Ashley Finley

Ashley Finley is the Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). She co-leads AAC&U’s Office of Public Purpose and Opportunity which develops integrative approaches to supporting the success of student in their career preparation, civic engagement, and well-being. Through research, campus-based projects, and partnerships, this work advances higher education’s commitments to supporting economic, community, and individual thriving. Her publications include: The Agility Imperative: How Employers View Preparation for an Uncertain Future; Academic Freedom and Civil Discourse in Higher Education: A National Study of Faculty Attitudes and Perceptions; and The Effects of Community-Based and Civic Engagement in Higher Education. She also serves as a commissioner for the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Finley was previously the senior director of assessment and research at AAC&U and also national evaluator for Bringing Theory to Practice. She also served as the Associate Vice President for Academic affairs and Dean of the Dominican Experience at Dominican University of California, where she implemented a comprehensive framework for student learning and success centered around high-impact practices. She began her career as a faculty member at Dickinson College, received a BA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an MA and PhD, both in sociology, from the University of Iowa.

Areas of Expertise

• Advocacy for liberal education
• Strategic planning for implementation of high-impact practices and outcomes assessment
• Community engagement
• Student well-being and intrapersonal development