Strategic Academic Leadership in the Liberal Arts

With nearly a decade of upper-level academic leadership experience, I have built a record of strategic, data-informed decision-making in support of student success, faculty development, and institutional goals.

As Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages at Tennessee Tech University, I led a diverse unit encompassing multiple language concentrations, interdisciplinary minors, and general education offerings. I approached leadership not as a fixed administrative function but as a dynamic, evidence-based practice—one that integrates enrollment trends, institutional data, and national benchmarks to guide strategic planning.

Strategic Planning & Program Development

In response to declining enrollments in traditional humanities fields, I implemented targeted initiatives that aligned departmental goals with university-wide priorities. These included:

• Leading the development and successful approval of significant updates to the B.A. in Foreign Languages concentrations, guiding proposals through all levels of campus curriculum review.
• Increasing the department’s capacity to award prior learning credit by expanding proficiency-based pathways for eligible students.
• Directing a comprehensive recruitment initiative that included K–12 classroom outreach, on-campus events for world language teachers, and the creation of targeted marketing materials highlighting academic offerings and career pathways in language study.
• Developing a minor in Digital Humanities and a major in Interdisciplinary Computing, both of which positioned my college as a site of innovation within the liberal arts.
• Partnering with STEM and business units to create pathways for double majors and cross-listed courses that increased enrollment without overextending faculty resources.
• Launching a data-informed outreach strategy that included audience segmentation, high school partnerships, and revised messaging focused on career readiness and global competency.

Enrollment Management & Assessment

I led a comprehensive enrollment and curriculum audit of all programs in the department. Drawing on institutional dashboards, IPEDS data, and peer benchmarking, I worked collaboratively with faculty and administration to:

• Redesign underperforming degree concentrations
• Adjust course rotations for efficiency and responsiveness to demand
• Integrate program-level learning outcomes into departmental assessment cycles

These efforts resulted in increased student credit hour production, improved program visibility, and stronger alignment with institutional accreditation standards.

Faculty Mentoring & Governance

As chair, I prioritized transparent communication and faculty development, fostering a culture of shared governance. I have mentored junior faculty through the tenure and promotion process, led successful faculty searches, and collaborated on interdisciplinary grant proposals. I am well-versed in faculty evaluation, workload planning, and academic policy.

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Next Steps
I am seeking leadership roles at the chair, dean, or associate dean level where I can continue to apply strategic, evidence-based approaches to institutional planning, academic innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. If your institution is looking for an academic leader with deep experience in program development, enrollment strategy, and faculty engagement, I welcome the opportunity to connect.