Chancellor Murdock's Education and Experience

Higher education finance is a key area of expertise for Antioch University Chancellor Toni Murdock. A look at her curriculum vitae offers a keen sense of her many accomplishments in the field of higher education.

Education

Ph.D. University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., 1986.
Specialization: Higher Education Finance
Dissertation: “The Effect of Financial Aid on
Persistence in American Higher Education.”

M.A. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M., 1970
Concentration: American Southwest History.
Thesis: “Man and the Northern Kaibab Plateau.”

B.S. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New
Mexico, 1968. Majors: Education and History

Additional Education

HERS/Bryn Mawr Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, 1988.

Law for Executive Leadership Degree, LaSalle Extension University, Chicago, Illinois, 1976.

Higher Education and Administrative Experience

Chancellor: Antioch University, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 2006 – Present

Antioch University is composed of five campuses in California, New Hampshire, Washington and Ohio. Total enrollment of all campuses is approximately 5,500 students. 85% of Antioch University students are in graduate programs. All campus presidents report to the Chancellor at central administrative offices in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Over the last two years, strategic planning has focused on the governance structure, financial solvency of all campuses, centralization of IT and increasing the academic voice within the central structure.

President: Antioch University Seattle, Seattle, Wash., 1997-2006

Founded in 1975, Antioch University Seattle is one of five campuses comprising Antioch University. Antioch University Seattle serves adults throughout the Northwest with six graduate programs and one undergraduate degree completion program. The institution enrolls approximately 900 graduate students.

General accomplishments during President Murdock’s five years were:

• Establishment of a development office that tripled gift income in two years
• Increased donor participation by 600%
• Increased alumni participation and investment
• Increased enrollments by 33%
• Increased operational budget by 30%
• Fostered the creation of a B.A. degree completion program with teacher certification pipeline program for K-12 paraprofessionals of color
• Increased faculty, staff and students of color by 40%
• In 2000, became the largest of the five campuses
• Increased visibility and media attention
• Moved toward an integrated model of graduate education that serves as a model for other higher education institutions
• $4.5 million grant from Gates and Kellogg Foudations to establish eight Early College models in Washington state at schools that serve predominately Native American populations.

Associate Provost for Programs & Planning, Seattle University, Seattle, Wash., 1989-1997.

Seattle University is a comprehensive, four-year liberal arts institution with professional schools in law, engineering, business, education and nursing. The institution enrolls 3,500 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students.

Murdock’s areas of responsibility included:

• Academic program and degree development
• Academic strategic/long-range planning
• Academic program review
• Faculty development
• Faculty orientation and retention
• Instructional technology
• Sabbatical and fellowship programs
• Academic multicultural coordination and program development
• Extension services of continuing education, evening programs and summer school
• Teaching and learning services
• Institutional research

As a result of her work at Seattle University over seven years, the following were developed and operated under her auspices:

• An interdisciplinary Ecological Studies degree program
• A Teaching and Learning center for faculty development
• A four-day Teaching and Learning Institute required of all new faculty joining the institution, which includes quarterly follow-up sessions
• A nationally recognized Cultural Pluralism curriculum transformation project
• A university faculty-of-color recruitment and retention plan
• An Early Success Program for new freshman who do not meet regular academic admission requirements
• A Culture and Language Bridge Program for international freshmen, transfers and graduate students who need further language and communication development
• A Transfer Retention Program focused on incoming students-of-color from community colleges
• A university outcomes assessment plan; and a Women’s Center that serves not only students, but also faculty and staff.

As President of the Seattle Coalition for Educational Equity, a collaboration of two and four-year institutions in Seattle, K-12 public schools, community agencies, Mayor’s Office, Chamber of Commerce and corporations, her goal was to foster greater cooperation across all sectors of education in Seattle in order to create a stronger learning environment in classrooms. An outcome of that commitment was the first Summer Faculty Institute for Curriculum Transformation that brought faculty teams from two and four-year institutions and high schools together for one week of intensive collaborative work.

Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., 1987-1989.

The University of Arizona is a Research I institution with a total enrollment of 45,000 graduate and undergraduate students. As administrator in charge of the Office of Academic Services, Murdock served as the undergraduate dean. Her areas of responsibility included:

• College of A & S Interdisciplinary degree program
• Faculty advisers
• Academic coordination between the College of A & S and the University
• Community college articulation agreements in general education
• Student advisement, retention and research
• Pre-professional programs in Law and Medicine
• Student academic grievances and petitions
• Budget formulation and implementation

As assistant dean the following were developed under her leadership:

• Higher quality and more efficient academic support services to undergraduate students
• An increase in the diversity and number of academic support service personnel
• Collaborative agreements between student affairs services and the academic services
• Formalized retention programs for probationary students
• Center for advising undecided transfer students
• Formalized advising and visitation agreements with all Arizona community colleges
• Advising institute and sessions for all faculty
• The development and support of more than 40 retention programs for students of color, mainly designed by faculty
• The creation of a summer Exploratory Transfer Institute for students of color who transfer from Arizona community colleges
• A retention tracking system for all undergraduates in the Collegeof A & S

Director of Recruitment and Public Relations, Western Wyoming College, Rock Springs, Wyo., 1980-1984.

Western Wyoming College is a two-year community college of approximately 3,000 students serving the western side of the state. In addition to two-and three-year degrees, WWU offers four-year degrees in collaboration with the University of Wyoming.

As director, Murdock reported directly to the President and was responsible for developing and implementing college policies in publications, recruitment, admissions, marketing, enrollment management, outreach and public relations.

