Proven Leadership in Higher Education

Mission-focused, empathetic leadership empowering individuals & teams 

Creating effective, resourceful, and student-centered teams and systems 

Coaching students & staff to solve problems creatively & realize potential 

Designing accreditation, assessment, and curriculum systems 

Removing silos for cross-division collaboration 

Carissa A. Massey, PhD 

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design 
Provost 2019 - 2025

Adrian College 
Dean of Graduate Studies 2017-2019 
Professor of Art History 2007-2017 

EDUCATION 

Ohio University 
School of Interdisciplinary Arts 
PhD, Interdisciplinary Arts 2009 
Primary Area: Art History 
Secondary Area: Aesthetics 
Dissertation: The Responsibility of Forms: Social and Visual Rhetorics of Appalachian Identity Certificate, Women’s and Gender Studies 2009 


Marshall University 
MA, Art History 2003 
Thesis: Mary Colter: Southwestern Architect and Innovator of Indigenous Style 

Bethany College (WV) 
BA, Visual Art 
2000 

Key Accomplishments

  • ● 10% Increase in Freshman Retention 

    ● 20% Increase in Graduation Rates 

    ● 25 Direct Reports 

    ● 30 New Academic Programs 

    ● 70% Enrollment Increase 

    ● 100+ Full and Part time Faculty Management 

    ● $2,755,000 in Grants and Federal Appropriations 

    ● $3,500,000 Annual Budget Management 

    ● Creative & Industry Partnerships - Student Housing & Workforce Development 

    ● International Student Program Development 

    ● Strategic Planning Design and Implementation 

  • ● Accreditation + Federal & State Compliance 

    ● Collective Bargaining Unit Experience 

    ● Designed & Taught 29 Distinct Courses 

    ● Executive Leadership Academy graduate 

    ● National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute Fellow 

    ● Research Record of 4 Publications and 23 Conference Presentations 

    ● Study Abroad & Domestic Study Academic Programs 

    ● Tenured Associate Professor in 2011 & Full Professor in 2017 

    ● Undergraduate & Graduate Program Development & Recruitment 

  • Visual culture & class in Appalachian Studies + Women’s & Gender Studies 

Full Employment History

    • Provost, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design  2019-2025

    • Dean of Graduate Studies, Adrian College  2017-2019

    • Chair, Department of History and Art History, Adrian College  2012-2017

    • Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Adrian College  2009-2012

    • Assistant Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Adrian College  2008-2009

    • Director, Women’s Studies Program + Women’s Center, Bemidji State University  2006-2007

    • Professor, Art History, Departments of History & Art History and Art & Design, Adrian College  2007-2017

    • Visiting Assistant Professor, Art History, Department of History, Bemidji State University  2006-2007

    • Visiting Assistant Professor, Art History, School of Art and Art History, Ohio University  2005-2006

    • Graduate Teaching Associate, School of Interdisciplinary Arts, Ohio University  2003-2005

    • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Art, Marshall University  2000-2003

    • Studio Art Teacher, Youth Programs, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV  2000-2003

    • Peer Reviewer, National Association of Schools of Art and Design  2022-Present

    • Peer Evaluator, Middle States Commission on Higher Education  2020-Present

    • Peer Reviewer, Higher Learning Commission  2018-Present

Employment Experience

  • Special-focus, nonprofit college of art and design with 425+ undergraduates and 800+ youth, pre-college, and continuing education students. 

    As Provost at PCA&D, I lead the Academic and Student Affairs divisions. I am the ALO and PDSO, and my position is first on the Board’s succession policy. 

    Guided by the strategic plan, I created more than 30 new programs including: new bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of arts, associate of fine arts, and associate of arts degrees; distance education certificate and micro credential programs; and additional articulation agreements and dual-enrollment partnerships. I modernized the curriculum and studio technology, and I led the creation of fabrication facilities for the five existing core BFA degree programs. I led the development of new programs in live experience design and production and established an educational and workforce partnerships to embed the program in a corporate campus. Program expansion and admissions support led to a 60% increase in enrollment between fall 2022 and fall 2024, and my leadership increased retention rates by 10% and graduation rates by 20%. 

