News from NAICU

WASHINGTON (April 16, 2024) – Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D., president of Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, has been elected chair of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).  Hinton leads a team of four new board officers and 14 new board members who will take office on July 1, 2024.
 
Founded in 1976, NAICU is the only national membership organization solely focused on representing private, nonprofit higher education on public policy issues in Washington, DC. NAICU board members set the association’s agenda on federal higher education policy, actively encourage support for the association’s priorities and initiatives, and oversee the organization’s financial administration.  Board members serve three-year terms, while officers serve one-year terms.
 
“Mary Dana Hinton is a forward-thinking, powerful, and respected college leader, a passionate voice for the liberal arts and educational equity in private higher education, and an expert on higher education leadership,” said NAICU President Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A. “I look forward to working with her in the coming year as the sector navigates complex new regulatory and legislative environments while striving to advance the goals of private, nonprofit higher education.”
 
“I am extraordinarily honored to lead NAICU during this time of significant challenges for private, nonprofit colleges and universities,” said Hinton. “NAICU’s effective advocacy on behalf of its members will be critical in the year ahead.”
 
Hinton will succeed Constance Ledoux Book, Ph.D., president of Elon University (NC), who will remain on the board as immediate past chair.

Hinton Background
Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D., is the 13^th president of Hollins University and president emerita of the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. An active and respected proponent of the liberal arts and inclusion, her leadership reflects a deep and abiding commitment to educational equity and the education of women.
 
Under her leadership, Hollins established the Hollins Opportunity for Promise through Education (HOPE) scholar program, designed to support young women from the greater Roanoke Valley region who wish to pursue a college degree at Hollins by providing free tuition for four years. Also under her leadership, the university received the largest single gift in the school’s history: $75 million to fund scholarships and address financial need. In 2023, Hollins launched the Transforming Learning, Transforming Lives: The Levavi Oculos Strategic Plan and accompanying capital campaign.
 
Hinton’s new book Leading from the Margins, based on her TedX Talk of the same name, was published by Johns Hopkins University Press in February 2024. Hinton’s scholarship focuses on higher education leadership, strategic planning, the role of education in peace building, African American religious history, and inclusion in higher education. She is the author of The Commercial Church: Black Churches and the New Religious Marketplace in America and a frequent op-ed contributor across higher education publications.
 
Hinton is a member of the board of directors for InterFaith America, Mount Saint Mary’s University (CA), and The Teagle Foundation. She is a Commissioner on the AGB Council on Higher Education as a Strategic Asset and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
 
Hinton earned a Ph.D. in religion and religious education with high honors from Fordham University (NY), a Master of Arts degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Williams College (MA).

Other New NAICU Board Officers

Three other individuals were elected as Board officers, serving one-year terms expiring in June 2025:

• Robert L. Manuel, Ph.D., president of DePaul University in Chicago, IL, will serve as Vice Chair.  He is in line to assume the board chair post in July 2025.
• José D. Padilla, J.D., president of Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN, will serve as Treasurer.
• Charlie T. McCormick, Ph.D., president of Schreiner University in Kerrville, TX will serve as Secretary.

Five board members have been appointed as chairs of the association’s standing committees on policy and programs and will join the officers as members of the Executive Committee:
Five board members have been appointed as chairs of the association’s standing committees on policy and programs and will join the officers as members of the Executive Committee:

• Roger D. Drake, Ed.D., president of Central Methodist University in Fayette, MO, will serve as chair of the Audit Committee.
• José D. Padilla, Ph.D., president of Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN, will chair the Committee on Accountability.
• Richanne C. Mankey, Ed.D., president of Defiance College, in Defiance, OH, will chair the Committee on Policy Analysis & Public Relations.
• John E. Cech, Ph.D., president of Carroll College in Helena, MT, will chair the Committee on Student Aid.
• Elizabeth L. Paul, Ph.D., president of Nazareth College in Rochester, NY will serve as chair of the Committee on Tax Policy.

 Two other board members, representing allied organizations will also serve on the Executive Committee:

•  Jennifer Widness, J.D., president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges in West Hartford, CT, will represent the National Association of Independent College and University State Executives, whose members lead the state associations of private, nonprofit colleges and universities in 38 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
• Michael A. McDonald, Ph.D., president of the Great Lakes Colleges Association in Ann Arbor, MI, will represent the NAICU Secretariat. The Secretariat consists of 26 member associations representing the many regional and special-purpose independent colleges and universities across the country.

