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President Miller Meets with Mexican University Leaders in Guadalajara
President Scott D. Miller selected to attend Higher Education Summit of U.S. and Mexico
Virginia Wesleyan College President Scott D. Miller is one of 24 private college leaders nationwide selected to meet with Mexican university rectors March 29-31in Guadalajara, Mexico at The Higher Education Summit of the United States and Mexico. The summit will explore partnership opportunities between Mexican and U.S. colleges and universities. The meeting is coordinated by Washington, D.C.-based Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), a national association of 766 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations. Miller is a former member and officer of the CIC Board of Directors and chaired the organization’s acclaimed New Presidents Program for 15 years.
The summit was organized by the CIC in conjunction with the Mexican Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions (FIMPES) and generously supported by Santander Universidades and Universia. With a theme of “Reaffirming the North American Spirit of Collaboration in Higher Education: Creating Bridges of Communications,” it will emphasize the importance of international exchange in today’s “America First” political climate.
The summit follows three years during which delegations of Mexican private university rectors participated in CIC’s Presidents Institute, the largest annual gathering of college and university presidents in the U.S. Participants aim to provide enhanced exchange opportunities for students and faculty members in both countries; provide students with increased access to internships in Mexico and the United States; and allow faculty members and students to collaborate in shared research projects and development programs.
The U.S. presidents and their Mexican colleagues will visit and meet with campus leaders of three Mexican higher education institutions: Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Universidad Panamericana, and Universidad del Valle de Atemajac. Participants will also meet with the U.S. Consul General in Guadalajara, Tanya C. Anderson, and with local, state, and national Mexican officials, as well as additional university rectors. The U.S. delegation and Mexican university rectors will discuss student and faculty exchange programs, articulation agreements, global leadership, visa issues, and undocumented students.
"There are many reasons why CIC member colleges should consider closer relations with Mexican private universities," said President of CIC Richard Ekman. "These include enhanced study-abroad opportunities for our students and access to internships and work experiences that are likely to increase their prospects for meaningful employment after graduation. There is reason to think that increased numbers of Mexican students will enroll in CIC colleges and universities if they know more about specific institutions of private higher education in t
he United States. For the U.S. as a whole, both economic and security considerations make compelling the goal of more effective interinstitutional cooperation in higher education, especially with our neighbors."
Miller is in his second year as president of Virginia Wesleyan College. He is a former president of Bethany College (2007-15), Wesley College (1997-2007), and Lincoln Memorial University (1991-97). In the mid-1990s he co-founded The InterAmerican Consortium—a collaboration of eight U.S. colleges and universities and 11 international universities. For his leadership, he was awarded the Presidential Medal by Universidad InterAmericana of Costa Rica and Panama. He has demonstrated a lifetime of commitment to the values of a residential, liberal arts campus in a pluralistic society, with an emphasis on teaching, service, student-faculty engagement, global perspective, and lifelong learning. He has been an outspoken advocate of the importance of international travel and service learning as a part of a liberal arts education.