Dr. Karen Hynick

Dr. Karen Hynick joined Quinebaug Valley Community College as the Chief Executive Officer in 2021. During her tenure she has led the college’s crafting of their new Strategic Plan, completed their 10 year reaccreditation with NECHE, and strengthened their partnership with Quinebaug Middle College and area high schools. She helped QVCC become the first Connecticut college to join the Race, Equity and Justice Institute (REJI). In addition, she is involved in a number of CT State committees including Strategic Planning, Graduation Committee, and the Enrollment Management Council as the college prepares for their transition to CT State at Quinebaug Valley Community College planned for July 2023.

Prior to joining QVCC, Dr. Hynick served as North Shore Community College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs from 2014- 2021. During her tenure, she led the college’s development of its Master Academic Plan, Two Year Schedule Process, Guided Pathways Implementation, Early College with Lynn Public Schools, advanced the college’s role as the statewide consortium lead for prior learning assessment, focused the college’s efforts on student learning outcomes and redesigned the academic program review process. She also co-led many aspects of the college’s reaccreditation processes with NECHE. She was instrumental in helping the college to acquire its largest philanthropic grant of almost 2 million dollars to support the Bertolon Simulation Health Center to advance interdisciplinary simulation-based trainings and classroom experiences. Karen also played a pivotal role in the Title III grant application and implementation of “Pathways to Success” leading to new technologies to support student academic planning and student success indicators through EAB Navigate. Karen has also served as a Chief Academic Affairs Officer representative to help renegotiate the MCC collective bargaining agreement. She co-chaired the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Team for the Department of Higher Education.

Prior to coming to her role at NSCC, she served as the Chancellor’s Fellow at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in St. Paul assisting in “Charting the Future”, a system-wide strategic framework. She also simultaneously served as the System Director for P-20 for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities reforming developmental education and expanding early college and dual enrollment programs throughout Minnesota. Dr. Hynick also spent six years as Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Support at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Early in her career, Dr. Hynick taught at Leominster High School, Quinsigamond Community College, and at several Department of Youth Services sites. Dr. Hynick is a native of New England and earned her Bachelor of Arts at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her Masters of Education at Worcester State University, and her Ed.D. in Educational Administration at Bethel University, St. Paul, MN.