New NAICU Board Members
Seven individuals were elected to three-year terms ending in June 2027, representing the association’s eight national regions:

• Mark R. Nemec, Ph.D., president of Fairfield University, in Fairfield, CT, will represent Region I (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
• Ellen M. Granberg, Ph.D., president of The George Washington University in Washington, DC, will represent Region II (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York).
• Larry Stimpert, Ph.D., president of Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney College, VA, will represent Region IV (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia).
• Jorge G. Gonzalez, Ph.D., president of Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI, will represent Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin).
• Paul Stumb IV, Ph.D., president of Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN, will represent Region VI (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas).
• Amy Bragg Carey, Ed.D., president of Friends University in Wichita, KS, will represent Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota).
• Barbara J. Morris, Ph.D., president of Prescott College in Prescott, AZ, will represent Region VIII (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming).

 
In addition, Jonathan D. Green, D.M.A., president of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA, has been selected to represent Region III (Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) after the resignation of the elected NAICU member.

Four additional individuals were appointed to three-year terms as at-large board members with terms ending in June 2027:

• Xavier A. Cole, Ph.D., president of Loyola University New Orleans in New Orleans, LA, will serve from Region VI
• Barry H. Corey, Ph.D., president of Biola University in LaMirada, CA, will serve from Region VIII
• George T. French Jr., Ph.D., president of Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA, will serve from Region IV
• Julio Frenk, Ph.D., president of University of Miami in Miami, FL, will serve from Region IV

At large members are appointed to redress any imbalances in the membership of the board.
 

Early this morning, the Senate passed the $1.2 trillion spending package, which included funding for the Department of Education and the federal student aid programs. The six-bill appropriations package cleared its final hurdle in the Senate by a 74-24 vote and now goes to President Biden for his signature. NAICU President Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A. issued the following statement:
 
“The budget passed this morning is an important step in helping students access federal student aid in the coming school year. By Congress reaffirming its support for and sustaining the core federal student aid programs, colleges can now guarantee students that financial aid will be available to those who need it as it has been for the previous generations of students.
 
“The issues with the rollout of the new FAFSA, coupled with the delay in passing a budget, have had serious impacts on students and families as well as institutions. For months now, students and families were unsure what the maximum Pell Grant award would be or whether Federal Work-Study and important grant programs would be available at all this fall. This budget reinforces the strong bipartisan support that these critical programs, which have helped countless millions of students and families over the years, have in Congress and the role they play in helping so many to access higher education.
 
“The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and its member institutions remain committed to putting students first and assisting them in navigating the complexities and opportunities of financial aid. College remains the best opportunity for a better future. 
 
“NAICU will continue to work diligently to make sure there is expanded access to Pell Grants and that vital resources like Federal Work-Study and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant programs remain available to those who need them. Our member institutions will do all they can to make financial aid packages available to families as quickly and accurately as possible once the Department is able to provide our institutions the approved FAFSA information for both applicants and current students.”
 

Today, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, handed down its ruling in Biden v. Nebraska, striking down President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan.
 
According to the ruling, “[t]he HEROES Act allows the Secretary to ‘waive or modify’ existing statutory or regulatory provisions applicable to financial assistance programs under the Education Act but does not allow the Secretary to rewrite that statute to the extent of canceling $430 billion of student loan principal.”
 
Regardless of the ruling, student loan repayments must restart by September 1, 2023, under the terms of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which formalized plans already underway by the Department of Education to restart payments at the end of the summer. 
 
In response to today’s ruling, NAICU President Barbara K. Mistick, D.M. issued the following statement:
 
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling makes the restart of student loan repayments somewhat more complicated because 20 million more borrowers will now have to make payments who otherwise would have had their remaining loan balances paid off had President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan been upheld.
 
“Despite the difficulties of restarting loan repayments for 43 million student loan borrowers, the broader policy question is what the federal loan program should look like in the future.  Both the Administration and various members of Congress from both parties have proposals that would fundamentally reexamine the current terms and conditions of student loans, including repayment options and what should be the limit on the amount of interest the federal government charges borrowers, particularly through capitalization.  This is an important conversation that has been overshadowed by the more public debate over student loan forgiveness.
 
“NAICU looks forward to participating in the conversation about the future of student loans, and in particular, how and when the federal government is going to subsidize student loans and how much of the program costs are going to be assumed by borrowers.  In many ways, these questions have not been fully and holistically debated since the federal student loan program began in 1965.” 

Today, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, holding that race-conscious admissions programs at both Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution. (Read a round-up of media coverage.)
 
Although the ruling does not impose an outright ban on race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities, the constitutional test it establishes, particularly its focus on a lack of a meaningful end point, will effectively end such programs, while leaving the door open for institutions of higher education to consider an applicant’s lived experiences, including those referencing race.
 
NAICU President Barbara K. Mistick, D.M. issued the following statement:
 
“The idea of race-conscious admissions in higher education is a highly debated and complex topic that has been at the forefront of campus and community discussions for years.  Having many conversations with college leaders, I know that racial equity in higher education is a top priority.
 
“While the opinions from the justices will take some time to parse, it is clear that the Supreme Court’s decision establishes a new framework for the future of higher education admissions that will have wide-ranging implications.
 
“It is essential to recognize that affirmative action emerged as a response to historical and systemic inequalities that have persisted in our society.  Its intention is to address deeply rooted disadvantages faced by marginalized communities and create a more equitable and inclusive society.
 
“While it is critical that leaders have the ability to make decisions that best serve their campus and communities, I know that college and university presidents will work within the parameters of the law while adhering to their institutional missions.
 
“It is clear that opportunities for all Americans of all backgrounds to pursue a higher education is essential to our nation’s future.  The ability of each institution to build a community that best serves their diverse missions is important not only to each institution but also to preserving our nation’s leadership in bringing people of divergent backgrounds together into a single nation. 
 
“Even with today’s decision, I am certain that diversity in backgrounds, perspectives, demographics, religions, life experiences, and more will remain core educational values for private, nonprofit higher education.  We must continue to explore alternative solutions and find common ground to address the underlying issues of inequality and discrimination that persist in our society.”

The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) announced today that Justin Monk has been named director of student and institutional aid policy. Monk joins NAICU from the KIPP Foundation, where he was the director of government affairs.

“I am pleased to welcome Justin to NAICU where he will be an integral part of our government relations team and an important voice for our members and their students on issues of federal aid,” said NAICU President Barbara K. Mistick, D.M. “Justin brings a very strong and bipartisan set of accomplishments to NAICU and his past advocacy experience and connections on Capitol Hill will be incredibly important to independent higher education.”

As director of student and institutional aid policy, Monk will be the lead policy expert on Title IV federal student assistance programs and the institutional aid programs found in Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act (HEA). He will be responsible for developing NAICU’s policy positions on student and institutional aid, in conjunction with the association’s member college, university, and association presidents. Monk also will represent those positions and NAICU’s viewpoints to Congress, the White House, the Department of Education, and other agencies as warranted.

In his previous position at the KIPP Foundation, Monk was the key advocate advancing the foundation’s policy, legislative and regulatory priorities on Capitol Hill and in the Administration. In this role, he also served as the primary point person for federal stakeholders and helped develop written and verbal communications to advance KIPP’s policy agenda.

Monk also led the foundation’s analysis of policies, legislation and regulations to assess their impact on key KIPP constituencies.

Prior to his work at KIPP, Monk served as the director of policy at Student Veterans of America (SVA). In this role, he focused on the intersection of veterans’ affairs and higher education and helped champion dozens of laws being passed to better serve our nation’s veterans.

“NAICU was fortunate to see Justin’s work up close and in-person as we advocated side-by-side with him and his team at SVA to pass important and sensible amendments to the GI Bill to make benefits more responsive to the real life needs of veterans,” said Sarah Flanagan, NAICU vice president for government relations and policy development. “Justin has years of experience in the legislative and regulatory arenas advocating for proactive and common-sense solutions to improve student outcomes and will be a valuable addition to our team.”

Monk, who will begin in his new position on June 28, earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from Wake Forest University (NC) and a bachelor of science in business administration in economics from Appalachian State University (NC).
 
With more than 1,000 colleges, universities, and associations as members, NAICU serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education and reflects the diversity of private, nonprofit higher education in the United States. NAICU’s member institutions include major research universities, faith-based colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority-Serving Institutions, art and design colleges, traditional liberal arts and science institutions, women’s colleges, two-year colleges, and schools of law, medicine, engineering, business, and other professions.