Rebecca J. Johnson
Middlesboro,USA
Summary
Accomplished Vice President/Chief Student Affairs Officer at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, adept in strategic planning and cross-functional team leadership. Possess in-depth knowledge in operational management, financial oversight, and team leadership. Spearheaded initiatives that led to a 4% enrollment increase, showcasing expertise in enrollment strategies and college advocacy. Excelled in fostering partnerships, enhancing student access, to drive organizational success.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President/Chief Student Affairs Officer
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Cumberland, Kentucky
06.2009 - Current
- Report to the President of the College. Responsible for the day-to-day operations of all facets of student affairs on six campuses within the departments of academic and career advising, admissions, counseling, customer call service center, disability services, enrollment management, financial aid, commencement ceremonies, international services, records, recruitment, registration, retention, student engagement, transfer, orientation, scholarships, student conduct, testing, Title IX, and veterans' affairs.
- Provide leadership, strategic planning, budgeting, and evaluation for the team of five departmental directors, eighteen full-time staff members, and three part-time staff members.
- Maintain fiscal oversight of an annual budget of over $1.8 million.
- Maintain relationships with key stakeholders by attending meetings, and responding promptly to inquiries or requests for information.
- Review reports from functional areas to assess progress toward organizational goals.
- Serve as a SKCTC President’s Executive Cabinet member, which provides leadership for college-wide strategic planning and budget preparation from 2000 to the present.
- Serve on the SKCTC SACSCOC Reaffirmation Leadership Team, Member, 2009 to present. Student Affairs Chair SACS-COC.
- Oversee the administration of over $5 million in federal financial aid.
- Manage the awarding of all grants and state-funded scholarships.
- Serve on five Kentucky Community and Technical College (KCTCS) Peer Teams.
- Provide leadership, strategic planning, budgeting, and evaluation for the Social and Cultural Development programs.
- Student Support Services, Academic Advantage, Upward Bound Math-Science and Marketing supervisor.
- Serve as the college contact for all state legislative sessions, 2017 to present.
- Maintain external relationships with constituents to advance the institution's mission and vision.
- Serve on the Executive Leadership Team for annual fundraising campaigns.
- Serve as the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's SKCTC team chair, participating in a nationwide initiative called Complete College Accelerator to improve student success, and close gaps in college access and completion. (SKCTC was one of four higher education institutions in Kentucky selected to participate.)
- Facilitate and manage SKCTC’s Default Management Program. The default rate for FY 2016 decreased from over 30% to under 22%.
- Serve on the KCTCS Student Affairs and Recruiting Peer Teams.
- Serve on the college committee that writes five-year strategic plans.
- Developed and executed strategic enrollment management (SEM) plans to support the vision of the organization. Multiple SEM plans have been developed, which have resulted in continuous improvement at the college. (The latest SEM plan resulted in a 4% increase in enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year, a 4% increase in retention, the most credentials awarded in an academic year, and an 8.7% increase in the graduation rate.)
- Served on the KCTCS Chief Student Affairs Officer (CSAO) mentorship workgroup to develop a CSAO Mentoring Program, 2022-2023. After the launch, I became one of the first mentors for incoming chief student affairs officers at KCTCS.
- Designed the Academic Tutoring Technology Inclusive Center (ATTIC) for the newly opened Knox Campus Student Service Center.
- Collaborated with Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation to establish a medical clinic on the largest campus, providing primary care, mental health services, and wellness programs.
- Co-chaired with the Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, the CCRC Guided Pathways Early Onboarding Institute took place between the College and CPE.
- Served as the College Lead for the Lumina Equity Audit Research Project, Student Basic Needs, August 2022–2023.
- Developed the SKCTC Chit Chat Webpage, a one-stop resource for students and community members to eliminate non-academic barriers.
- Served on the SKCTC Executive Leadership Team alongside the Fletcher Group and Bell County Economic Development to develop an Addiction Recovery Care Center adjacent to the Middlesboro Campus, in the Middlesboro Industrial Park.
- Served on the SKCTC Executive Leadership Team alongside the Knox County Community Action Partnership (KCEOC), and the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) to design and open the new Knox Campus in Barbourville.
- Co-chaired with the Dean of Academic Affairs and created the Second Chance Program, which allowed students with outstanding financial balances to stay in school.
- Captured a $75,000 grant and provided overall leadership for the P.A.C.E. Grant program coordinator to successfully recruit and advise students in addiction and recovery programs. Over fifty students successfully completed the program, obtained a degree, and are now employed full-time.
- Captured two $100,000 Kentucky Coal County College Completion grants from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, which led to the establishment of four Student Success Centers and four Veterans Centers to serve the college’s six campuses, with Middlesboro and Pineville being served by one center. (Veterans Centers serve as study hubs and meeting facilities for veterans within the college and our communities.)
- Served on the SKCTC Executive Leadership Team, collaborating with the state legislature and KCTCS colleges to secure a $200 million project called Build Smart. This project provided three-fourths of the funding through the sale of bonds for sixteen new college construction and renovation projects for KCTCS colleges. (Funding from this program supported the building of a new Education Alliance Center on the SKCTC Middlesboro campus.)
- Partnered and engaged with college employees and community affiliates for the design and construction of the Middlesboro Campus Educational Alliance Center.
- Provided leadership for the Ready to Work Grant in excess of $500,000.
- Led the effort for SKCTC to cross-train student affairs employees to promote collaborative efforts to create and sustain an environment of inclusion and teamwork. As a result, silos were eliminated, partnerships were formed, and a collaborative work environment was created.
- Developed marketing strategies based on corporate objectives and market trends.
- Evaluated marketing personnel and offered constructive feedback on ways to improve.
- Created and managed digital campaigns on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
- Planned advertising campaigns for online, print and other mediums.
- Reviewed online content including website pages, blog posts for accuracy and relevancy.
- Identified new opportunities for growth through collaboration with external stakeholders.
- Collaborated with other departments within the college to ensure the successful execution of marketing initiatives.
- Developed and implemented marketing strategies to increase brand awareness and student success stories.
- Provided leadership, strategic planning, budgeting, and evaluation within the department for the full-time Marketing Director, and a full-time Digital Media Specialist.
- Maintained fiscal oversight of an annual budget of over $100,000.
- Responsible for approving all marketing materials used to promote academic programs and recruit students, including providing oversight of websites, and all variations of social media.
- Oversaw and audited media and digital campaigns to ensure priority is given to student success, and that there is an increase in followers for geo-fencing and digital ads.
- Ensured that equipment is maintained and upgraded regularly to accommodate technological changes.
- Facilitated efforts for staff members to submit projects to the State and National Councils for Marketing and Public Relations. (Since 2014, seven awards for high distinction have been awarded to the college.)
- Ensured that a monthly marketing report is developed to highlight the return on investment for digital paid advertising, web traffic, web leads, and social media posts.
- Served on the KCTCS marketing and public relations peer team.
- Developed the marketing and recruitment communications plan based on the Nudge Theory, which included an extensive database for calls, emails, direct mail, text messaging, and chat.
- Led efforts for the first-ever SKCTC ‘Graduation Video,’ which used student success stories in place of a guest speaker for graduation in 2017, a practice that is still in use today.
- Created a #SKCTCstudentsfirst campaign, focusing all marketing efforts on students and student success
- Prioritized the importance of including multicultural, traditional, high school, and non-traditional students in all publications and marketing materials.
- Developed the first SKCTC Facebook and Twitter social media outlets.
- Served as SKCTC lead on the KCTCS College Workforce and Readiness Data-Driven Improvements Workgroup.
