Jim Case serves California State University, Fullerton, the largest campus in the California State University System with over 38,000 students. The campus is in the second year of a University-wide Strategic Plan incorporating a key objective to “Ensure that at least 75% of CSUF students participate in an advising system that integrates academic, career and personal development components.” Prior to coming to Fullerton in 1999, Jim directed the Career Management Center at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ, the career services program at the University of Rochester, the career services program at the College of Wooster, and a community-based internship program in Philadelphia. Jim also is on the faculty of the Career Services Institute, which provides training to college and university career center staff throughout California and the western states. Jim has also served on the board of NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) and WACE (Western Association of Colleges and Employers). From 1983 to 1985, he was president of the National Society for Internships and Experiential Education, now NSEE. Jim has been a trainer, a consultant, and an evaluator for numerous career services, internship, community service, and cooperative education programs, and has made a variety of […]
Diane has over 25 years experience in higher education in a variety of roles including teaching, student affairs, strategic planning, research, grant writing, and e-learning. Until July 2011, she served as the executive director of the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC), a state higher education consortium whose mission is to promote quality e-learning. She led the research and assessment efforts of CTDLC since its inception and has published and presented nationally on a wide variety of topics related to e-learning, including adult learners, online pedagogy, e-portfolios, supporting online students, building cost-savings collaborations, learning objects, and issues related to assessment and evaluation. As part of this work, she wrote and led several grant-funded initiatives working with two- and four-year, public and private institutional partners to create online support services including a unique collaborative tutoring project. Diane is active in WCET, having served as chair of both the Steering Committee and the Executive Council.
Dana is currently serving as a consultant to Kaplan University Group to develop online competency-based, workplace-referenced degree programs. Previously, she served as provost of Excelsior College, vice provost for assessment and institutional research at Capella University, and director of PK-16 at the University of Wisconsin System. She has extensive experience in online program development and policy, continuing education, and all aspects of academic affairs. She has contributed to national efforts to develop distance and online education standards and policy, having served on the Distance Education Demonstration Project and national task force to develop distance education standards for military education.
Beth has more than 11 years of international research experience, spanning six continents and nearly 30 countries. In addition to serving the research needs of numerous foundations and nonprofits as a consultant, she previously was director of development research at Amherst College and managed prospect research efforts at Bennington College. Passionate about languages, she has studied French, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese (Mandarin dialect). Beth earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and has taken master’s degree courses in public policy and management through the Centre for Financial and Management Studies at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. She is the author of China: A Guide for Prospect Researchers.
Sara brings more than twenty years of expertise in managing the complex demands of large-scale integrated marketing and branding programs. She arrived at LH from Rush University Medical Center, where she was associate vice president for marketing communications, responsible for consumer marketing including branding, advertising, public relations, employee communications, and web strategies. Prior to Rush, Sara led co-marketing efforts with the pharmaceutical industry, created public education campaigns, and developed a transactional website as vice president for communications at the national Alzheimer’s Association. She has lectured on integrated marketing communication for The Forum for Healthcare Strategists, CASE, and AFP.
A past director of Brown’s parent leadership program, Merritt has spent 22 years in the nonprofit fundraising world—21 of them in higher education. She has more than 10 years of staff-management experience in comprehensive campaigns, ranging from $35 million to more than $1.5 billion. Merritt’s experience has given her a comprehensive understanding of campaign fundraising, philanthropy, board development, prospect management, and volunteer management. Until recently, she served as the director of campaign volunteer management, and she continues to serve as a consultant to area nonprofit organizations and startups. Merritt joined the Rhode Island College Foundation in May of 2013 and currently serves as their executive director.
Among other responsibilities, Margaret coordinates assessment and strategic planning efforts for the student affairs division, facilitates the development and implementation of living-learning communities, and supports institutional assessment and retention efforts at the University of San Diego. Before arriving at USD, she gained experience in residential life, counseling, and other areas in student affairs from Villanova University, Arcadia University, University of the Pacific, and Dartmouth College.
Craig directs reunion giving efforts for the University of Notre Dame. He also oversees the Matching Gifts program, young alumni giving, and student philanthropy. Under his leadership, Notre Dame’s Matching Gifts program was the No. 1 program in the country last year for total dollars raised ($3.6 million). Also under his leadership, the Notre Dame 50-year reunion class set the all-time participation record at 83.6 percent. In Craig’s first year, Notre Dame’s overall reunion giving program increased from 44 percent participation to 47.9 percent participation; the university’s young alumni giving society, the Corby Society, significantly increased in total number of members and total dollars raised; and senior legacy gift participation went from 41 percent to 48 percent.
Tom served as an educator in academic and student affairs for 27 years, most recently as the dean of advising services and special programs at Saint Mary’s College of California. There he developed and administered Saint Mary’s nationally recognized academic advising program. He also developed the High Potential Program, which provided access and support to first-generation students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Graduation rates for High Potential students exceeded those for all other cohorts at Saint Mary’s. Tom has served as a consultant to more than 350 colleges and universities in the US and abroad, and he is regularly invited to deliver keynote addresses at national conferences, campus colloquia, and workshops for faculty and staff. He is known for his ability to engage, inspire, and motivate students. He has published and presented extensively in areas related to student retention, academic advising, international education, and promoting the achievement and success of multicultural, international, and at-risk students. He recently co-edited and wrote for the 2011 monograph, Fulfilling the Promise of the Community College: Increasing First-Year Student Engagement and Success, which was co-sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in […]
Prior to joining ACT, Wes served as an academic advisor and later as the director of the academic advisement center at Illinois State University. He also served as the director of academic and career advising at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Habley has more than 50 published works on academic advising and student retention. His most recent publications include Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook (2008), The Status of Academic Advising: Findings from the ACT Sixth National Survey (2004) and What Works in Student Retention? in 2004 and 2009. Habley is a founding board member of NACADA and has served as president and treasurer. He is the founding director of the NACADA Summer Institute on Academic Advising and the recipient of NACADA’s awards for service and for outstanding contributions to the field of advising. He has delivered more than 200 presentations at professional meetings and has served as a consultant or workshop leader at more than 125 colleges in the US, Canada, and the Middle East.