    I worked closely with finance and student affairs leaders to increase student housing from 25 to 300 units through partnerships with local colleges with extra capacity. I reorganized the student affairs division and modernized its programming, supported the launch of a mandatory student health insurance program, secured no-cost mental health resources for students, developed and launched creative and research grants for students, and established an office of career services and development to support internships and employment placement for students. 

    I had success in securing alternative revenue through state and foundation grants, assisting in securing federal appropriations funds for live experience design and production faculty and equipment, expanding state Education Improvement Tax Credit contributions into a funding model for dual enrollment and continuing education student scholarship funds, and leveraging online courses as revenue streams through courses and partnerships through Acadeum. 

    I led the College through a comprehensive self-study and successful MSCHE reaffirmation of accreditation, two substantive changes with MSCHE, and three substantive changes with the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. I created a comprehensive program review system for academic programs and administrative units. I created an employee review process for professional staffand faculty, and I overhauled the faculty pay structure to ensure pay parity, with a 20% increase in pay during right-sizing for full-time and adjunct faculty. 

    Important leadership roles at PCA&D include the following:

    Chair, General Operations Committee  2024-2025
    Biweekly committee for college staffand leadership to facilitate cross institutional collaboration and effective communication 

    Principal Designated School Official  2021-2025
    Lead on international admissions compliance and work closely with Admissions to reinvigorate international student enrollment 

    Co-Chair, MSCHE Self-Study Steering Committee  2020-2023
    Led college through successful reaffirmation of accreditation 

    Accreditation Liaison Officer, Middle States Commission on Higher Education  2019-2025
    Serve as primary point of contact with MSCHE and campus accreditation leader 

    Member, Executive Cabinet   2019-2025
    Served on President’s leadership team with vice presidents and deans 

    Staff Liaison, Academic Affairs Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees   2019-2025
    Worked with Board subcommittee to ensure academic excellence and mission alignment.

  • Private, non-profit liberal arts college in the Methodist tradition with 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students. 

    Before moving to administration at Adrian, I was faculty for 10 years, earning tenure and the rank of full professor. I was primarily responsible for the art history minor and general education classes, and I contemporized the curriculum to incorporate modern and contemporary art, special topics, and service learning. I led a study abroad program for studio photography and photography history students, and I created domestic study courses in architecture theory and Appalachian studies, with service learning in flood-damaged communities in rural Appalachia. I also led honors program domestic study experiences in Chicago, which included a series of courses focused on religion, architecture, sociology, visual and performing arts. I was a faculty research mentor for studio art students. 

    I served as Chair of the Department of History and Art History and managed 4 full-time faculty, recruited and reviewed adjunct faculty, and led program review and assessment of the general education curriculum. I also served as Director of the Women’s Studies Program. 

    In 2017, I became Dean of Graduate Studies, with comprehensive oversight of professional graduate programs in athletic training, accountancy, sport management, teacher education, higher education administration leadership, healthcare management, and criminal justice and with 100 graduate students and certificate-seekers. I designed the graduate distance education program and earned its accreditation approval. I participated in thesis committees and also served on the institutional review board. During this time, I also played a critical role in managing the Assurance Argument for HLC accreditation reaffirmation. 

    Important roles and service at AC include the following: 

    Academic Assessment and Curriculum Development 

    Coordinator, Core Assessment and Core Assessment Ad Hoc Committee 2014-2016

    Chair, Information Literacy Ad Hoc Committee 2013-2014

    Assessment Consultant, Core Curriculum Committee 2012-2016

    Arts Management Curriculum Review Committee 2012-2016

    Academic Assessment Committee (Chair, 2012-2014)  2010-2014

    Academic Policy and Assessment Committee  2009-2010

    Accreditation 

    Chair and author, Distance Education Substantive Change 2017-2019

    Co-chair HLC Assurance Filing  2017-2018

    HLC Assurance Filing Steering Committee  2016-2017

    Faculty Review and Support 

    Contract Exhibits and Negotiations Committee, Adrian College Association of Professors 2016-2017