Middlesboro and Pineville Campus Director
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Cumberland, KY
05.2016 - Current
- Pineville and Middlesboro campuses are responsible for addressing student concerns and disciplinary issues, dealing with faculty concerns and requests, safety issues, and building operations.
- Maintain fiscal oversight of an annual budget of over $35 thousand.
- Provide leadership for the Pineville campus renovations, with a budget of over $1.2 million.
- Host events to increase community relations and partnerships.
- Obtained funding to remove fifty-eight trees that were deemed destructive to the foundation and structure of the buildings.
- Led efforts to renovate the Student Service Centers on the Knox, Middlesboro, and Pineville campuses.
- Co-led reestablishing of the License Practical Nursing (LPN) and Radiography programs on the Pineville Campus.
Adjunct Instructor
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Cumberland, Kentucky
08.1996 - Current
- Intro to College, GEN 101 1996 - 2003
- Psychology - PSY 110 2017 to present.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs/Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Cumberland, Kentucky
05.2000 - 06.2009
- Promoted to oversee and provide leadership for the day-to-day operations within the departments of academic and career advising, counseling, customer call service center, disability services, enrollment management, financial aid, recruitment, retention, student engagement, transfer, scholarships, international services, student conduct, testing, Title IX, veterans' affairs, and marketing on five campuses, and the administration of all policies and regulations pertaining to the department.
- Served as a member of the SKCTC President’s Executive Cabinet, which provided leadership for college-wide strategic planning and budget preparation, with a monthly review.
- Led efforts with selected KCTCS system office and college staff in developing and implementing the KCTCS Student Code of Conduct.
- Developed and implemented—cooperatively with a team of faculty and staff—an on-campus, two-day workshop for high school guidance counselors, who received six hours of professional development credit through the Kentucky Department of Education.
- Served as the chair of a college-wide committee charged with writing a Strategic Enrollment Plan to address the development and implementation of recruitment and retention programs.
- Assumed responsibility for international services at the college, with assigned staff to handle the processing of I-20s for student visas.
- Assumed responsibility for the marketing department at the college.
- Assumed responsibility for the awarding of all foundation and KCTCS scholarships.
Interim Dean of Student Affairs/Director of Financial Aid
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
Pineville, KY
08.1996 - 05.2000
- Served as the administrative co-lead for Cumberland Valley Technical College (CVTC) during the successful consolidation with Southeast Community College.
- Served on the Campus Director’s Executive Leadership Team, responsible for developing and implementing the annual strategic plan for the institution.
- Served on the CVTC Council on Occupational Education (COE) Reaffirmation Leadership Team, which is responsible for the standards required for student services.
- Worked with external constituents to facilitate the advancement of the institution's mission.
- Coordinated and managed all financial aid programs, assuring compliance with all federal, state, and institutional financial aid policies and procedures, including Direct Loan processing.
- Conducted internal annual file audits, resulting in 100% compliance annually with federal and state regulations.
- Administered a student loan/grant package in excess of $2 million.
- Served as the coordinator for IPEDS, Perkins, FISAP, SSCR, and annual A-133 reporting.
- Provided overall leadership for the Office of Admissions and Records, including the planning and implementation of all policies and procedures.
- Ensured the integrity, accuracy, and security of all academic records of then-current and former students.
- Performed enrollment and degree verification for graduation requirements, and official transcripts.
- Provided leadership for the admissions, records, registration, and financial aid staff.
Education
Ph.D. - Community College Leadership
Mississippi State University
Starkville, MS12-2010
Master of Arts - Developmental Psychology
Union College
Barbourville, KY05-2000
Master of Science - English
Union College
Barbourville, KY05-1996
Associate of Arts -
Southeast Kentucky Community And Technical College
Cumberland, KY05-2017
Skills
- Budget and resource oversight
- Revenue generation and allocation
- Partnerships and affiliations
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Staff development and team building
- Policy and procedure development
- Performance monitoring and evaluation
- Strategic planning
- Coaching and mentoring
- Business growth and marketing strategies
- Enrollment strategies
- College and student advocacy
- Customer service
- Student access and engagement
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ACTIVITY
· SACSCOC Peer Evaluator, December 2024 to present.
· KCTCS Governance, Organizational & Accreditation Reform Committee, 2024
· KY Council on Postsecondary Education Student Success Collaborative Leadership Exchange, “To lead strategic change initiatives, foster innovation, and drive continuous improvement within the institutions of higher education in Kentucky,” 2024-2025
· American Association of Community College (AACC) Annual Convention, Austin, TX, December 2024
· National Community Action Partnership Annual Convention, New York, New York, August 2022.
· Association of Community College Trustees Leadership Congress,” Community Colleges; Improving the Lives of Entire Families,” New York, New York, October 2022
· Achieving the Dream Rural Communities Institute, “Uncovering Opportunity in the Digital Economy,” Albany, New York, July 2022
· American Association of Community College (AACC) Annual Convention, Orlando, FL, April 2019
· National Association for Community College Entrepreneurial (NACCE) Conference, 2019 Chancellors & Presidents Leadership Track, Newport Beach, CA, October 2019
· KCTCS Safety Conference, Versailles, KY, 2019
· Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) Summit, “Creating a Future in Appalachia TOGETHER,” Hazard, KY, 2019
· Community Colleges of Appalachia Conference, “Unfinished Business: Expanding Equitable Pathways to Success,” June 2018
· Postsecondary Education Symposium, Louisville, KY, 2018
· Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) Summit, “There is a Future in Appalachia”, Hazard, KY, 2018
· Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) Kentucky Student Success Summit, Louisville, KY, April 2017
· Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) Student Success Summit, Lexington, KY, April 2017
· National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Conference, Louisville, KY, October 2017
· SACSCOC Annual Meeting, “Students Are the HEART of Education”, Dallas, Texas, December 2017
· American Association for Women in Community Colleges Conference, Lexington, KY, February 2016
· Beyond Financial Aid initiative, Lumina Foundation, Chicago, IL, April 2016
· AACC Convention, Chicago IL, April 2016.
· National Council on Student Development Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, October 2016
· AACC High-Performance Team Training, Houston, TX, September 2015.
· KCTCS Representative at the NASPA Conference “Rethinking Student Services in an Era of Structured Pathways,” Boston, MA November 2012.
· National Council on Student Development Conference, New Orleans, LA, October 2013.
· AACRAO Strategic Enrollment Management Summit, Lexington, KY, November 2015
· Council on Postsecondary Education Diversity Summit, Versailles, KY, November 2015
· Foundations of Excellence John Gardner Institute National Community College Launch, Asheville, NC, August 2011
· Change Management by PROSCI, Orlando, FL, March 2012.
· NASFAA Conference, Boston, MA, July 2010.
· Entering Student Success Institute, Austin, TX, April 2010
· Bystander Intervention Training Institute, Boston, MA, 2010
· 20th International Conference on the First-Year Experience, Big Island, HI, July 2007
· NASFAA Conference, Orlando, FL, July 2007.
· United States Marine Corps Educator Workshop, Paris Island, SC, January 2006
· Mid-South Community College Fellowship Program Conference, Mississippi, July 2005.
· Noel-Levitz National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention, Washington, D.C., July 2005
· Kentucky Association of Secondary and College Admission Counselors (KASCAC), Lexington, KY March 2004,
· KCTCS Presidents Leadership Seminar Graduate, 2004
· Department for Technical Education, “Non-Traditional Recruitment & Retention – Equity 2002” training, Northern Kentucky University, October 2002.
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL COMMITTEES
· Chair, SKCTC Diversity & Inclusion Plan, 2020 to present.
· Chair, Marketing & Recruitment Plan, 2005 to present.
· Chair, Strategic Enrollment Management Plan 2005 to present.
