About the CIC Members
Founded in 1958, the CIC Members (Chief Academic Officers of
the CIC member universities) provide leadership and direction,
identify new initiatives, establish policies and priorities, discuss
proposed activities, evaluate existing programs and address collective
concerns. The Members fund the central CIC headquarters office
operations through annual dues and assessments. While the title
may vary from university to university (most frequently Provost
or Vice President for Academic Affairs), the Chief Academic Officer
is typically responsible for oversight of the educational policies,
budgets, and work of the universities. Customarily, the Deans
on each campus report to the Chief Academic Officer, as do those
university offices that provide service across the colleges such
as the university library. The Chief Academic Officer oversees
faculty hiring decisions and practices, as well.
Background
The Committee on Institutional Cooperation, established in 1958,
is a consortium of twelve universities (the eleven members of
the Big Ten Athletic Conference and the University of Chicago)
committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting and coordinating
collaborative activities and sharing resources. Its programs and
activities extend to all aspects of university activity except
intercollegiate athletics. These endeavors are organized to augment
and complement institutional programs without supplanting them
or reducing their individual importance.
CIC universities confer, on average, 15% of all Ph.D. degrees
awarded annually in the United States. Collectively, the CIC member
universities engage in nearly $2 billion worth of externally funded
research annually, employ more than 33,000 full-time faculty members,
and enroll nearly one-half million undergraduate, graduate, and
professional students.
Key programs of the CIC include the Virtual Electronic Library
project, Traveling Scholar, Foreign Language Enhancement Program,
Summer Research Opportunity Program, and access to expanded study
abroad opportunities through the AESOP program. Other key initiatives
include cooperative purchasing and licensing activities, and annual
leadership programs such as the Academic Leadership Program and
the Departmental Executive Officers' Seminar.
Annually, some 1,200 students participate in academic and research
offerings coordinated through the CIC, many groups and committees
convene, and conferences are presented on topics ranging from
intellectual property to academic and department leadership. In
addition, the CIC receives grant funding in support of a number
of programs.
Governance
The CIC is governed by the Chief Academic Officers of the member
universities. These Chief Academic Officers are the Members of
the CIC. The Members of the Committee meet three times annually
to establish CIC guidelines and procedures, to discuss proposed
initiatives and evaluate existing programs, and to address collective
concerns and policy issues common to these institutions.
Committee Structure
The CIC headquarters staff serves as liaison between the many
committees and groups of the organization and the Members (chief
academic officers). Groups such as the LAS Deans, the Graduate
Deans, the Chief Information Officers, and the Library Deans and
Directors do organize subgroups and subcommittees in order to
address issues and manage particular programs. The members occasionally
appoint ad hoc committees to address an issue, and will frequently
request information from or encourage particular types of collaboration
from or within groups.
Funding
The annual operating budget of approximately $1 million is supported
by member university assessments. The CIC Members (chief academic
officers) each pay annual assessments of some $75,000. In addition,
the Graduate Deans and Chief Information Officers of the member
universities assess themselves to support headquarters resources
and staff dedicated to their programs and initiatives. The Liberal
Arts and Sciences Deans assess themselves annually to support
scholarships for foreign language study. The budget and assessments
are reviewed and approved annually by the Members.
The operating budget supports day-to-day office operations of
the headquarters, including personnel, rent, travel, and related
operating expenses. Most programs and initiatives requiring support
other than staffing and management from the headquarters are supported
through one-time, additional voluntary contributions, or through
grant funding.
Headquarters
The CIC is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, and currently
employs a full time staff of 13. The staff reports to the Director
of the CIC, who in turn reports to the Members (the chief academic
officers of the member universities).
By agreement with the Board of Trustees of the University of
Illinois, the CIC is considered an affiliated office of the University,
and does not have separate legal or corporate status. The CIC
shares indirect cost recovery funds with the University, and in
return receives personnel, financial, legal counsel, and other
management services.
For historical background on the CIC, read "A
Case Study on
Interinstitutional Cooperation." by Herman B. Wells (Reprinted
with permission from the Fall 1967 issue of the EDUCATIONAL
RECORD, published by the American Council on Education,
Washington, D.C.)
|
