Shelley Barkley

Dr. Shelley Barkley serves as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois. In this dual role as both Chief Academic Officer and Chief Student Services Officer, she leads all teaching, learning, and student support functions across six locations. She oversees academic programming aligned with meaningful transfer and workforce outcomes while advancing student success, retention, and equity—particularly for rural learners.

Dr. Barkley’s leadership has advanced the adoption of Guided Pathways and strengthened the college’s use of data-informed, equity-centered practices to remove barriers and improve student persistence and completion. She also leads institutional engagement through national student success initiatives, including the Caring Campus program through the Institute for Evidence-Based Change and a three-year Rural Guided Pathways (RGP) Project through the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement. As the RGP Lead, she is guiding the college through developmental education reform; ensuring all high school students have a clearly mapped college curricular pathway; and improving the number of adult learner students who complete a short-term certificate or associate degree credential.

Prior to joining John Wood Community College, Dr. Barkley served in various academic leadership roles at Sauk Valley Community College, including Dean of General Education and Assistant Dean of CTE. She also served as a faculty in psychology and sociology and was recognized for her teaching and service as a Phi Theta Kappa advisor.

Dr. Barkley holds a Doctorate in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University, a Master of Science in Family and Individual Development, and a Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University. She began her academic journey at Joliet Junior College and is recognized for advancing innovative, collaborative approaches that expand access and promote student achievement in rural community college settings.