CIC CAO Institute

Details

Hosted by the Council of Independent Colleges, the CAO Institute convenes Chief Academic Officers and their leadership teams to address the most pressing challenges facing independent colleges and universities today.

From academic program strategy to institutional sustainability, the event creates space for leaders to reflect, collaborate, and plan for what comes next.

For many institutions, the challenge isn’t defining their mission—it’s ensuring that mission remains relevant, differentiated, and clearly understood in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

At the CAO Institute, we’re engaging with academic leaders to explore how institutional personality and “brand truth” can play a more active role in shaping academic strategy.

That includes helping institutions:

• Prioritize programs based on student demand and institutional strengths
• Bridge the gap between academic offerings and workforce relevance
• Translate institutional vision into a clear, student-centered value proposition

By aligning academic strategy with both mission and market needs, institutions can build greater resilience while staying grounded in their core purpose.

Presentation

Value, Outcomes, and the Next Generation of Learners

For the next generation of students, the value of college is shaped by a practical set of questions:

• What will I study?
• Where will it lead?
• Can I afford it?
• And can I see myself there?

Drawing on Carnegie’s national study of more than 3,300 students ages 13–18, this session will explore how the next generation of students are thinking about college and the factors influencing their decisions. The findings reveal how students assess the academic experience, what signals value to them, and how those considerations connect to their broader perceptions of college.

The session will also examine how students weigh academics alongside cost, campus experience, belonging, and trust, as well as where they turn for information during the college search.

We will highlight differences across student groups, including those who are interested in college and the 51 percent who currently say they are not. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of how the next generation connects academic offerings, outcomes, value, and feasibility, along with questions their institutions can consider as they shape programs, communications, and the broader student experience.