The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI)
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is a grant-funded academic research center at Rutgers University that conducts scholarship and runs professional development programs for faculty, leaders, and graduate students at HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal Colleges, and AANAPISIs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew Brunswick, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) does
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is an academic research center within the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity and Justice at Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Founded in 2014 at the University of Pennsylvania and relocated to Rutgers in 2018 under Executive Director Marybeth Gasman, the center produces rigorous scholarship and operates professional development programs serving four categories of Minority Serving Institutions: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Its core offerings include ELEVATE (early-career faculty training, now in its 11th cohort), MSI Aspiring Leaders (presidential mentorship, 6th cohort), the John Smartt Summer Scholars Program (graduate student virtual internship, 7th cohort), the MSI Humanities Leadership Academy (launched 2026 with $1M Mellon funding), the HSI Pathways to the Professoriate program, the Mary Ellen Pleasant Entrepreneur Fellowship, the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship (with CIEE), and an active portfolio of research reports, policy briefs, and a governance webinar series. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants, with ELEVATE covering registration, lodging, meals, and materials, and the John Smartt Summer Scholars Program providing a $2,000 stipend.
The center does not sell a commercial product and has no proprietary technology platform; its intellectual output is delivered as open-access publications, in-person forums, virtual fellowships, and webinars. Revenue is sourced entirely from philanthropic grants, with documented major awards including a $5.1 million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant (2019, HSI Pathways), a $1 million Mellon grant (2026, Humanities Leadership Academy), $825,000 from ECMC Foundation and Kresge Foundation (2019, MSI Aspiring Leaders), $775,000 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2019, MEPE Fellowship), and additional funding from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and CIEE. CMSI reaches its audiences through its website, quarterly and event-driven email newsletters, press releases, and earned media in outlets such as Forbes, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. With approximately 8 employees, the organization operates as a small, mission-driven, grant-funded research unit whose strategic value lies in scholarly authority, funder relationships, and an alumni network of MSI leaders rather than commercial revenue capture.
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI)
- Legal name
- The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions
- Website
- https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is a grant-funded academic research center at Rutgers University that conducts scholarship and runs professional development programs for faculty, leaders, and graduate students at HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal Colleges, and AANAPISIs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Research and Capacity Building
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public HBCUs (State-Supported) (EDAHAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Research-Intensive HBCUs (R1/R2 or Doctoral) (EDAHAMAE)
Keywords
Where The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Brunswick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Free professional development programs for MSI faculty and leaders |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CMSI is an academic research center that provides professional development programs, applied research, and policy advocacy for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) including HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal Colleges, and AANAPISIs. It offers cohort-based faculty training (ELEVATE), presidential leadership mentorship (MSI Aspiring Leaders), graduate student internships (John Smartt Summer Scholars), humanities leadership development (MSI Humanities Leadership Academy), and publishes research reports and policy briefs on MSI funding, student success, and institutional practices.
Product overview
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is a research center that does not operate a traditional technology product. Instead, CMSI offers a portfolio of professional development programs and scholarly publications aimed at strengthening Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The core programs include: ELEVATE for early-career faculty training, MSI Aspiring Leaders for presidential mentorship, the John Smartt Summer Scholars virtual internship, and the MSI Humanities Leadership Academy for humanities academic leaders. CMSI also produces research reports, policy briefs, and practice briefs on MSI topics, and hosts the Governance Webinar Series. Through partnerships with organizations like CIEE, CMSI administers the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship for study abroad opportunities. These programs collectively support MSIs by elevating their educational contributions, increasing rigorous scholarship, connecting leadership to reform initiatives, and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ELEVATE (Enriching Learning, Enhancing Visibility & Training Educators) A three-day annual professional development program for early-career, tenure-track faculty at Minority Serving Institutions that provides workshops on publishing strategies, teaching techniques, mentoring practices, work-life balance, and tenure navigation.
- MSI Aspiring Leaders A two-day forum and one-and-a-half-year mentoring program that connects prominent MSI presidential leaders with mid-career aspiring leaders to prepare the next generation of MSI presidents.
- John Smartt Summer Scholars Program A virtual internship program for master's and doctoral graduate students that provides professional experience, networking opportunities with higher education scholars, and research and programming skills related to equity and leadership. Includes a $2,000 stipend for participants.
- MSI Humanities Leadership Academy An academic leadership mentorship program designed to strengthen the pipeline of humanities leaders at MSIs through intensive leadership forums, one-on-one mentoring, executive shadowing, and virtual professional development sessions.
- Governance Webinar Series A webinar series targeting governance strategies for leaders at Minority Serving Institutions.