As a result of her efforts, the institution had:

• A computerized database that coordinated the activities among admissions, registrar, financial aid and housing for all new applicants
• A computerized assessment plan that determined its effectiveness in recruiting by type of activity and geographic location
• Specialized marketing brochures for each department
• Annual symposia for statewide high school counselors
• A five-year curriculum plan for evening degree programs
• Regularized training and orientation programs for all outreach coordinators in the seven outreach areas

Judicial Administrative Experience

County Justice of the Peace, Sublette County, Big Piney/Pinedale, Wyo., 1975-77.

Municipal Judge, Big Piney/Marbleton Townships, Wyo., 1976-1977.

Academic Faculty Experience

Administrative Faculty, Graduate School of Education,
Seattle University, Seattle, Wash., 1992-97.

Teaching Assistant and Adjunct, Center for Higher Education,
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., 1984-89.

Assistant Professor of History, Western Wyoming College,
Rock Spring, Wyo., 1978-1984.

History/Government Teacher, Big Piney High School,
Big Piney Wyo., 1970-74.

Professional and Community Service

American Association for Colleges and Universities and Ford Foundation
Consultant to Five Research Universities, Campus Diversity
Project, Annual Conference, Philadelphia, October 1995

American Council of Education/National Identification Program (ACE/NIP) Women Leaders in Higher Education Network
Coordinator for the State of Washington, 1991-96
Regional Coordinator for Five Western States, 1995-2002
National Executive Board, 1995-2002
Presidential Liaison for NW Region, 2002-present
Presidential Mentor, National Forum, June 1999

Association for Catholic Colleges and Universities
Consultant, Student Outcomes Assessment Committee, Notre
Dame, July 1996

Campus Compact
Participant, the 1999 President’s Leadership Colloquium,
“Rethinking the Democratic Spirit: What is the Role of Higher Education?” The Aspen
Institute, Co., June 1999
Washington State Executive Board, 2002-06
Participant, Educational Leadership Colloquium, July 2002, Hollywood, Calif.
National Executive Board, 2003-present
Co-chair, 2006-present
State of Ohio Executive Board, 2006-present

Casey Family Foundation
Member, Community Development Committee, 1995-97

Educational Testing Service Regional CEO Invitational Conference
Facilitator and Participant, “Technology and Beyond:
Transforming Higher Education,” Pomona, Calif., March 1998

Ford Foundation
Consultant, Site Planning Team, Campus Diversity Initiatives
National Conference, October 1996
Consultant, Vassar/LaGuardia Transfer Institutes of the Future,
Poughkeepsie, N.Y., March, 1999

Heritage College, Toppenish, Wash.
Consultant, Diversity Training Workshop for Faculty/Staff, 1995

Holly Park Urban Renewal Housing Project
Member, Planning Board, 1993-97
National Association for Women in Education
Site Coordinator, National Conference, Seattle, March 1993

National Association for Student Personnel Administration
Consultant, National Think Tank on “The Future of Student Services,” Missoula,
Mont., June 2001

NorthWestNet (InterNet)
Member, Board of Directors, 1989-1992

Rotary (Seattle), Downtown Club
Participant, “Principal for a Day,” December 1998
Sponsor and Student Mentor, “Hidden Winner Program” for
underprivileged students, February 1999
Member, Youth and Schools Committee, 2001-06
Chair, Hidden Winner Scholarship Committee, 2003

Seattle Coalition for Educational Equity
President, 1995-96
Member, Board of Directors, 1989-1997
Chair, Transfer Centers Committee, 1992-94
Chair, Evaluation Committee, 1994-95

United Way
Campaign Chairperson, Seattle University, 1992

Washington Women’s Foundation
Member, Education Committee, 1998-2006
Chair, Education Grants Committee, 1999/2000, 2000/2001

Yellow Springs Alliance
Member, Finance Committee, 2007

Awards and Honors

Invited Participant, Council of Europe Global Forum on “ConvergingCompetences: Diversity, Higher Education, and Sustainable Democracy,“Strasbourg, France, Oct. 2-3, 2008. One of 200 presidents and high-levelpolicymakers from North America and European higher education institutionsand public authorities.

Multicultural Excellence Award, Washington State Association for Multicultural Education, 2004

Women as Trailblazers, Women of Color Empowered, May 14, 2004, Seattle Wash.

Voices and Faces Honoree, Of Civic Participation Month, Seattle City Club, September 2004

Outstanding Service, ACE Office of Women in Higher Education
Executive Board, ACE National Conference, Los Angeles,
Calif., February 2002

Washington State Mentor Award, ACE National Network for
Women Leaders in Higher Education, December 1999

Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Arts and Sciences,
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M., October
1999

Invited Guest of Northwest Week, “Leaders in Seattle”, Channel 29
television, July 1998

Outstanding Service Award Seattle University Herstory, April,
1995

Invited participant of the 47th ACE/OWHE National Forum for senior women administrators, Washington, D.C., April 1994

Featured on the cover page of the October 1993 “Black Issues in Higher
Education” with 49 other women identified as “dynamic
women making a difference in higher education”

1992 Herstory Award, for women who have had a measurable
effect on campus life, Seattle University

Distinguished Service Award, College of Arts & Sciences,
University of Arizona, 1989

1989 Women on the Move, YWCA, Tucson, Ariz.

Outstanding Service Award, Exploratory Transfer Institute,
University of Arizona, 1988

1987 Dissertation of the Year (Mervene Hardee) Award,
presented by the National Association for Student
Personnel Administrators

1984 Celebration of Women Award, for individuals who have
effected women’s history in Sweetwater County, Wyo.

Professional Memberships

American Association of University Women
American Council of Education
American Council of Education/ Office of Women in Higher Education
American Educational Research Association
Association of American Colleges & Universities
Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges
Association of Independent Colleges & Universities in Ohio
Association for the Study of Higher Education
Association for Institutional Research
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
National Association of Women in Education
Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education
Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce