Dr. Kelly Simons served as the senior vice president of academic affairs and the chief academic officer at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. While there, she was responsible for all academic programs at the college, including more than 200 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as noncredit programs for individuals and businesses. Currently, she is teaching as an adjunct professor at the community college and university levels.
Prior to that, Dr. Simons spent 12 years at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas, where she served as the dean of liberal arts and sciences. While there she also held the positions of assistant vice president in finance, interim dean of health sciences, interim department chair of life sciences, and served as an adjunct faculty member and a faculty advisor. Her focus with both colleges has been on strategic planning to enhance transformational change, student success work, and holistic student supports.
Education
Ph.D. (Management in Community College Policy & Administration) | University of Maryland Global Campus
M.P.A. | University of Texas at Arlington
B.S. (Environmental Management) | University of Maryland
Past Experience
Provost & Senior Vice President | Ivy Tech Community College
Vice President, Academic Innovation & Support | Ivy Tech Community College
Associate Vice President | Ivy Tech Community College
Assistant Vice Provost, Center for Instructional Technology | Ivy Tech Community College
Executive Director, Center for Instructional Technology | Ivy Tech Community College
How has education changed your life/your family?
Education changed the course of my life by providing opportunities that I would not have otherwise had during my career. I went to community college after high school, but stopped attending to get married and have children. I always felt insecure and incomplete about this. I returned to college later and finished three degrees in ten years. This taught me about perseverance, grit, and discipline. It was not easy, but I felt proud of these accomplishments, which later gave me the confidence to compete for jobs I never would have explored.