How much do academic leaders need to know about AI? Enough to answer these questions:

What is AI good/bad at? The only way to really know this is to try it out. If you haven’t experimented with it and discovered at least one real-life use case, this is the month you should give that a try. I never use AI to write for me, but I do use it to make charts, to develop personalized travel itineraries, and to index this newsletter. We do not need to become experts, but our jobs do require us to be regular users and bot builders—if only to stay abreast of new technologies and hold informed judgements.

Are my employees and students using AI responsibly? Responsible use means keeping internal data and intellectual property away from the voracious appetite of the open access AI systems. Everyone on your campus needs access to a firewalled AI “sandbox.” (N.B., CIC has negotiated rock bottom rates for our members with BoodleBox, one of the top providers.) Responsible use also means that faculty, staff, and students know how to mitigate the various biases of the underlying algorithms. They also need clear institutional policies governing acceptable and unacceptable usage and requirements for disclosure. Finally, we all need opportunities to think deeply about the wider implications of these new technologies for human autonomy, creativity, and flourishing. If your campus lacks any one of these—protected playground, information about underlying algorithmic blind spots, an acceptable usage policy, or a forum for debate about AI and its impact—then this is the month to start planning.

How is it affecting the careers our students are preparing for? Graduates will be expected to not only use AI tools but to develop skills that can’t easily be replaced by AI. Faculty and career center professionals need opportunities to hear from practitioners about AI use on the ground in various professions. Curricula need to take these developments into account. This is a good month to find out how effectively your team is preparing graduates for AI in the workplace.

At Bryn Mawr College, I was delighted to have my presentation illustrated in real time by a talented artist.

It’s been a whirlwind month for CIC. We hosted 600 or so leaders at our annual Institute for Chief Academic Officers in Indianapolis, IN. Among the many highlights for me: a roomful of more than 100 provosts engaging in hands-on bot building as they learned about the power and limits of AI, the moving stories shared in a session on humane structural change, and the evident passion for student success on CIC campuses.

Among my many speaking engagements at leadership gatherings this month, I presented to CIC presidents in Maryland and Minnesota, enrollment VPs at the Small College Consortium’s annual meeting in New York, presidents attending the Consortium of Urban and Metropolitan Universities conference in Baltimore, the presidents of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and participants at the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. One common theme in my talks was the importance of courageous presidential leadership in difficult times. Other topics included the impact of AI on higher education, the future of the liberal arts, and responding to rising authoritarianism.

We are gearing up for our Presidents Institute in Orlando, FL, in January. With a theme focused on “A Deeper Purpose,” CIC member presidents will explore strategies that empower campuses to fulfill their missions and remain resolute in serving the common good. We have also launched several new professional development opportunities: Deans Coaching Circles, a Faculty Leadership Academy, and a new network for the leaders of graduate programs at CIC campuses.

A Spark of Inspiration

Regular readers may recall that I hit something of a wall this summer as the pain of rising authoritarianism overwhelmed my ability to think creatively. One solution I stumbled on was to commit to writing one haiku a day. Experimenting with a new form—one that required presence and brevity—allowed me to reclaim my relationship with language.

Another solution was to somewhat impulsively sign up for an 18-month online program called “The Soul of Leadership” offered by the contemplative organization Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, headquartered in Washington, DC. This month, I attended the first of four online weekend retreats. Along with 15 other participants from around the world, I experienced sacred silence, learned about adaptive and soulful leadership theories, and got closer to my own mind and heart. I emerged from the weekend with new questions to ponder: What am I holding too tightly? What is alive in me that connects to what is alive in others? What is uniquely mine to do at this time? There are no quick answers, but patient reflection continues to yield new insights.

I spent time this past weekend with my friend and “shero” Mary Dana Hinton (president of Hollins University and author of Leading from the Margins). To my surprise, I learned that she too had stumbled on Shalem and “The Soul of Leadership” this summer. She is part of a parallel cohort meeting in person. That feels like a sign from the universe that I am on a good path. May each of us find just the right questions to ask ourselves this winter season. And may we attune to the subtle synchronicities that surround us.

The Everlasting

by Alix E. Harrow



I loved this magical exploration of time, narrative, love, and history. Packs a lot of interesting ideas into a page turning story that continuously surprises. A perfect gift for your busiest sister.

Town & Country

by Brian Schaefer

This novel takes on gentrification in a small town and its political consequences as seen through the eyes of several locals and their newcomer counterparts. Buy this one for your brother in real estate or your friend considering moving out of the city.

Workhorse

by Caroline Palmer 

A gossipy but thoughtful novel that shows the underbelly of fashion magazines and the cost of making it in the NYC fashion world. Darker than its better-known predecessor. It would make a great gift for a smart fashionista 20- or 30-something niece or daughter.

The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

by Walter Isaacson

The sentence in question is the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” Walter Isaacson explores the debates during its drafting and the uses to which Americans have put it over time. It’s a short book but one that inspires reflection and conversation. Reading it made me miss my dad, for whom this book would have made the perfect gift.

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