Valerie Martin Conley Named Vice President/Chief Academic Officer at St. Norbert College

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From St. Norbert College, April 23, 2024
by Mike Counter, mike.counter@snc.edu, 920-403-3048

Valerie Martin Conley has been named vice president/chief academic officer at St. Norbert College.

Martin Conley earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in sociology from the University of Virginia. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. Along with her experience as a professor, Martin Conley most recently served in the role of provost and vice president for academic affairs at Idaho State University. In that role, she launched an academic planning process; supported the establishment of a working group on diversity, equity, and gender; and supported the development of co-admissions/co-enrollment agreements with local community colleges.

As dean of the College of Education at the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs), Martin Conley launched new undergraduate degree programs, doubled enrollment, increased faculty diversity, and strengthened relationships with local educational institutions. At Ohio University, she served as the director of the Center for Higher Education and later assumed the role of chair for the Department of Counseling and Higher Education.

Martin Conley also brings rich experience as a research analyst and project director. These roles, along with the years she spent conducting research as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF), equip her to work collaboratively with faculty and staff colleagues to identify and implement pathways for growth.

“Martin Conley is energized by the prospect of advancing our three core traditions: Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts,” said Laurie M. Joyner, president at St. Norbert. “She is excited to partner with the campus community to continue the work of preserving the college’s legacy for the next 125 years,” Joyner added.

Martin Conley will begin her new duties at St. Norbert College in late June of 2024. She replaces Michael Marsden, who held the position for one year on an interim basis.


About St. Norbert College

Founded in 1898 by the Rev. Bernard Pennings, O.Praem., St. Norbert College provides an education that is academically, personally and spiritually challenging. U.S. News & World Report’s guide to “America’s Best Colleges” ranks St. Norbert College among the top liberal arts colleges in the nation.

The Princeton Review lists St. Norbert as one of the Best Midwestern Colleges, and the college has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction. For more information, visit www.snc.edu.