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The Center for Higher Education Leadership

Support higher education and help empower its leaders that are working to bring opportunities to everyone.

$2,495
pledged of$20,000 goal
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Project Description

Higher education is in crisis mode. Declining enrollments, changing demographics and high student loan debt burden are unprecedented challenges facing universities and colleges today. Fully half of college students aren't obtaining a degree within six years of entering university. In fact, U.S. News & World Report calls it an apocalypse.

That’s where the Center for Higher Education Leadership comes in. Leaders need to stay on top of the innovations that are helping colleges attract students from diverse backgrounds and helping all students to succeed in this challenging environment. CHEL focuses on providing professional development that is accessible, sustainable and scalable.

Founder and CEO Terri Givens has spent more than 20 years in academe, from professor to vice-provost at the University of Texas, to provost at Menlo College. In that time, she has seen first-hand the challenges that higher education leaders are facing.

Terri founded CHEL because she realized the need for a source for continuing education and professional development. It was clear that in many colleges and universities faculty leaders don’t have access to the tools they need to be successful administrators. It was a huge gap, and one that no solution provided for.

CHEL co-founders Terri Givens and Shelley Seale

CHEL provides professional development for higher education leaders in the form of our twice-monthly newsletter, Higher Ed Connects, along with online courses, community, in-depth guides, webinars, podcasts, personal mentoring and much more. Co-founder Shelley Seale is the director of content for these resources.

We are raising funds to support our marketing efforts, including direct mail, social media, and meeting with leaders at professional conferences. Your support will help us address many of the issues facing higher education and to support leaders who understand the importance of professional development as we face critical challenges in providing the best possible education to students.

Join us today as we fight to improve higher education and support the leaders who are working to bring educational opportunities to everyone. Thank you for your support!

Are you affiliated with a university/college, or hold and administrative or leadership position in higher ed? Become a member of the Center today to unlock all our valuable benefits!

The Campaign FAQs

What is The Center for Higher Education?

The Center for Higher Education Leadership provides academic leadership with information and a supportive community for improving management and leadership skills in the environment of changing demographics, financial challenges and advances in educational technology.

Why do you exist?

Higher Education is in crisis: rising tuition and student debt, declining enrollments, diversity and immigration issues and much more are unprecedented challenges facing colleges and universities today. Informed and supported leadership is key.

The Center for Higher Education Leadership (CHEL) solves this problem by providing a solution that provides academic leaders in higher education with information and a supportive community for improving management and leadership skills, in an environment of changing demographics, financial challenges and advances in educational technology. 

Who started the center?

Terri Givens is the former Provost at Menlo College in the San Francisco Bay Area; Professor of Government and European studies at The University of Texas at Austin; Vice Provost overseeing undergraduate curriculum and spearheading global initiatives as its chief international officer.

Shelley Seale is an award-winning journalist and editor based in Austin, Texas. A graduate of St. Edward's University with dual degrees in Journalism and Cultural Psychology, Shelley has written for National Geographic, USA Today, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Business Journals, Texas School Business, and numerous university publications.

When did the company begin operations?

CHEL was founded by Terri Givens and Shelley Seale in February 2019, though its planning took place for many months before that. After Terri Givens left her last job as provost at Menlo College, she knew from her personal experience with the extreme lack of support and professional development for higher ed leaders, that her next move was to create a center as a solution to this important problem.

Are you already in operations? Do you have customers?

Yes! We have had an overwhelming response to our much-needed center for professional development for administrators at colleges and universities, to help them deal with the incredible challenges facing higher education today. We currently have institutional members including the University of California, Emory University, Richmond University, the Art Institute of San Francisco, and others; as well as more than 100 individual members.

We are just wrapping up our first Higher Ed Administration 101 online course, which has more than 80 participants from all around the globe. We've just released our 12th edition of our twice-monthly newsletter, Higher Ed Connects.

We already have revenue and a proven business model. We just need your help to take it to the next level, scale the business, and have enough staff and marketing support to reach even more higher education leaders — and therefore the students they serve!

Why are you running a crowdfunding campaign, and what will you do with the money?

To fulfill our lofty mission, we need money to hire and pay marketing and support staff to increase subscriptions and reach sponsors.

Why crowdfunding?

"According to data from PitchBook, female founders received 2.2% of $130 billion in VC funding in 2018. The number of deals completed by female founders is growing, though the percentage of money going to these companies remains stagnant as the total amount of VC investment increases."

"Businesses with women of color CEOs get less than 1 percent of all VC funding every year. Of all VC funding over the past decade, Latinx women-led startups have raised only 0.32 percent while black women have raised only .0006 percent." -GirlBoss

Why ifundwomen?

ifundwomen.com is a crowdfunding platform that specifically supports women-founded start-ups. CHEL co-founders Terri Givens and Shelley Seale felt it was the perfect platform for us to raise our seed money on!

Do you have other questions?

Please check out our website, HigherEdLeads.com, and our Member Portal, HigherEdConnects.com. You can also contact us via email at [email protected].

 

Bonnie L Thomas
08/27/2020
Autographed copy of Terri's book
$150
Karen Masterson
07/09/2020
Autographed copy of Terri's book
$150
Lisa Hunter
06/28/2020
Monetary Contribution
$100
Institute for Effectiveness in Higher Education
06/24/2020
Social media shout-out
$50
Jennifer Diascro
06/23/2020
Social media shout-out
$50
Holly
06/23/2020
Monetary Contribution
$25
Christopher
06/03/2020
Monetary Contribution
$100
Derrick
12/25/2019
Monetary Contribution
$50
Carl Ebeling
12/02/2019
Monetary Contribution
$100
Rhonda
11/13/2019
Monetary Contribution
$100
Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care (Any amount)

18 Supporters
Select this reward
5,000.00 USD
Terri Givens Speaking Engagement

Have CHEL Founder & CEO Terri Givens speak at your event! Terri is booked to speak at institutions all over the world. You may also have Terri record a "TED Talk" style video for you instead.