- Research Reports and Briefs Published research reports, policy briefs, and practice briefs that expand information about and advocate for the nation's Minority Serving Institutions, addressing topics such as student success, funding impacts, and institutional best practices.
- HSI Pathways to the Professoriate A program designed to increase the number of Latino faculty members in humanities through research-intensive summer seminars, mentoring, and graduate school application support at partner HSIs.
- Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship A collaborative initiative with CIEE that covers costs for outstanding MSI students to participate in intensive study abroad programs focused on intercultural communication and leadership.
- Mary Ellen Pleasant Entrepreneur Fellowship A fellowship program aimed at increasing future entrepreneurs from HBCUs, providing a 10-week virtual fellowship with business and marketing-focused curriculum through partnership with The Whether.
Quantifiable outcome
- ELEVATE program has graduated 11 cohorts of early-career MSI faculty with networking and professional development
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI)
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)corePartnership for Project Passport IFDS (International Faculty Development Seminar) and Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship program, providing study abroad opportunities for MSI students and faculty training to lead study abroad programs.
- Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity and JusticecoreCMSI is part of the Proctor Institute at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, connecting MSI research and programs to broader leadership, equity and justice initiatives.
- The WhethersupportingPartnership with minority-owned recruitment marketing platform for the Mary Ellen Pleasant Entrepreneur Fellowship, providing virtual business and marketing-focused curriculum and Clarity Assessment for HBCU students.
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- The Education Trust: The Education Trust conducts research and advocacy on educational equity, including in higher education, with significant focus on closing achievement gaps for students of color and low-income students. Its higher education policy and equity work overlaps materially with CMSI's research agenda.
- Pullias Center for Higher Education at USC: Pullias is a university-based research center studying higher education access, equity, and student success, with significant work on underserved student populations. It parallels CMSI's research-and-program model from a different institutional host (USC) and similar academic positioning.
Direct peers
- UNCF (United Negro College Fund): UNCF is the nation's largest private scholarship provider for HBCU students and supports member institutions through research, advocacy, and capacity building. It directly parallels CMSI's HBCU-focused research and leadership development mission, with overlapping funder relationships and policy advocacy work.
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): HACU represents HSIs and provides advocacy, capacity-building programs, and research on Hispanic-serving higher education. It is the closest single-segment analog to CMSI's HSI research and program work, including shared attention to HSI funding shortfalls.
- Excelencia in Education: Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success through research, policy advocacy, and programs aimed at HSIs and emerging HSIs. It mirrors CMSI's HSI Pathways to the Professoriate and broader HSI research agenda and serves a similar funder ecosystem.
- American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC): AIHEC represents the nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities, providing advocacy, research, and capacity-building programs. CMSI's TCU research and program segment maps directly to AIHEC's mission, making it a directly comparable peer for that slice of CMSI's work.
- American Indian College Fund: The American Indian College Fund supports TCUs and Native American students through scholarships, research, and public awareness. It is directly comparable to CMSI's TCU research and program work and shares funders and policy objectives.
Broad incumbents
- American Council on Education (ACE): ACE is the major coordinating body for US higher education institutions, conducting leadership development, policy advocacy, and research across the entire sector. It overlaps with CMSI on presidential leadership development and federal policy research but operates at much broader scale across all institution types.
- Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU): APLU represents public research universities and runs research, policy, and capacity-building initiatives. Several MSIs are APLU members, and APLU's research on public higher education funding intersects with CMSI's funding-loss analyses for HSIs and other MSIs.
- Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): AAC&U is a national membership organization advancing liberal education, quality practices, and faculty development across US higher education. It overlaps with CMSI's faculty development and student success research but does not specialize in MSIs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) social profiles
Digital presenceThe Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI)
What does The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) do?
CMSI is an academic research center that provides professional development programs, applied research, and policy advocacy for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) including HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal Colleges, and AANAPISIs. It offers cohort-based faculty training (ELEVATE), presidential leadership mentorship (MSI Aspiring Leaders), graduate student internships (John Smartt Summer Scholars), humanities leadership development (MSI Humanities Leadership Academy), and publishes research reports and policy briefs on MSI funding, student success, and institutional practices.
Is The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) a public or private company?
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) founded?
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) based?
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is headquartered in New Brunswick, United States, in the North America region.
Who are The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI)'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are The Education Trust and Pullias Center for Higher Education at USC. Direct peers are UNCF (United Negro College Fund), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Excelencia in Education, American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and American Indian College Fund. Broad incumbents are American Council on Education (ACE), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
Does The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI).
What industry is The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) in?
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI)'s product category is Higher Education Research and Capacity Building. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAMAA, Public HBCUs (State-Supported), with a secondary code of EDAHAMAE, Research-Intensive HBCUs (R1/R2 or Doctoral). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.