Empowering the Next Generation of MSI Presidents: Rutgers CMSI Hosts 5th MSI Aspiring Leaders Forum
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jacinda Nembhard | jacinda.nembhard@gse.rutgers.edu | 848-932-0774
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ, April 10, 2025 –The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is hosting its fifth MSI Aspiring Leaders Forum from Thursday, April 10th to Friday, April 11th in Princeton, NJ. The two-day forum will convene and engage prominent Minority Serving Institution (MSI) presidents and those aspiring to be MSI leaders in the program.
The collection of discussions, case studies, panels, and mentoring sessions will cover many issues, scenarios, and events that may arise on the path to the collegiate presidency. The forum’s design will prepare Aspiring Leaders with the exceptional skills to secure and excel in the role of a president at an MSI. Sessions will include topics such as finance for leaders, the role of search firms, managing crises, negotiating salary packages, and managing board of trustee relations.
“We are witnessing unprecedented times for university leaders at MSIs, but our mission remains steadfast,” said Marybeth Gasman, CMSI Executive Director, and Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education at Rutgers University. “We are thrilled to gather another cohort of Aspiring Leaders to explore innovative approaches to student success, community engagement, and institutional transformation.”
The forum will feature a keynote address by Alvin Schexnider, Past President of Winston Salem State University and author of Confessions of a Black Academic: A Memoir. The American electorate, including higher education is confronted with a dearth of leadership talent. Schexnider will address this concern, the prospect for change, and what we, as dedicated professionals can do about it.
Funded by The Kresge Foundation and ECMC Foundation, the MSI Aspiring Leaders program includes a leadership forum, 1.5 years of one-on-one mentorship, and regular virtual sessions on a variety of topics pertaining to leading these unique institutions.
Learn more about the fifth cohort of MSI Aspiring Leaders here and their MSI presidential mentors here.
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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 https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/.
Date:
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Press Release type:
