Special Announcement to CIHS Community: Presidential Transition Plan

Dear CIHS Community:

I am writing today on behalf of the Board of Trustees to inform you about an important leadership transition at CIHS.

President Thomas Brophy has accepted an appointment to become the next President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, a leading scientific research organization working at the nexus of consciousness, science, and spirituality, effective March 1, 2024. Dr. Brophy will continue in his current role as President of CIHS through the end of February 2024, during which time he will oversee the completion of CIHS' Interim Report to our accrediting agency, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

CIHS is in an incomparably stronger position thanks to Dr. Brophy's leadership as President of CIHS. Among many accomplishments, Dr. Brophy spearheaded CIHS' successful accreditation effort, secured major gifts from key donors to help fund the effort, and attracted to CIHS a team of accomplished professional academic administrators and faculty that are committed to the ongoing improvement of our academic offerings. At IONS, Dr. Brophy will join a like-minded organization with a closely related mission, and the CIHS Board of Trustees wishes him all the best in his new endeavor. We ask you to join us in thanking Thomas for his tremendous service and extraordinary accomplishments with CIHS.

In addition, the CIHS Board is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Jeffery A. Martin (currently Dean of Research at CIHS) as the next President of CIHS. Dr. Martin is eminently qualified and suited for this role. He brings a broad executive and entrepreneurial tool set and extraordinary track record to this position. As well, he has a record of achievement in accredited university leadership positions. Dr. Martin will become President of CIHS upon Dr. Brophy's departure to IONS on March 1, 2024. Please join us in welcoming Jeffery as the next President of CIHS!

Let us, in this time of change and growth, embrace and support Thomas’ smooth transition to IONS. Let us together lend our support to Dr. Martin in his new role and to the vision and principles for which CIHS was established by our first President and Founder, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama.

Sincerely,

Richard Jelusich

Chair, CIHS Board of Trustees

A Message from President Brophy:

Now is an exciting and developmental time for CIHS. A time of great opportunity and growth.

I was appointed president of CIHS on July 1, 2019. CIHS has undergone extraordinary transformations since that time, including the following:

Seeking Accreditation Visit #2 (SAV2) got us halfway to regional accreditation in Spring of 2020. And with SAV3 CIHS achieved Initial Accreditation from WSCUC on May 6, 2021, fulfilling one of the dreams of CIHS Founder, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, after 29 years of CIHS’ existence.
In 2022 and into 2023, CIHS achieved approval from WSCUC for all seven of CIHS’ degree programs to be fully accessible as both Distance Education and On-Site Education, enabling CIHS to be a truly global accredited university.
In those four years, enrollments in CIHS degree programs have grown consistently and rapidly.
CIHS has staffed administration with experienced and excellent professional academic administrators.
A Laboratory for Consciousness Science was established and developed with forefront facilities.
In August of 2023, CIHS hosted on campus and hybrid-globally a successful major international scientific symposium, Neuroscience Needs a Revolution to Understand Consciousness, that vaulted CIHS into global recognition as a leader in the revolutionary and transformative science of consciousness.
CIHS secured multi-year large dollar donation pledges to fund the fledgling accredited university and research center as it grows into long-term sustainability.
CIHS administered for the first time, this Fall 2023 term, need-based scholarships for students.

On March 1, 2024, I will transition out of my role as president of CIHS and into a new role as president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). At IONS I will provide leadership in advancing the modern science that is bringing consciousness to scientific views of how reality works. Institutionally, IONS and CIHS are developing mutually beneficial collaborations and we believe this will advance and strengthen CIHS moving into the future as well. I expect to continue to be closely aligned and connected with CIHS into the foreseeable future.

Finally, I note that I have forever the deepest regard and gratitude in my heart for every single member of CIHS community, faculty, administrators, trustees, supporters, and especially students and alums. CIHS is poised and embarked on a brilliant institutional future!

Warmest Regards,

Thomas

A Message from Dr. Martin:

CIHS is at an exciting moment in its history. Under the Trustees and Thomas' leadership, and with the hard work of everyone at the institution, a strong foundation has been established that sets the stage for unprecedented growth.

Puzzling as it may be, we're still one of the best kept secrets in the consciousness space. Because of so many changes at other institutions and in the wider academic space over the past decade, we're also quite possibly the only one that is poised to become the heart of it within the academy. In the times ahead, this can and should be our focus.

I am excited to become CIHS' next President and, in many ways, its first traditional one. Soon, we'll begin the search to fill the newly created Provost position. This will allow for a presidential role that can be more directed at helping the world learn about all that CIHS has to offer, at precisely this moment when we are ready. I look forward to working closely with all of you, students, alumni, staff, faculty, trustees and the wider community to help further Dr. Motoyama's vision of this world class higher education and research center.

Much Love,

Jeffery