CMSI Welcomes the Third Cohort of MSI Aspiring Leaders & Presidential Mentors in Philadelphia This Week!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brandy Jones
Telephone: 848-932-0788
Email: brandy.jones@gse.rutgers.edu

New Brunswick, NJ., (April 26, 2022) — The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is excited to host its third MSI Aspiring Leaders Forum from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1, in Philadelphia, PA. The three-day forum will convene and engage prominent MSI presidents and Aspiring Leaders in the program. The collection of discussions, case studies, panels, and keynotes will cover many issues, scenarios, and events that may arise on the path to the collegiate presidency. As a result, the forum’s design will prepare the Aspiring Leaders with the exceptional skills to secure and endure the role of a president at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI). 

Similar to previous forums, sessions will include “Managing Crises and Media Relations,” “The Role of Search Firms,” “The Uniqueness of MSI Leadership,” “How to Get the Most Out of Your MSI Aspiring Leaders Mentor/Mentee Relationship,” “Fundraising,” and “Managing Board of Trustee Relationships.” Each session will be moderated by invited speakers, presidential mentors, and/or CMSI staff. 

"We are grateful and enthusiastic to welcome our Aspiring Leaders to this year’s forum. COVID-19 has created a host of new demands for institutional leaders to consider, and we are looking forward to coming together to spotlight and strategize around the contemporary challenges that have reshaped the MSI presidency,” shared Marybeth Gasman, CMSI Executive Director and Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education.  

The forum will include a keynote address by Rosyln Clark Artis, President of Benedict College, entitled “Road to and Lessons Learned from a University President.” Artis will share her unique journey with the Aspiring Leaders. Furthermore, the MSI Aspiring Leaders will work on tangible case studies with simulated crises to learn and emulate the various responsibilities of leading an institution. At the forum’s conclusion, with the assistance of their MSI presidential mentors, the Aspiring Leaders will present their solutions to various institutional challenges. 

"This year’s forum is occurring at an opportune moment. As we have all faced institutional evolutions, our Aspiring Leaders will learn so much from each other’s lived experiences. This convening will further enhance our Aspiring Leaders and offer them the tools to one day successfully lead an institution,” says Brandy Jones, Director for Programs and Communications for the Rutgers CMSI.

Funded by the ECMC Foundation and the Kresge Foundation, the MSI Aspiring Leaders program includes leadership forums and a mentorship component. Presidential mentors and MSI Aspiring Leaders will participate in a one-on-one relationship. Over two years, CMSI will manage these relationships in hopes that they will influence the career trajectories of the Aspiring Leaders. The 2022 MSI Aspiring Leaders Forum is free of program fees to all invited participants to encourage equity in participation and minimize financial burden. 

Learn more about the third cohort of MSI Aspiring Leaders and MSI presidential mentors here. Follow the #ALForum2022 hashtag via Twitter to receive live updates from the forum!

About the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions 
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) brings together researchers and practitioners from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. CMSI’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions is part of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity and Justice (Proctor Institute) at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. For further information about CMSI, please visit http://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/.