Vice President For Academic And Regulatory Affairs
Current• Principal advisor to the System’s Chief Academic Officer, President, and governing board on the higher ed regulatory framework, including the Higher Education Act of 1965, U.S. Department of Education processes, Federal Student Aid and GI Bill eligibility, programmatic and institutional accreditation, and professional licensing requirements. Representative matters include successfully defending a constituent law school’s American Bar Association accreditation, including at hearing.• Leads three teams with enterprise level responsibility for accreditation, research compliance, faculty relations, academic program approval, strategic alignment and policy development, and governing board relations.• Organizes the 30-employee Academic Affairs Division’s alignment with the System’s strategic plan. Initiatives include improving student financial literacy to lower debt at graduation, increasing participation in employer tuition payment plans, consolidating enrollment planning, and promoting best practices for non-degree credentials. • Leads the System’s efforts to react to higher ed regulatory and statutory changes. Develops the strategies necessary to comply with or take advantage of the changes. Representative matters include ensuring the System’s online programs meet federal faculty/student interaction requirements, the System’s use of multiple academic start dates complies with FSA requirements and that the System exploits regulatory flexibilities around disaggregated faculty, competency-based education, and expanded eligibility for student aid. • Directs North Carolina’s state licensing processes for private and out-of-state colleges. Led overhaul of North Carolina’s licensing and student complaint systems to increase transparency and student protections. • Between 2018 and 2022, directed the North Carolina State Approving Agency (NCSAA), which provides approval and oversight for institutions in the state that seek to participate in GI Bill funding.