Vicki McGillin’s current work with the Gardner Institute includes oversight for the Retention Redesign process, the Chief Academic Officer Innovation Community and the newly developing Advising Redesign Process. She previously co-designed and co-led the Retention Persistence and Student Success Academy, the Excellence in Academic Advising process and the Governing Board Student Success Academy. She also serves as an institutional Advisor in Retention Redesign, Course Redesign and Advising Redesign.
Prior to her retirement as Provost at Otterbein University (OH), Vicki led curricular, programmatic and business collaboration initiatives for the 52 member institutions of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio, where she helped found the Ohio Project Kaleidoscope (AAC&U) regional organization, and the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruiting Consortium (HERC) as well as state-wide planning groups focusing on collaborative professional development and course sharing. Prior to her leadership role at Otterbein, Dr. McGillin served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Linfield College (OR) and Associate Provost at Texas Woman’s University.
Vicki began her academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut before moving to Clark University (MA) where she subsequently served as Associate Dean of the College. Vicki was subsequently recruited to serve as Dean and Assistant Provost at Wheaton College (MA) where the First Year Advising Teams she created received national recognition, both from NACADA, the global community for academic advising, and in the DEEP study of exceptional student engagement (George Kuh and associates). She has served on over a half-dozen higher education boards or executive committees, including multiple positions on the NACADA Board of Directors.
As an academic leader, Vicki focused on the career-span professional development of academics, student academic resilience, and on evidence-based curricular reform. She has published or presented over 100 papers on these topics. She has consulted/advised with national and regional organizations including the Project Kaleidoscope (AAC& U) STEM Leadership Institute, the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, the Association for Collaborative Leadership, the NACADA Summer Institute and Assessment Institute, and the Council of Independent Colleges Chairs Institute. Vicki earned her B.S. and M.S. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University.
Vicki lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, Ray Frost, and her English Setters, where she takes full advantage of the beauty in this world by enjoying long walks, shade gardening and art.