Founded in 1956 by a small group of private, not-for-profit college and university presidents, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) now represents 100+ independent campuses across New York State. Although not a government agency, cIcu is an educational corporation formed under the New York State Regents. Its mission is to develop consensus among a diverse membership and t
o advance higher education public policy. The Commission is the formal organizational liaison with the New York State Board of Regents, the State Commissioner of Education, and the chancellors of the State University (SUNY) and City University (CUNY); and with the proprietary sector. The Commission is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of chief executive officers or institutional trustees of member campuses who represent the diversity of the cIcu membership in terms of institutional type, size, and geographic location. Its president is Laura L. Since 1981, cIcu's Outreach Programs have produced helpful publications for students, parents, and schools about cIcu's 100+ member private colleges and universities, college admissions, and financial aid. Available free of charge, the latest series includes: Your College Search and Affording College. These publications are distributed to New York State high school guidance and principals' offices; school superintendents' offices; public libraries; and to selected high schools in surrounding states. Our outreach also includes the Sector's admissions and financial aid Web site, www.nycolleges.org, which features profiles of New York's private colleges and universities and degree offerings throughout the state. The Commission coordinates its advocacy efforts with the Council of Governing Boards (CGB), a statewide association that represents the policy interests of more than 3,000 independent college and university trustees.
