC’s President

Background: Convening of Pioneering Presidents and Board Chairs

Major Themes

Advice

Useful Conversations and Questions

Conclusion: What Will You Be the Last of?

Resources

Appendices

Hiring and Supporting a Pioneering President A Resource for Governing Boards, Presidents, and Presidential Candidates at Independent Colleges and Universities Table of Contents ALetter from CIC’s President ............ 2 Background: AConvening of Pioneering Presidentsand Board Chairs ...........3 Major Themes ..............4 Advice ...................... 6 Useful Conversationsand Questions ............. 11 Conclusion: What Will You Bethe Last of? ................18 Resources .................19 Appendices ............... 22 Publication of this resource was supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, but the findingsand conclusions are not necessarily those of the Foundation . © 2025 Council of Independent Colleges [3](3 l cic.edu)[ l cic.edu](3 l cic.edu) A Letter from CIC’s President This document is offered as a resource for academic institutions—especially independent colleges and universities—that intend to hire and support“pioneering” presidents. To start with a simple definition: by “pioneering”we mean presidents who are the first people to bring specific, sometimes but not necessarily visible, and institutionally relevant identities to the role. This is not meant to be an exhaustive statement of the challenges that pioneering presidents face, nor a definitive guide to hiring and supporting such leaders. Think of it as a toolkit: a collection of hard-won, practical advice from presidents and board chairs who have already blazed new trails. The toolkit includes advice about defining the role of a new president, especially one who breaks the traditional mold at a given institution; the hiring process itself; the announcement of a pioneering president; preparing the campus and, if necessary, piloting a new campus culture; onboarding procedures; support during the first year of a new presidency; and ongoing support from the board of trustees and other stakeholders. The resource also includes a series of guiding questions that board chairs, trustees, pioneering presidents, and others might want to ask at every step, from the first inclination to hire a pioneer through their inaugural year as president and beyond. The resource has been made possible by a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation. It is part ofa multi-year project to review and expand CIC’s academic leadership programs. The larger initiative is designed to develop a strong pipeline of leaders from different backgrounds for independent colleges and universities. To advance this goal, CIC is fostering collaborative networks of pioneers and allies who can help each other navigate unique institutional and personal challenges. CIC is also developing resources, like this one, to support professional and institutional success. While the wisdom and advice is specifically framed around the hiring and support of pioneering presidents, much ofit applies to the hiring and support of all college and university presidents. We also hope this resource will contribute to the success of everyone on campus—from incoming students to senior administrators—facing their own challenges as pioneers. Marjorie Hass President, Council of Independent Colleges Hiring and Supporting a Pioneering President Background: A Convening of Pioneering Presidentsand Board Chairs On August 1–3, 2024, 20 presidents ofCIC member institutions and their board chairs gathered in Washington, DC, for CIC’s first Convening of Pioneering Presidents and Board Chairs. This meeting brought together a representative group of presidents who are the “first” in their roles, such as the first woman, the first person of color, the first lay leader of a Catholic institution, the first openly LGBTQ+ president, or some combination of these and other self-proclaimed identities. In some cases, the board chair was also the “first” in the role. During three days of confidential discussionsand table exercises, participants shared their experiences, their insights,

FAQs

What kind of ongoing support does the resource recommend?

It highlights ongoing visible and continuous support from the board chair and other community leaders, including executive coaching and professional development, not only during a president’s initial introduction to campus.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum