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Harvard Seminar for New Presidents

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Gain the support of expert faculty and a community of extraordinary peers throughout your first year in your new role as a college/university president.
In Person

Upcoming Sessions

College and university presidents and chancellors are expected to be productive, articulate, and responsive leaders from the moment they assume office. With an array of external and institutional challenges to address, new presidents do not have the luxury of learning on the job.

The Harvard Seminar for New Presidents provides a practical orientation to the presidency, familiarizing new presidents with the opportunities and hazards they will likely face and preparing them to respond to the multiple responsibilities that await in their new roles.

"The Harvard Seminar for New Presidents was invaluable to me as I navigated the first year of my presidency. I received practical advice during the program that I have often cited to my trustees and senior staff. But what was most valuable is the other presidents with whom I continue to speak, meet, and ask advice of, long after the seminar ended. The network, the advice, and the comradery were simply priceless."

Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President, Trinity College

This seminar focuses on critical issues in the first months and years of the presidency, with intensive sessions that address a range of topics critical to the current context of higher education, including board governance, fundraising, academic leadership, strategic planning, and the public role of the presidency.

This year, we are pleased to return to campus and host the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  This learning experience will include faculty-led sessions, discussion groups with your cohort, and, most importantly, connections with an extraordinary peer group of colleagues from across the country. You will have ample time to reflect and consult with experts about your particular concerns and circumstances.

  • Explore the president’s multiple roles: chief executive officer, senior personnel officer, and academic leader.
  • Understand the relationship between the president and board of trustees.
  • Examine the components of the fundraising process.
  • Explore the importance of the culture and traditions of an institution.
  • Consider how to enhance the effectiveness of your senior team.
  • Consider the opportunity and challenges of social media in the president’s communications.
  • Reflect on the role of the president in strategy development.

  • First-time college and university presidents and chancellors, ranging from those who have been appointed but not yet assumed office to those within the first 12 months of their presidencies
  • Presidents from all sectors of higher education — colleges, universities, and community colleges

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