Karla Fisher, Ph.D.

In January 2016, Dr. Karla Fisher was appointed Chancellor of Arkansas State University-Beebe (ASUB), an independently accredited and operationally separate two-year institution of the Arkansas State University System with campuses and a robust online program. Under her leadership, the institution centralized administration, bringing formerly independent campuses into a “One College” model and Student Services and Academics silos into a Provost model, significantly reducing administrative overhead while increasing efficiency and effectiveness. She is currently leading an inclusive college-wide strategic planning process.

Prior to joining ASUB, Dr. Fisher served as Vice President of Academics at Butler Community College (KS) from 2010 to 2016, serving as interim President from January to July 2013. Dr. Fisher worked for the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) while completing her Ph.D. at The University of Texas. Prior to joining the Center, Fisher served as an administrator at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to teaching since 1996, including ten years in online learning environments, she has been actively involved in the higher education quality movement at the state and national levels through active roles with the Arkansas Community Colleges organization, Kansas Council of Instructional Administrators, Kansas Board of Regents Councils, the American Associate of Community Colleges (AACC) 21st-Century Initiative, AACC Commissions, the National Community College Benchmark Project, and as an HLC Pathways peer reviewer. In 2015, she was named the National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA) 2015 Chief Academic Officer of the Year.