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Maura Devlin, PhD

Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation

AB, Colgate University; MPPA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Maura Devlin, PhD, has a long history of working in support of promoting, assessing,  and improving student learning experiences in higher education. Her tenure at Bay Path has included the past roles of Associate Vice President and Dean for the School of Undergraduate Studies, Deputy Chief Learning Officer for The American Women’s College, Director of Liberal Studies for The American Women’s College, and Director of Student and Career Services for the One Day a Week College Saturday Program.  In her immediate past role as the Dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies, she unified the University’s traditional, residential division and The American Women’s College serving adult women learners online by integrating the university’s 75 undergraduate degree programs and aligning student support services.  

In her current role as Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation, which she began in November 2021, Dr. Devlin serves as the University’s Accreditation Liaison Officer, building on her past experience with Bay Path’s accreditation self-studies and site visits.  She also has responsibility for assessment of student learning and academic program reviews across both the University's undergraduate and graduate programs.  She is the Project Director for the University’s Title III grant, “Learning for the 21st Century: Reshaping the Student Experience.”  This grant, which involves the work of teams of undergraduate faculty, academic program directors, and staff, allows the University to develop guided pathways for students, reframe student support, and leverage integrated technology to support the student learning experience.  She also supports a federal Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant in collaboration with faculty and staff to pilot dual enrollment offerings.   

A seasoned writer and presenter, Dr. Devlin has co-authored several book chapters and journal articles and spoken often at regional and national conferences.  In November 2021, she served as a panelist for her and her colleagues’ role in informing the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)’s development of its updated adult-serving framework.  She has a pending book chapter with colleagues on assessing career readiness in a guided pathways framework.  Past publications include the article “Using Data Holistically to Create a Student Support Safety Net” in Change Magazine and the chapter “Promoting Student Engagement in Data Driven Practices” in the book International Perspectives on Supporting and Engaging Online Learners.  Her 2016 dissertation entitled "When Mom Goes to School: Maternal Education and Intergenerational Mobility" is inspired by her long standing experience with adult women undergraduate students.

In January 2021, Dr. Devlin and Bay Path colleagues were one of eight institutions selected by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) to earn a Virtual Innovation Award, and one of the three institutions to earn the top honors and a $50K prize.  In August 2020, Dr. Devlin and the TAWC team were named as a finalist for the prestigious Delphi Award from USC’s Pullias Center for Higher Education for TAWC’s comprehensive approach to supporting and mentoring adjunct faculty.  In 2018 she, along with Bay Path colleagues, was awarded the Online Learning Consortium Digital Learning Innovation Award for her Faculty Led Team for Scaling Adaptive Learning for a Predominantly Low-Income and Diverse Population of Adult Women Undergraduates in a Centralized Course Management Model: Capitalizing on OER Adoptions to Lower Costs and Improve Learning. 

Dr. Devlin earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Massachusetts, a Master Public Policy and Administration from the University of Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations/French from Colgate University. She is a current Executive Board Member of the American Council on Education National Network of Women Leaders - Massachusetts Chapter, serves on the Board of Trustees for Storrs Library in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and is a member of the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, the New England Educational Assessment Network, and the Western Massachusetts Regional Employment Board Healthcare Partnership.