Westfield State Appoints Shelley Tinkham Interim Dean of DGCE
WESTFIELD — Westfield State University announced the appointment of Shelley Tinkham as interim dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE).
Tinkham previously worked at the Mass. Department of Higher Education, where she served for eight years, most recently as assistant commissioner for Academic, P-16, and Veterans Policy. In this role, Tinkham served as the lead staff member for the civic learning and engagement key outcome initiative of the Vision Project, a statewide initiative intended to develop the goals, objectives, and assessment strategies that will assure that all students attending public higher institutions in the state are prepared for informed civic participation.
Westfield State University‘s Division of Graduate and Continuing Education offers an extensive range of part-time undergraduate, graduate, online, certificate, professional-development, and non-credit programs designed to help students help meet their educational and professional goals. As dean, Tinkham will oversee all operations of the division, including academic programs, recruitment, admissions, records, billing, and finance, and will serve as decision maker for academic and financial appeals and conflicts. She is responsible for providing comprehensive leadership and vision for the division, providing results-oriented leadership in program development and outreach, and developing and implementing business plans.
Tinkham earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Kent State University, her master of education degree in international education development at Boston University, and her Ph.D. in public policy at UMass Boston. Committed to multiculturalism and internationalization, she is a strong advocate of promoting access to intercultural education and dialogue. She has worked, volunteered, or traveled to more than 15 countries and published her dissertation, titled The Value of Getting Out: The Impact of School Leaders’ International Experiences.
