Vice President Dr. Karen Hays
Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs
As vice president for academic and student affairs, Dr. Karen L. Hays oversees five divisions and 45 departments. She has been instrumental in the enrichment of Middlesex County College, particularly in areas such as faculty development and student success. Under her leadership, the College has hired 17 new tenure-track faculty members and initiated a reorganization of the student services area. She played a leadership role in developing several new academic programs, including the new nursing program, which is a collaboration with Raritan Bay Medical Center.
Before joining Middlesex in August of 2005, Dr. Hays was the dean of academic affairs at the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College in Florida. “One of the key features that attracted me to the position is the relationship between academic affairs and student services areas.” Dr. Hays said. “At Middlesex they work together and support each other.”
Dr. Hays joins Middlesex after a distinguished career as a professor and administrator at Miami Dade College (formerly Miami Dade Community College). As dean, she was the chief academic officer for the campus, which comprises more than 20,000 students. She was responsible for 36 departments with 205 full-time faculty and more than 600 part-time faculty and staff.
Dr. Hays’ association with Miami Dade began as a student; she graduated with an Associate in Arts, then received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida, a Master’s Degree from Florida Atlantic University and her Doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin, which is the Community College Leadership Program; she also received a W.K. Kellogg Leadership Fellowship.
She began her professional career in the classroom at Miami Dade, and has been a chairperson, an assistant dean, associate dean, and vice provost, before becoming academic dean. She has been extremely successful in developing partnerships with the community, promoting faculty enrichment opportunities, and fostering collegial working relationships among diverse groups.
