NACU Announces New Learning Community Leaders

The New American Colleges and Universities (NACU) is grateful to announce three leaders from its campuses will now chair learning communities. Currently NACU hosts 15 learning communities which provide opportunities for administrators, faculty, and staff to share best practices and consult with one another to enhance institutional effectiveness through improved curriculum, pedagogy, research, and systems.

Karen Davis, vice president for administration and finance at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif., will serve as both chair of the chief financial officers’ learning community and treasurer of NACU. John Grundig, vice president of enrollment management at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fl., will lead the enrollment management officers’ learning community. David Everett, associate vice president of inclusive excellence at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., will become the inaugural chair of the chief diversity officers’ learning community.

“Learning communities are essential to what makes NACU the most trusted network for comprehensive, private institutions as it is in these spaces that invaluable and confidential peer support occurs,” said Sean Creighton, NACU president. “The chair position is important to ensuring that our learning community discussions and initiatives are well-informed and beneficial for those working in these areas.”

In addition to the three new chairs, others will be continuing their roles as learning community leaders. Troy Hammond, president of North Central College in Naperville, Ill., is serving in his second year as NACU board chair and leader of the presidents’ learning community. Beth Harville, executive vice president and provost of Drury University in Springfield, Mo., will also serve for a second year as chair of the provost learning community. Ruta Shah-Gordon, vice president for internationalization, intercultural affairs, and campus life at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. is beginning her fifth year as leader of the student affairs learning community. Both Harville and Shah-Gordon are also members of NACU’s board of directors. Lastly, Keith Koster, associate professor of music at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y., will serve as chair of the faculty ambassador learning community.