Leading through Change to Increase Success and Completion

Karen Miller, Ph.D., is the Executive Vice President/Provost of the Access, Learning & Success Division at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). She previously served as the Vice President of Institutional Research and Enrollment Management, overseeing recruitment, enrollment, retention, and completion initiatives for the college. She also managed the evidence and inquiry department, leading initiatives such as the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, IPEDS relationship and research, and data requests from throughout the college. Dr. Miller serves on several college-wide administrative leadership teams, and has contributed to the development and implementation the college’s strategic plan, the enrollment plan, and all of Tri-C’s student policies and procedures to enhance student success. She has led numerous college-wide initiatives, including the cross-functional team that developed the Strategic Enrollment Plan, College Credit Plus, and veteran’s initiatives. Additionally, Dr. Miller and her team were instrumental in the 400% increase in Tri-C’s IPEDS graduation rate over the past several years, and she worked closely with administration and faculty to implement the new DegreeWorks software that will help students create academic plans.

Dr. Miller has been with the college since 1998, and has served in a number of positions that have made a positive impact on our students and their academic experiences. She joined Tri-C as the Director of Student Affairs, becoming the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, and eventually serving as Dean of Student Affairs at our Metro Campus for more than five years. As dean, Dr. Miller managed the campus division of student affairs, including recruitment, admissions, registration, counseling services, student life and athletics, and career services.

Dr. Miller is also a statewide and nationally recognized leader in higher education, and has presented at numerous conferences and conventions, including the American Association of Community Colleges Annual Convention, the Institute for Higher Education Policy & Lumina Foundation, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Strategic Enrollment Management Conference, and the National Noel Levitz Retention Conference. As a chancellor-appointed position, Dr. Miller served on the Ohio Transfer & Articulation Network (as well as the OTAN Oversight Board and she also serves on the National Enrollment Management Advisory Board for AACRAO. Dr. Miller is also a graduate of the League for Innovation in the Community College’s Executive Leadership Institute.

Prior to Dr. Miller’s arrival at Cuyahoga Community College, she worked at both Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and DeVry Institute of Technology in Columbus, Ohio in various roles within student affairs. Miller has a Ph.D. from The University of Toledo in higher education, and also holds a B.S. in Technical Education and an M.S. in Technical Education with a specialization in Guidance & Counseling from The University of Akron.