Diana Watkins named Next NOC Vice President for Academic Affairs
Diana Watkins has been named the Northern Oklahoma College Vice President for Academic Affairs, effective July 1. The announcement was made by President Dr. Clark Harris during the April 27 NOC Board of Regents meeting.
“Many good candidates applied for the position, and Diana Watkins was the obvious choice for the position. She brings many excellent skills and a fresh perspective as she brings innovative strategies to look at NOC’s academic programs as she works with the faculty and all of the Academic Affairs department. Everyone is very pleased with Diana Watkins as the next Vice President of Academic Affairs,” as stated by Harris.
Watkins is currently the Vice President for NOC Stillwater and has also served as the interim Vice President for Academic Affairs since Dr. Pam Stinson left NOC in December 2021.
As vice president for academic affairs, she will continue to serve as a member of the NOC Executive Council.
Reporting directly to the president, Watkins will be responsible for providing an institution-wide vision, leadership and strategic direction for academic programs. In her position, she will provide oversight and leadership for all functions of academic affairs for the college, a multi-campus institution. Watkins will work closely with the president, other vice presidents, academic division chairs and program directors to facilitate the overall mission of the college and provide the vision and leadership that promote and support a commitment to academic achievement, excellence in instructional methodology, assessment of teaching and learning and student success.
Watkins, a doctoral student in Oklahoma State University’s Higher Education and Student Affairs Program, is a proud graduate of Perry High School and the Oklahoma State University Honors Program. She began her tenure at the NOC/OSU Gateway Program in 2005 as an adjunct instructor in the Language Arts Department. In 2007 she was named the Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Member for NOC Stillwater. After joining the Language Arts Department full-time in 2007, she was chosen the Distinguished Faculty Member for NOC Stillwater in 2009 and was named Vice President for NOC Stillwater in March of 2019.
Watkins has been an active member of the NOC community, serving on a number of committees and as sponsor of the NOC Stillwater President’s Leadership Council. Extremely passionate about student success, Watkins served on the task force that developed NOC’s First Gen Mentor Program, a program designed to assist students who are the first in their families to attend college. Watkins currently serves as a liaison for NOC’s involvement with the Pedagogy, Advising and Curricular Excellence (PACE) Project and chairs the committee on recruitment and retention for NOC’s 2019-2025 Strategic Plan. She has traveled with NOC students to Washington, D.C., to Europe on a number of short-term study tours and has taught on short-term residential programs in London, England and Dublin, Ireland. Watkins developed the NOC Honors Program in an effort to facilitate the successful transfer of NOC students into the OSU Honors College. She has presented at numerous conferences, including the National Association of Developmental Education Conference and the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference.
A graduate of Leadership Stillwater Class XXVIII, Watkins serves on the Stillwater Public Education Foundation Board of Trustees, the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and as a mentor for the Oklahoma State University Honors College. Watkins enjoys practicing yoga, running, reading, world travel, writing, and attending concerts and theatre performances.
“As the daughter of someone who’s life trajectory was positively impacted by a community college, and as someone who has spent the past 17 years witnessing the positive effect NOC faculty and staff have on students, I am thrilled to take on this role in Academic Affairs. I look forward to working with our amazing faculty and staff in Tonkawa, Enid, and Stillwater as we continue to work to provide life changing opportunities for students at Northern Oklahoma College.”
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.
NOC serves nearly 4,000 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater. Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing (ACEN).
For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu.