The job of directing a unit in student affairs is complex and challenging. Here is some advice from experts who have been there. by Karen Whitney (Clarion University) and Jeremy Podany (Colorado State University) New student affairs directors have the opportunity to see a direct impact on the lives of students and the success of the […]
Dr. Karen M. Whitney
President Emerita, Clarion University
Throughout her 40 year career in higher education, Dr. Karen Whitney has held a variety of executive and leadership positions with increasing levels of responsibility, beginning as a Director to Associate Vice President, Vice Chancellor, President, and Chancellor. Karen is also a nationally recognized organizational and leadership development writer, speaker, consultant and advisor. She holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in Higher Education Administration and is a certified coach through the Center for Executive Coaching.
Most recently, Karen served as Interim Chancellor for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), providing strategic leadership to a 14-university system serving over 100,000 students and employing more than 12,000 faculty and staff with a $2.3 billion annual operating budget. As the chief executive officer of a system, she worked with the 14 university presidents to ensure the success of each University. She advised the system board and 14 university boards on policy development and policy implementation. Her other responsibilities included: budget planning & state appropriation; academic program approval; comprehensive planning; negotiating collective bargaining agreements; representing the system to the public including elected and civic leaders; and serving as a champion for higher learning public policy.
Karen served as President of Clarion University, a large public masters comprehensive university for 7 years. During this time, she led the university through a period of great operational challenge and change including a transformational reorganization of colleges, departments and academic priorities. Most notably, she focused the university as a leader in offering innovative professional programs in business, education, health and human services.
Karen also has extensive leadership experience at different types of institutions. She served as Vice Chancellor for Student Life at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She also held leadership positions at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the University of Houston. She held clinical appointments in teaching from the Indiana University School of Education.
After a very accomplished career as a leader and executive in higher education, Karen is now passionately focused on working with other leaders, executives and board members to ensure their success in service to their students and institutions. She advocates for courageous and confident leadership that is needed now more than ever in higher education, particularly since the challenges and threats to leadership success seem to be increasing. In working with every leader to succeed, Karen’s approach is to combine a proven track-record of higher education leadership with a variety of engagement approaches, including advising, coaching, facilitating and training. Drawing on her vast experience at every level of leadership, she customizes an individual structured process to ensure each leader achieves their highest professional and institutional priorities.