· Chair, Default Management Plan, 2017 to present.
· Chair, Behavioral Intervention Team, 2018 to present.
· Chair, Scholarship Committee, 2009 to present.
· Chair, Graduation Committee, 2009 to present.
· Chair, Student Appeals Committee, 1996 to present.
· Co-chair, Behavioral Intervention/Crisis Committee
· Member, Campus Climate/Community Environment Committee
· Member, Accreditation Committee, 2000 to present.
· Member, QEP Development Committee, 2015 to present.
· Member, Nursing Selective Admissions Committee
· Member, Radiology Technology Committee Selective Admissions Committee
· Member, Clinical Laboratory Technology Selective Admissions Committee
· Member, Surgical Technology Selective Admissions Committee
· Member, Respiratory Technology Selective Admissions Committee
· Member, KCTCS Student Code of Conduct Development Team, 2020
· Member, Cumberland Valley Technical College accreditation team for the Council on Occupation Education (COE), Fall 1996 to Spring 1999
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
· Guest speaker at the Partners for Rural Impact Appalachian Youth Leadership Summit, “Women in Leadership,” June 2024
· Presented at SKCTC Annual Faculty In-Service Program, “2005-2010, 2010-2015, 2015-2020, 2023-2026 SKCTC Strategic Enrollment Management Plan”
· Johnson, R. (February 2023). Reimagining program onboarding at SKCTC. TED Talk presented at the CPE Student Success Summit.
· “Community Action & Community Colleges, Two National Networks, One Major Opportunity for Workforce Development,” National Community Action Partnership Annual Convention, New York, New York, August 2022
· “Creating Economic Opportunity for Adult Learners in Rural America,” Association of Community College Trustees Leadership Congress, New York, New York, October 2022
· “Entrepreneurship in Community College Offers Hope, Healing, and Workforce Development Impact in Appalachia” presentation and round table discussion, NACCE, 2019 Chancellors & Presidents Leadership Track Conference, Newport Beach, CA, October 2019
· Presented at SKCTC Annual Faculty In-Service Program, “2017-2022 SKCTC Default Management Plan”
· Community Colleges of Appalachia Conference, “Intrusive Advising: How faculty and staff can work together to improve student retention,” Asheville, NC, June 2018
· “Building a Successful On-line Transfer Event,” National Council on Student Development, New Orleans, LA October 2013.
· “Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College: 50 Years,” Council on Postsecondary Education Board Meeting, Fran
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BOARD SERVICE
· Louisville Women Leaders Association
· American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
· National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)
· National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR)
· National Association of Student Financial Aid Association (NASFAA)
· Kentucky Association of Student Financial Aid Association (KASFAA)
· Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Association (SASFAA)
· Board Member, National Council on Student Development (NCSD)
· American Association of Student Government Association (ASGA)
· Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars (SACRAO)
· National Community Action Partnership (NCAP)
· Kentucky College Personnel Association (CPAK)
SELECTED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/INVOLVEMENT
· Bell County, KY Representative, Cumberland Valley Area District Development
· Bell County Chamber of Commerce
· Bell County KIWANIS
· Director, Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival
· Annual Golf4Grants Fundraiser (2019-Present)
· Annual Middlesboro Country Club Ladies Club Fundraiser (2021 – Present)
REFERENCES
Anita Barnhill
Robbie Yoakum
Timeline
Middlesboro and Pineville Campus Director
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
05.2016 - Current
Vice President/Chief Student Affairs Officer
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
06.2009 - Current
Associate Dean of Student Affairs/Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
05.2000 - 06.2009
Adjunct Instructor
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
08.1996 - Current
Interim Dean of Student Affairs/Director of Financial Aid
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
08.1996 - 05.2000
Ph.D. - Community College Leadership
Mississippi State University
Master of Arts - Developmental Psychology
Union College
Master of Science - English
Union College
Associate of Arts -
Southeast Kentucky Community And Technical College
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