The Institute for New Presidents of Catholic Colleges and Universities (INP) is a program for all new and interim presidents of Catholic colleges and universities in their first two years of office. Through a full-day in-person conference in Washington, DC , six virtual sessions, and quarterly meetings with an assigned mentor, INP allows new presidents to build a community of peers and learn from veteran ACCU member presidents in Catholic higher education.
During this eight-month program, you will walk with your cohort through a series of shared experiences. This network of fellow ACCU member presidents will be invaluable to you in the months and years ahead, in ways you cannot foresee or predict.
Incredibly important to my education as a new president. I highly recommend it for future new presidents.
— Past Institute Participant
In-Person Conference | Virtual Sessions | Mentor Meetings | Fees | Planning Committee | Additional Resources
2026-2027 Institute for New Presidents
Questions? Contact Lorraine Sloma-Williams, Ed.D.
Full-Day In-Person Conference
Friday, January 29, 2027
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Immediately before the 2027 Annual Meeting
Grand Hyatt Washington, DC
In-Person Conference Topics Include
- Catholic Universities as a Ministry of the Church: History and Context
- This session sets the purposes and current challenges facing Catholic higher education within their recent historical context, as well as the ministerial hopes of the larger Church.
- Leading for Mission
- Hear ways to effectively lead for mission through the various structures commonly used to do so, as well as building relationships, developing culture, and inspiring the campus community.
- Effective Working Relationship with Bishops and Sponsoring Religious Congregations
- This session will name ways to cultivate the legacy of the founders (including some new and emerging sponsorship models) and share effective practices for working well with the bishop and members of your sponsoring congregation.
- Leading Through the Inevitable Controversies
- This working session offers opportunities to think through ways to bring Catholic identity to bear on the many controversial matters that inevitably arise throughout the university community.
- Personal Spiritual Development and Care for Self
- This session will suggest ways to nurture your own spirituality as you lead the charisms and traditions of your institution.
Virtual Sessions
Friday, September 25, 2026
Virtual Session #1: Speaking about Mission in Contentious Times
- Friday, September 25, 2026
- 12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) via Zoom
Speakers
- Marcheta Evans, President, St. Catherine University
- John McKeegan, President, Mount Aloysius College
As president, you speak about your institution’s charism and Catholic nature as you engage your communities, address controverted topics on campus, and, of course, as you give your inauguration speeches.
Learn about suggested ways in which you can effectively speak of your institution’s Catholic mission and congregational tradition. Attendees will be invited to ask questions and raise topics for conversation.
Friday, October 30, 2026
Virtual Session #2: Governing for Mission
- Friday, October 30, 2026
- 12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) via Zoom
Speakers:
- Coming Soon
Governing for Mission is a preeminent fiduciary board duty in Catholic higher education. For this work, as is always the case, committed presidential leadership and a strong partnership between the president and the board are essential.
This session will explore a variety of approaches, the relative roles of the board and president, and trends in the sponsorship of Catholic institutions, before inviting dialogue with participants.
Friday, November 13, 2026
Virtual Session #3: Marketing and Branding for Mission
- Friday, November 13, 2026
- 12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) via Zoom
Speaker:
- Coming Soon
Catholic higher education institutions serve a special and important mission to their students, to the world, and to the Church. But in the ever-changing landscape of higher education, how can you convey and lean into that mission to tell your institutional story in a meaningful way? This virtual session will incorporate important truths of marketing into practical, real-life examples of how Catholic colleges and universities are building comprehensive marketing and communication plans centered on their Catholic identity
Thursday, December 3, 2026
Virtual Session #4: Fiscal Stewardship of Mission
- Thursday, December 3, 2026
- 12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) via Zoom
Speaker:
- Coming Soon
Financial/Fiscal Stewardship of a university’s resources is fundamental to the role of any president – after all, “no margin, no mission.” This session will provide new presidents with a fundamental understanding of a university’s financial statements, strategies for how the president and CFO can and should partner in support of mission, and how benchmarking against key metrics can inform Board/President/CFO discussions on the path forward. The follow-up, in-person session at the full-day conference on Friday, January 29 in Washington, DC will invite new presidents to use the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) Financial Monitoring model and other measures of financial viability to have follow up discussions (via memos, virtual or in-person meetings) with their Board and Sponsors, as appropriate.
Friday, March 19, 2027
Virtual Session #5: Topic to be decided by participants at January conference
- Friday, March 19, 2027
- 12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) via Zoom
Speaker:
- Coming Soon
Friday, April 16, 2027
Virtual Session #6: Open Forum
- Friday, April 16, 2027
- 12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) via Zoom
Moderator:
- Coming Soon
This discussion session is designed for you to raise the topics and questions most on your mind as you approach the end of the academic year as a new president.
*New presidents are invited to email topics and questions to Lorraine Sloma-Williams in advance of this session, by April 9*
Quarterly Mentor Meetings for New Presidents
As part of the Institute for New Presidents, these focused and confidential sessions strategically connect new and interim presidents with former presidents who are skilled in and personally committed to the special mission of Catholic higher education and the particular needs of the sector.
Program Fees
Program Fee includes:
- Full-Day In-Person Conference in Washington, DC (Friday, January 29, 2027)
- Six Virtual Sessions
- Access to Confidential Financial Capacity Building Dashboard
- Quarterly Mentor Meetings
Fee: $1,195
Attending ACCU’s Institute for New Presidents is the best way to carve out time with colleagues to consider both the privileges of mission and challenges of faith-based education. The opportunity to learn, share, and network is both reassuring and sustaining. I’d encourage all presidents who are new in their roles at Catholic colleges and universities to participate in the Institute as I did years ago. I still rely on the networks created there and reflect on the wisdom that was shared among colleagues.
—Former ACCU Member President
Planning Committee
Thank you to the 2027 INP Planning Committee for their generous assistance in planning and facilitating this year’s events:
Glynis Fitzgerald
PRESIDENT, ALVERNIA UNIVERSITY
(COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR)
Tom Poon
PRESIDENT, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
(COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR)
Marco Clark
PRESIDENT, HOLY CROSS COLLEGE
Harry Dumay
PRESIDENT, ELMS COLLEGE
Kathleen Jagger
PRESIDENT, NEWMAN UNIVERSITY
Lisa Lori
PRESIDENT, MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY