Houghton President Joins National Board for Independent Colleges and Universities

By Marina Cull
HOUGHTON, NY - Shirley A. Mullen, president of Houghton College, has been named to the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). Mullen will serve as an at-large board member for a three-year term ending in February 2020.

Mullen’s appointment ensures that she will be able to voice the concerns of all private higher education institutions, including those of Houghton. As a board member, she will help to set NAICU’s agenda on key issues of federal higher education policy, such as student aid, tax policy, and government regulation. “It is a great privilege to serve on the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, especially at this season when higher education is in the forefront of national concerns,” says Mullen. “Houghton will bring to the board a voice for New York State, for national liberal arts colleges, and for colleges grounded in a religious tradition.”

NAICU is the only national organization whose sole mission is to advocate the interests of private, nonprofit higher education institutions in matters of public policy by conducting research, analyzing campus trends, coordinating state-level activities, and advising member institutions on the impacts of legislative and regulatory developments. Founded in 1976, NAICU has grown to represent over 1,000 diverse colleges and universities across the United States, including major research universities, traditional liberal arts colleges, historically black colleges, women’s colleges, and faith-affiliated institutions.