Quinebaug Valley Community College is pleased to welcome Dr. Karen Hynick as QVCC’s Chief Executive Officer. Appointed July 1, Dr. Hynick succeeds QVCC’s fifth CEO (formerly referred to as President), Dr. Rose R. Ellis, who served in the interim following Dr. Carlee Drummer.
As campus CEO, Dr. Hynick assumes the role as President, overseeing the day-to-day operations at the College. Prior to coming to QVCC, Dr. Hynick served as North Shore Community College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs since 2014. During her tenure at NSCC, 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.
Prior 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. Additionally, 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 the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her Master of Education at Worcester State University, and her Ed.D. in Educational Administration at Bethel University, St. Paul, MN.
“I am deeply honored and excited to begin my role as the new campus CEO of Quinebaug Valley Community College. I look forward to working with the exceptional QVCC students, faculty, staff, and community members to continue our work supporting access, student success, rigorous academic programs aligned to workforce and transfer needs, and improving equity and student outcomes,” shared Dr. Hynick. “This is a transformational time for our college and the state as we navigate the COVID pandemic and its aftermath and as we move towards the one college concept of Connecticut State Community College to better leverage resources to support our students’ needs. I am confident in the vision of our collective future and the ability to work together to fulfill our mission to our students and our community and am excited to be part of the team.”