    10 Left
    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    2,500.00 USD
    Consulting Session with Terri Givens

    Receive all of the previous perks, as well as 5 hours of consulting, coaching or mentoring time with CHEL Founder & CEO Terri Givens.

    10 Left
    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    1,500.00 USD
    Support a small college or HBCU

    Give the gift of a scholarship CHEL membership to a small college or Historically Black College & University.

    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    1,000.00 USD
    Podcast or interview with Terri Givens

    Your choice: record a podcast or do an interview to be published at HigherEdConnects.com, our online newsletter, with CHEL Founder & CEO Terri Givens.

    15 Left
    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    750.00 USD
    Higher Ed Connects newsletter sponsor

    You or your organization will be featured as the sponsor for an issue of Higher Ed Connects, the twice-monthly newsletter from CHEL. The top of the newsletter will say "This issue of Higher Ed Connects sponsored by [your name here]," with a logo or image of your choice and link to your website.

    12 Left
    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    500.00 USD
    Thank you in Higher Ed Connects

    You or your organization will be thanked in an issue of Higher Ed Connects, the twice-monthly newsletter from CHEL, including a logo or image of your choice and link to your website.

    24 Left
    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    250.00 USD
    Individual membership or scholarship

    Donor will receive an individual membership to CHEL for one year — or give the membership as a scholarship gift to a higher ed leader!

    1 Supporter
    Select this reward
    200.00 USD
    Virtual coffee with Terri

    Coffee talk! Have a virtual coffee with Terri to discuss education (or whatever you want!)

    20 Left
    0 Supporters
    Select this reward
    150.00 USD
    Autographed copy of Terri's book

    Receive an autographed copy of a book by Terri Givens. Choose from a current title, or one of her forthcoming books. Forthcoming books will be available in Fall 2020.

     

    98 Left
    2 Supporters
    Select this reward
    100.00 USD
    Digital download

    Digital download of our "7 Ways you can help save education today."

    2 Supporters
    Select this reward
    50.00 USD
    Social media shout-out

    We'll Tweet, Facebook and LinkedIn our thanks to you as an individual, and/or your company or organization, for supporting CHEL and higher education.

    8 Supporters
    Select this reward
    25.00 USD
    Good karma

    You'll have our eternal gratitude, a cool "I support education" badge to proudly display on your website or social media, and tons of good karma!

    3 Supporters
    Select this reward

    About the Entrepreneur

    San francisco, CA
    Created 1 Campaign
    Business Services

    Rewards

    Monetary Contribution

    Just Because I Care (Any amount)

    18 Supporters
    Select this reward
    5,000.00 USD
    Terri Givens Speaking Engagement

    Have CHEL Founder & CEO Terri Givens speak at your event! Terri is booked to speak at institutions all over the world. You may also have Terri record a "TED Talk" style video for you instead.

      10 Left
      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      2,500.00 USD
      Consulting Session with Terri Givens

      Receive all of the previous perks, as well as 5 hours of consulting, coaching or mentoring time with CHEL Founder & CEO Terri Givens.

      10 Left
      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      1,500.00 USD
      Support a small college or HBCU

      Give the gift of a scholarship CHEL membership to a small college or Historically Black College & University.

      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      1,000.00 USD
      Podcast or interview with Terri Givens

      Your choice: record a podcast or do an interview to be published at HigherEdConnects.com, our online newsletter, with CHEL Founder & CEO Terri Givens.

      15 Left
      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      750.00 USD
      Higher Ed Connects newsletter sponsor

      You or your organization will be featured as the sponsor for an issue of Higher Ed Connects, the twice-monthly newsletter from CHEL. The top of the newsletter will say "This issue of Higher Ed Connects sponsored by [your name here]," with a logo or image of your choice and link to your website.

      12 Left
      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      500.00 USD
      Thank you in Higher Ed Connects

      You or your organization will be thanked in an issue of Higher Ed Connects, the twice-monthly newsletter from CHEL, including a logo or image of your choice and link to your website.

      24 Left
      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      250.00 USD
      Individual membership or scholarship

      Donor will receive an individual membership to CHEL for one year — or give the membership as a scholarship gift to a higher ed leader!

      1 Supporter
      Select this reward
      200.00 USD
      Virtual coffee with Terri

      Coffee talk! Have a virtual coffee with Terri to discuss education (or whatever you want!)

      20 Left
      0 Supporters
      Select this reward
      150.00 USD
      Autographed copy of Terri's book

      Receive an autographed copy of a book by Terri Givens. Choose from a current title, or one of her forthcoming books. Forthcoming books will be available in Fall 2020.

       

      98 Left
      2 Supporters
      Select this reward
      100.00 USD
      Digital download

      Digital download of our "7 Ways you can help save education today."

      2 Supporters
      Select this reward
      50.00 USD
      Social media shout-out

      We'll Tweet, Facebook and LinkedIn our thanks to you as an individual, and/or your company or organization, for supporting CHEL and higher education.

      8 Supporters
      Select this reward
      25.00 USD
      Good karma

      You'll have our eternal gratitude, a cool "I support education" badge to proudly display on your website or social media, and tons of good karma!

      3 Supporters
      Select this reward