Selected Institute for Global Leadership Programs to Move to Tisch College of Civic Life

The growth of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life over the past 20-plus years provides an opportunity to better align Tufts programs that are focused on civic engagement, both locally and globally. As a result, the Office of the Provost has announced that it will close the Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) and move some IGL programs—notably its flagship offering EPIIC (Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship)—to Tisch College, where they will be better positioned to grow and benefit more students.

The move follows an extensive review of IGL, as part of the university’s requirement that all centers and institutes at Tufts be assessed every five years.

The assessment indicated that while some IGL programming continues to have an impact, the institute was facing challenges, including a mission that overlapped with other university entities, difficulty in growing enrollment, uncertainties due to its lack of an academic “home” within one of the university’s schools, and additional issues pertaining to funding predictability and governance.

Offered since 1986, EPIIC is a year-long course that has at its center the EPIIC International Symposium, a multiday forum convened each spring to address a topic of major global concern. EPIIC Symposium topics in recent years have included genocide, China’s role in the world, and the future of Europe.

Students enrolled in EPIIC this fall will remain in the course with no interruption in that offering.

Provost and Senior Vice President ad interim Caroline Genco called the transition of EPIIC and other IGL programs to Tisch College an opportunity to both extend the reach of programs that are valuable to Tufts students and connect those programs more closely with the university’s civic mission, which is the hallmark of Tisch College.

“The university values the impact that IGL has had on numerous Tufts students since its inception nearly 40 years ago. Our goal with this change is to extend that impact still further, leveraging the stature and resources of Tisch College,” said Genco. “Because Tisch College is already the home to global educational and research programs focused on empowering students with the skills and knowledge to make real and lasting change in communities worldwide, moving programs like EPIIC to Tisch College is a natural next step for Tufts—and one that promises to significantly advance Tufts' deep commitment to civic engagement.”

“This is the start of an exciting new chapter in IGL’s story,” said Abi Williams, F86, F87, director of the Institute of Global Leadership. “The missions of IGL and Tisch College are complementary and of vital importance in these difficult times. Working together, we will enhance the many distinctive academic and experiential opportunities that Tufts offers its engaged and enterprising students.”