Charla Long

Biography

Dr. Charla Long was the founding dean of the College of Professional Studies at Lipscomb University and the creator of their nationally acclaimed competency-based education model and badging ecosystem. Today, she serves as full-time higher education consultant, specializing in competency-based education. During 2015, she will serve as a consultant to Public Agenda on two significant CBE national landscape projects, funded by both the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Lumina Foundation. In this role, she will provide insights, tools, and support to individuals and institutions seeking to advance competency-based education in the United States. Also, she will serve as a consultant to EDUCAUSE's 2015 BMI institutions. Until January 2015, Dr. Long served on the University'™s Academic Leadership Team, setting the academic vision for the entire University, and built, developed, and inspired a team of individuals to achieve college objectives. Dr. Long, as Creator and Founder of The School of TransformAging®, was selected by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to chair the Governor's Task Force on Aging. As Chair, she authored the Governor's strategic plan, drawing on the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, to better meet the needs of older Tennesseans and their families. In her founding role of the Institute for Law, Justice & Society, Dr. Long created the undergraduate academic program based on best practices from around the world, and infused the curriculum with experiential learning strategies so students engaged in the program could advance societal progress while learning the legal system. Long was named "Woman of Influence for Innovation" by the Nashville Business Journal in its inaugural class of award recipients. Although the words innovative and entrepreneurial are not typically associated with those in higher education, Long has reflected this spirit in her academic career. Her recent design of the competency-based program at Lipscomb reflects her innovation in action. This program has been called a future model for liberal arts institutions by Inside Higher Ed. Long's professional career began in the hospitality industry, thus she has a deep passion for the theme park sector. She has worked in both operations and sales & marketing with the Walt Disney World Resort, Premier Parks (parent company of Six Flags), and Silver Dollar City. Her background in the hospitality industry causes her to have a service-focus in all she does. Dr. Long is a wife, mother of four, attorney and civil mediator. She is known for her group facilitation skills and is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on a wide-variety of topics.

EDUCAUSE Publications

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EDUCAUSE Presentations

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