Jason Beardsley Appointed VP of Academic Affairs

SMC Appoints Jason Beardsley Vice President of Academic Affairs

As Chief Instructional Officer, Beardsley will Provide Leadership for Santa Monica College’s Broad Array of Instructional Programs and Services

SANTA MONICA, CA—Santa Monica College (SMC) announces the appointment of Jason Beardsley as SMC’s new Vice President of Academic Affairs. The SMC Board of Trustees unanimously ratified Beardsley’s appointment at their meeting held Tuesday night, Jan. 16, 2024. Beardsley was selected after an extensive nationwide search guided by consultation firm PPL, Inc.

Beardsley—who has been serving as SMC’s Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs since Aug. 2022—steps into the role left vacant by Bradley Lane, Ph.D. He brings 18 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator—including over four years as Department Chair of SMC’s English department, three-plus years as Interim Dean & Dean of Academic Affairs overseeing all academic/instructional departments, and, most recently, as Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs.

He was first hired at SMC as an assistant professor of English in 2010, after working as an adjunct professor. Prior to Santa Monica College, Beardsley was an English instructor at Suffolk County Community College and Stony Brook University. Jason was advanced to candidacy for a Ph.D. in English Literature by Stony Brook University and he holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a Minor in English and American Literature (Magna Cum Laude) from California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. He is a board member of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation and is a member of the Association of California Community College Administrators.

“Jason Beardsley brings a reflective, forward-thinking approach that contributes to a leadership style that is thoughtful, strategic, caring, and equity-driven,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery. “Above all, he has shown true dedication to the college’s student-centered mission, which is even more crucial at this pivotal time for SMC and higher education as a whole.”

Jeffery added that as an interim member of SMC’s senior leadership team, Beardsley was fully invested and elevated academic issues; championed the development of new academic degrees and certificates; and kept a strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion in college-wide discussions and outcomes, especially relative to professional development for faculty, classified professionals, and managers, which proved to be crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic when classes needed to swiftly transition to online delivery modes.

He has been a major contributor to the SMC Emergency Operations Team, participated in the Los Angeles Regional Consortium to help guide workforce development opportunities, and engaged with statewide chief instructional officers and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. An active supporter of shared governance, Beardsley serves on SMC’s District Planning and Advisory Council (DPAC).

His years spent in the classroom, primarily at Santa Monica College, shaped Jason Beardsley and his approach to leadership. “Our students’ persistence, diverse life experiences and tremendous accomplishments have never ceased to inspire me,” he said, “The classroom and the lessons I learned there will be my compass as I lead the Academic Affairs division, help rebuild enrollment, and chart a bright, innovative future for the college where equitable student success is always front and center.”

Beardsley added that his goal is to “foster success through teamwork and strong participatory governance.”

Under the direction of Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery and alongside the rest of SMC’s senior leadership team, he will serve as SMC’s Chief Instructional Officer and provide leadership and oversight for the college’s broad array of instructional programs and services. He will also provide collaborative, data-driven leadership and support for SMC’s equity, pathways and inclusion efforts towards closing racial equity gaps.

Beardsley’s portfolio encompasses academic policy, accreditation, curriculum and program development, class scheduling, program review, and more. He will be responsible for overseeing traditional/classroom-based, online, and hybrid academic programs, degrees, and certificates (both transfer and career education); noncredit instruction including the Emeritus Program for older adults; not-for-college-credit professional development, personal enrichment, and workforce training offerings through the SMC Office of Workforce & Economic Development; Athletics; the college library; tutoring; supplemental learning instruction and other learning resources.

In the recent past and among several such accomplishments, Beardsley has spearheaded the SMC Strategic Education Plan process, provided leadership for the development of SMC’s most recent Institutional Self-Evaluation Report required by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), led SMC’s Dual Enrollment Program to increase the number of agreements with high schools within and outside of the college’s service area, helped build stronger ties with such partners and agencies as the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, and more.

Beyond SMC, Jason is a devoted family man. He has three children with his wife, and enjoys skateboarding, camping, cooking, playing music, woodworking, and running around with his three little ones, who love to dance, skate, and wrestle.

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About Santa Monica College: 

Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). For 33 consecutive years, SMC has been California’s leading transfer college to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and other University of California campuses. The college also tops in transfers to the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University and is the top feeder west of the Mississippi to the Ivy League Columbia University. As the leading job trainer in Los Angeles’s Westside, the college offers robust career education opportunities, with over 110 degrees and certificates in traditional and emerging fields. SMC provides news and cultural enrichment through its NPR radio station KCRW (89.9 FM), the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, and lifelong learning through distinctive programs such as its Emeritus Program for older adults.