Esports are not a conventional fit with a traditional model of college life. However, this has not stopped them from becoming extraordinarily popular, particularly among independent colleges. In the broader culture, esports have an entire ecosystem supporting them. International events can draw crowds in the hundreds of millions, and professional…

The signature activity of the Council of Independent Colleges' (CIC) initiative, "Securing America's Future," was a series of eight workshops hosted by CIC member presidents on campuses across the nation in 2016-2017. The goals of these workshops were to help member colleges and universities prepare for the future more effectively and…

Independent colleges and universities are cautious adopters of online education for undergraduate students. These institutions seek to balance a tradition of student-focused pedagogy in face-to-face settings and faculty wariness of online courses against the promise of lower instructional costs, changing student expectations, and the potential for…

Competency-based education (CBE) is an approach to pedagogy that emphasizes the mastery of skills and concepts rather than credit hours or seat time. The assessment of mastery can take several forms, including formal assessments of prior learning (such as portfolio reviews or examinations) and automated evaluations of online coursework. Advocates…

During the most recent decade, interdisciplinary instruction at the undergraduate level has increased rapidly. Independent colleges and universities are both innovators in developing new approaches to interdisciplinary education and strong supporters of traditional liberal arts disciplines. Some observers argue that interdisciplinary approaches…