Advocacy Day brings Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities members and students to the State Capitol on April 17th! We will meet with legislators and policymakers to advocate for continued investment in the Michigan Tuition Grant (TG) and Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MiAS) as well as bring attention to independent higher education institutions in Michigan.

During Advocacy Day the legislature will typically hold a Higher Education Committee hearing for MICU members and students to testify on the benefits of student financial aid programs. The institutions will testify with students who can share personal stories about how state aid programs have helped them and the impact of these programs on our institutions.

We also encourage members to bring mascots for the day. Mascots are frequently featured in the news and on legislator's social media. Having mascots brings attention and excitement to the day and generally creates a buzz around the capitol.

The event runs roughly from 9am to 3pm but meetings may be scheduled outside these times if needed by a legislator or policymaker. MICU will set up legislative meetings for your institution. Lunch will be available to attendees. MICU will provide each institution agendas, talking points/materials, and legislative meeting times (times and locations that you will meet with your Senator, Representative, and staffers within your institution's legislative district) with you prior to the day.

There is a $500 per institution fee to participate in Advocacy Day.

According to Meadow, 50% of students pay late at least once and 100% of schools wish they would pay on time.

Join MICU and Meadow on April 4 at 2pm and dig into a recent survey of 500 students to understand what gets in their way of paying on time, go deep into Meadow's guide on student engagement and communications and learn how they support schools in Michigan and beyond.

MICU Vice President, Colby Cesaro, presented information on Federal Regulation Updates to the following working groups: Financial Aid, Provost/CAO, Registrar, and VP of Finance/CFO. Additionally, Colby presented this information nationally to other states through webinars in partnership with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and Association for Institutional Research (AIR).

During the presentations a checklist and matrix were reviewed and discussed. Each of these resources provided guidance on the areas of Financial Value Transparency (FVT) & Gainful Employment, Transcript Withholding, Licensure Program State Compliance, Financial Responsibility Metrics, and Career Services & Experiential Education Requirements. Specifically, the matrix provides an overview on what it means on campus and who on campus will be impacted.

The checklist and matrix provide MICU member institutions with a framework and starting point as you work with your campus team to comply with the new regulations, which take effect on July 1, 2024.

On March 14 at 12pm we will hold a virtual session to check in with MICU members on progress towards compliance with these regulations, including a roundtable discussion where we can answer questions and provide assistance.

During this session hear about updates to the program and an overview to see how it can benefit your institution, faculty, and staff!

Strengthen your retirement benefit offer through a multiemployer retirement plan solution! Plan sponsors face increasing economic and fiduciary challenges. To help you, MICU offers a Multiple Employer Plan (MEP), a retirement plan program that allows you to offer a competitive retirement plan that benefits you and your employees.

The MICU MEP centralizes administrative and fiduciary support for plan sponsors. As a member of the MEP, you can take advantage of:

• Simplified plan design and investment choices

• Cost efficiencies through pooled resources

• Reduced fiduciary exposure

• Tools and resources to help with general administration and requirements

For your employees, the MICU MEP offers strong participant support to help promote financial literacy and responsible savings strategies among your employees—while enhancing your workforce management.

The MICU MEP is proud of our partnership with Millennium Advisory Services, Inc., Pentegra, PlanPILOT and TIAA, highly regarded and experienced providers, in making the MICU MEP available to our member institutions.

• Millennium Advisory Services, Inc., Registered Investment Advisor, provides the on-campus education and advice services for participating institutions

• Pentegra, the ERISA 402(a) named fiduciary and the ERISA 3(16) plan administrator, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the plan

• PlanPILOT, the ERISA 3(38) investment manager, responsible for the selection and monitoring of the funds in the investment menu

• TIAA, the plan recordkeeper, bringing 100 years’ experience in financial reporting and plan sponsor and participant services for the not-for-profit community

The MICU MEP focuses on improving and providing collaborative and cost-saving programs for member institutions. We’ve designed our program to generate economies of scale resulting in cost savings and improvements in the quality of goods and services to students, faculty and staff at Michigan’s independent colleges and universities.