    Peer Review Committee (Chair, 2016-2017) 2013-2017

    Faculty Mentor, New Faculty Orientation Program 2011-2017

    Faculty Secretary 2009-2010

    Faculty Life Committee 2008

    Program Leadership 

    Department Chair, Department of History and Art History 2012-2017

    Conference Committee Chair, Women’s Diversity Conference 2010-2012

    Director, Women’s Studies Program  2009-2012

    Conference Committee Co-Chair, Women’s Diversity Conference 2009

    Co-Director, Women’s Studies Program  2008-2009

    Planning Committee, Women’s Diversity Conference  2007-2012

    Institutional Support 

    Institutional Review Board  2017-2019

    Fair Trade Committee  2013-2016

    Gender Issues Committee (Chair, 2011-2012)  2011-2013

    Committee on Sexuality and Safety Ad Hoc Committee  2010-2012

    Search Committees 

    Graphic Design Faculty Search Committee, Department of Art and Design  2014-2015

    Ceramics Faculty Search Committee, Department of Art and Design  2013-2014

    Chair, History Faculty Search Committee for Department of History and Art History  2012

    Faculty Search Committee for Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology  2011-2012

    Student Support

    Faculty Mentor, Reality Camp  2016

    Board Member, Michigan Youth Opportunity Initiative  2013-2018

    Workshop Presenter, Sexual Assault Reporting Training for Resident Assistants  2011-2014

    Instructor and Mentor, Adrian Student Attrition Program, First Year Experience Course  2010-2014

    Mentor, Ribbons of Excellence Conference  2010-2018

    Mentor, McNair Scholars Program  2009-2017

    Mentor, Adrian College Educational Success (ACES) First-Gen. Retention Program  2008-2011

    Teacher and Advisor, Adrian Student Attrition Program (ASAP)  2008-2016

    Academic Advisor for Freshman Welcome Week  2007-2017

  • Public regional university with 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. 

    At BSU, I served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History as sabbatical replacement for the Department of History and Art History. My courses included world art history, honors classes, and electives in art history, including modern and contemporary art history. I was also appointed to serve as Director of the Women’s Studies Program which included hosting fundraising events and an academic conference. 

    Important roles and service at BSU include the following:

    Conference Director, Opening Celebration of Women’s History Month & 9th Annual NW Minnesota Women’s Hall of Fame 2007 

    Dust & Fire Women Artist and Writer Anthology Committee 2007

    Faculty Sponsor, Student Scholarship and Creative Achievement Conference 2007

    Conference Committee Co-Chair, Breaking the Silence: Building a Civil Community Conference 2006-2007 

    Director, Women’s Studies Program 2006-2007 

    Beltrami County Women’s Center Volunteer 2006-2007 

    Committee for the Initiative to Promote Excellence in Student Learning 2006

  • Public research university with nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. 

    I began at OU as a Graduate Teaching Associate in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts, where I taught two general education classes in interdisciplinary arts per quarter for four quarters. During the third year of my PhD program, I was hired by the School of Art as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History for the School of Art. In both appointments, I taught “mega-sections” of 125 students, and I developed elective courses in gender and photography for undergraduate and graduate students. 

    Important roles and service at OU include the following:

    School of Interdisciplinary Arts Representative, Graduate Student Senate 2005-2006 

    Coordinator, Graduate Student Research Fair Committee, School of Interdisciplinary Arts 2005

    Student Advisory Committee, School of Interdisciplinary Arts 2003-2005 

  • Public Research University with 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. 

    As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, I was responsible for teaching two sections of art appreciation per semester for six semesters. This was a general education class offered by the School of Art & Design. 

  • The largest art museum in West Virginia, HMOA is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. 

    I served as lead instructor for K-6 children’s art programs, which included developing and delivering curricula for after-school programs embedded in elementary schools, weekend children’s art programs at the museum, and week-long youth summer camps. 

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