Kathryn Jeffery

Kathryn Jeffery
Superintendent/President of
Santa Monica College
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 8, 2016
President of Sacramento City College
In office
2008 – February 4, 2016
President of Hennepin Technical College
In office
July 24, 2006 – 2008
Personal details
BornKathryn Elaine Jeffery
EducationOklahoma State University (BMusEd, MS)
University of Texas at Austin (PhD)
SignatureSignature of Kathryn Jeffery
Scientific career
FieldsEducational administration
Workplaces
ThesisThe role of community colleges in welfare reform and the training needs of welfare recipients: Community colleges in California (1999)
William Moore Jr.

Kathryn Elaine Jeffery is an American academic administrator who has been serving as superintendent/president of Santa Monica College in California since February 2016.

Education

Jeffery received a Bachelor of Music Education (with a major in piano and a minor in voice) and a Master of Science in applied behavioral studies in education (counseling) from Oklahoma State University.[1]

She received a Doctor of Philosophy in educational administration (with an emphasis in community college leadership) from the University of Texas at Austin.[1] Her doctoral dissertation was titled The role of community colleges in welfare reform and the training needs of welfare recipients: Community colleges in California (1999).[2] Her doctoral advisor was William Moore Jr.[2]

Career

Jeffery began her career in higher education as a counselor and instructor. At Sacramento City College, she held a full-time faculty position in the counseling department and taught courses as an adjunct instructor in the humanities and fine arts division. She later taught graduate courses in educational leadership at California State University, Stanislaus, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Drexel University.[3]

Her early administrative positions included serving as coordinator of the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services program at Sacramento City College. She subsequently worked in the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office as dean of student services and as coordinator of faculty and staff diversity. She later became vice president of Columbia College in the Yosemite Community College District.[4]

In 2004, Jeffery became chief campus administrator of the Charleston campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada; she also served as the community college's interim dean of arts and letters.[4]

On March 22, 2006, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees appointed her president of Hennepin Technical College. She took office on July 24, 2006, overseeing the college's campuses in Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie, Minnesota.[5]

In 2008, Jeffery returned to Sacramento City College as its president, serving for nearly eight years until February 2016.[6] During this period, the college participated in the development of West Sacramento Early College Preparatory Charter School, including curriculum planning and opportunities for its students to take college courses.[7] She remained president until February 4, 2016, as she left to become superintendent and president of Santa Monica College.[8]

Santa Monica Community College

The Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously on November 17, 2015, to appoint Jeffery superintendent and president of Santa Monica College. She succeeded Chui L. Tsang, with Jeffery Shimizu serving as interim president between Tsang's retirement and Jeffery's arrival.[3] Jeffery began her presidency on February 8, 2016.[9]

During Jeffery's tenure, Santa Monica College opened its Center for Media and Design and the associated KCRW Media Center in December 2017.[10] The college also broke ground on its first Malibu campus in 2018; the campus began serving students in February 2023.[11]

In 2023, Jeffery said that the college's enrollment had fallen by approximately 16 percent during the pandemic and that the administration was pursuing dual-enrollment partnerships, high-school outreach, and career-education recruitment as part of its recovery efforts.[12]

On September 3, 2025, Jeffery announced that she intended to retire as superintendent and president effective December 31, 2026. She said that the advance notice was intended to give the board time to conduct a search and arrange a transition.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Kathryn E. Jeffery, Superintendent/President". Santa Monica College. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  2. 1 2 Jeffery, Kathryn Elaine (1999). The role of community colleges in welfare reform and the training needs of welfare recipients: community colleges in California. OCLC 47186345.
  3. 1 2 "Kathryn Jeffery Named New SMC President". Santa Monica College. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 May 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Kathryn Jeffery appointed president of Hennepin Technical College". Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. 22 March 2006. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "MnSCU Board of Trustees appoints four new presidents". Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. 22 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2021-10-16. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Montague, Vienna. "Leaving behind a legacy: Kathryn Jeffery reflects on her presidency at City College". The Express. Archived from the original on 2025-08-15. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  7. ↑ "Early education: Rethinking teaching in West Sacramento". UC Davis. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 September 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Montague, Vienna (13 February 2016). "Leaving behind a legacy: Kathryn Jeffery reflects on her presidency at City College". The Express. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D." Santa Monica College. Archived from the original on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "SMC Celebrates Opening of New Center for Media and Design and the KCRW Media Center". Santa Monica College. 2 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Santa Monica College Celebrates the Opening of its Malibu Campus". Santa Monica College. 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 17 March 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Bartlett-Webber, Renée (20 September 2023). "Seasoned for a New Era: President Jeffery Faces Hurdles with Optimism". The Corsair. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "SMC President Dr. Kathryn Jeffery Announces Intention to Retire December 31, 2026". Santa Monica College. 3 September 2025. Archived from the original on 26 February 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.