LeaderU for Student Success and Leadership Development from FranklinCovey
Learn about student success and leadership development resources from the World's most trusted leadership company, FranklinCovey. Our co-presenter Damon Brown, Vice President of Student Affairs at Alma College, will share the implementation and utilization of LeaderU at Alma College to help promote student success. This program allows students to develop career skills, achieve wellness and attain success in college and beyond. LeaderU is a web-based learning portal that gives students access to FranklinCovey courses that embody the marketable and transferable skills vital to success in any industry or career. By demonstrating mastery of essential leadership and career skills, students will put themselves in an optimal position to persist in college, graduate, get hired, become promoted, and thrive in any future workplace. We enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere and would like to introduce you to LeaderU.

*Elevate Your Students
*Engage students in valuable personal development
*Prepare students with employability skills to succeed in the workplace
*Provide industry-valued credentials
*Enhance Your Institution
*Boost the value of earning a degree
*Stand out in a crowded field of education options
The target audience for LeaderU are leaders from student affairs, advising, academics, residential life, athletics, first year programs, enrollment and career services.

The All Access Pass for Staff and Faculty Leadership Development
The All Access Pass and the Impact Platform from FranklinCovey Faculty focus on the other side of developing leaders in higher education: Faculty and Staff Leadership Development. Expand your reach, achieve your business objectives, and sustainably impact staff and faculty performance with unlimited access to FranklinCovey content through the Impact Platform. We combine powerful content, a team of experts, a dynamic behavior change platform, and key metrics. Together these guide leaders and teams through Impact Journeys that deliver exceptional results again and again. The FranklinCovey All Access Pass helps you get the most value out of your L&D investment by providing access to content and technology, as well as a deep bench of experts to design and deliver a unique learning experience tailored to your organization’s needs.
The target audience for the All Access Pass are college leaders from human resources, talent management, continuing education and executive staff.

In this workshop, you will learn how to create content that is accessible to everyone. Some people with disabilities may not be able to see your page, read your words, or hear your recording.

Creating accessible content means they can still get your message. Learn how to use best practices to be inclusive in all your communications.

Discussions and planning for the NSF Grant Awarded for Strategically Engaging Private Institutions at Building Research Infrastructure, Networks, and Knowledge (BRINK) in the Emergence of Research conference and resources.

As we navigate the evolving landscape of higher education, it is imperative to explore innovative solutions that propel our institutions forward. With this in mind, we are excited to extend an invitation to an exclusive webinar that delves into the transformative impact of Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) on enrollment, student success, and fundraising. 

For nearly half a century, RNL has been a trusted partner for colleges and nonprofit organizations, facilitating the enrollment of desired students, enhancing graduation rates, and fostering enduring relationships with donors. The core mission of RNL is to empower colleges, universities, and nonprofits to thrive through inspired and relevant engagement. 

Here are some remarkable insights into RNL's contributions: 

• 1,900 campuses and nonprofits collaborate with RNL annually 

• Over 3,000 institutions have benefited from RNL's expertise throughout its history 

• Last year, 300 new clients commenced their journey with RNL 

• RNL manages 25 million student search records for campus partners 

• A staggering 240 million emails are sent annually to prospective students and donors 

• RNL achieves 8 million personalized, 1:1 engagements with students and alumni 

• Institutional financial aid optimized by RNL amounts to $3 billion 

• RNL has generated more than $1 billion in philanthropic commitments for clients 

• Multichannel fundraising solutions have raised $200 million annually 

RNL stands out not just for its impressive statistics, but also for the unparalleled experience, insight, and innovation it brings to enrollment management, student outcomes, and fundraising. The strength of RNL lies in its team of seasoned experts who have walked in your shoes, serving in key positions across various facets of higher education. 

Joining MICU for this webinar are some of the experts leading the charge at RNL: 

• Adam Connolly: With over 15 years of experience in higher education, specifically in enrollment management, Adam Connolly brings a wealth of knowledge. As Vice President at RNL, he has been a driving force in shaping successful enrollment strategies. 

• Bob Stewart: Serving as Vice President for Graduate and Online Enrollment at RNL, Bob Stewart collaborates with colleges and universities to optimize their efforts in these critical areas. 

• Mark Hanrahan: Boasting nearly two decades of extensive experience in enrollment management, marketing, business development, and strategic planning, Mark Hanrahan, as Vice President of Enrollment Management, plays a pivotal role in steering institutions towards success. 

We believe that this webinar will provide valuable insights into the transformative potential of RNL for your institution. Join us to discover how RNL can help you enroll the right students, enhance student outcomes, and elevate your fundraising initiatives. 

Date: December 12th 

Time: 1PM (Eastern)