January 2026 – Drew University President Hilary L. Link, PhD, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).
The election took place during the organization’s annual board meeting held at the 2026 Presidents Institute on January 4–7 in Orlando, Florida.
“The CIC Board benefits tremendously from the wide-ranging expertise and diverse missions represented by our member institutions,” said CIC President Marjorie Hass. “I am pleased to add new voices to our leadership team—voices that will contribute fresh thinking and broaden our collective impact. Together, we are poised to advance important initiatives that will benefit the entire independent higher education community.”
“I am honored to join the CIC Board of Directors and look forward to working alongside my colleagues to champion the vital role that independent colleges play in our society,” said Link. “At Drew, we are having so many important and productive conversations about innovation and the future of higher education, and I am excited to bring these ideas, conversations, and initiatives to the CIC.”
The CIC Board of Directors consists of up to 38 members who set policy, manage, and direct the affairs of the organization. The Board is responsible for overseeing CIC’s efforts to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society.
For more information on the Council of Independent Colleges and a complete roster of the Board of Directors, visit cic.edu.
About Drew University
Drew University, a Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts university, includes the College of Liberal Arts, the Drew Theological School, and the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies. Drew is located on a beautiful, wooded campus in Madison, New Jersey, a thriving small town close to New York City. It has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 students and has 143 full-time faculty members, 98 percent of whom hold the terminal degree in their field. The Theological and Caspersen schools offer master’s and doctoral degrees, and the College confers BA and BS degrees in 40 disciplines, and offers 69 minors, 17 Dual-Degree programs, and seven New York Semesters.
About the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that work to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society. Founded in 1956, CIC is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.
