American College of Education President Shawntel Landry leaving after 'transformational,' 13-year span as leader at online university

INDIANAPOLIS, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American College of Education (ACE), accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a leading provider of online and affordable higher education, announced that its president, Dr. Shawntel Landry, will be stepping down after nearly 13 years in leadership roles at the college.

Landry, who has overseen an era of record student growth and exceptional performance by the institution in its finances and across all areas of specialties, said she plans to take time off to consider the next steps in her education-centric career.

She will stay until Sept. 30 to help the Board of Trustees fill the top post and assist in an orderly transition at ACE, widely recognized for offering high-quality, affordable doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs.

"I've had the privilege and honor to lead this amazing college of talented individuals during an extraordinary stretch," Landry said. "Now is the time to move on to the next chapter of my life's work, and I leave knowing our faculty and staff are well positioned to keep up the momentum that has seen ACE deliver much-needed support for professionals nationwide."

The board will begin a national search for a new president and CEO, a change in title and scope that reflects ACE's recent program enhancements and growth plans, including educational partnerships offering online graduate credit courses for teacher license renewal and professional development; expansion of STEM, health and wellness and other related degrees; and accelerated efforts to help students make an immediate return on their investment.

ACE's unique model of using real-world experience in its courses allows faculty to share their expertise with students for practical application in day-to-day practices, networking, career advancement and more.

"We are indebted to Shawntel, whose dedication to excellence has made our college a stronger, more dynamic and more visible institution. It's been a transformational tenure that has elevated ACE as a leader in online higher education programs. She has been instrumental in setting us on a course toward even greater eminence and impact, and we wish her all the best in her further endeavors," said the Board of Trustees chair, Dr. Jeri Nowakowski.

Landry, an advocate for student-first approaches to scalable operations and programming, joined ACE in 2009 as a senior vice president. Becoming president in 2013, she led the college through development of a new mission, vision, and strategic plan. That included adding the new disciplines of healthcare, nursing, and business.

Under her leadership, ACE's student population has grown over 100%, with more than 7,500 current students and a network of more than 31,000 alumni across 50 states and 84 countries.

ACE has kept costs low, with 85% of students graduating with no student debt. Since 2012, students have received more than $9 million in institutional scholarships and grants, including $1.9 million in the most recent year.

Program expansion has been a major focus as the graduate college that started with two main education offerings now has 75 programs and bachelor's, master's, specialist, and doctorate degrees in education, healthcare, nursing and business.

"Together, we have grown the college in so many ways, touching so many lives," Landry said. "All of this was achieved as a result of our mission, our heart for service and our commitment  to a student-first culture. I look forward to seeing the college continue to prosper and grow."

ACE is top-ranked among institutions of higher learning in the number of degrees it has conferred in key, competitive disciplines, based on the most recent U.S. Department of Education data. That includes being No. 1 for most degrees conferred in health and wellness education, STEM education and English as second language/bilingual education.

It is No. 2 in degrees conferred in educational technology, educational leadership and literacy. At the master's in education level, ACE is ranked third for most conferred degrees nationwide. At the doctorate in education level, ACE is ranked ninth for most conferred degrees nationwide.

Currently, ACE has eight state-level non-profit partnerships, two national non-profit partnerships, more than 2,300 academic or education partnerships, more than 250 partners in the healthcare and business fields. Together, these partnerships help ACE reach more than an estimated 3 million professionals across the country.

Among other milestones during Landry's tenure:

• Across all programs, a 90% satisfaction rate among students and an overwhelming job preparedness rate.
• Employer satisfaction with graduates rated at 95% in a survey last year.
• Six consecutive years of Best Places to Work awards in Indiana.
• A winner of the 2022 Top Workplaces USA award, a national award recognizing its support of a flexible, inclusive and innovative environment for all employees.
• A winner of four First Quarter 2022 Culture Awards through the national Top Workplaces USA program: Innovation, Work-Life Flexibility, Leadership, and Purpose and Values.
• The first company in Indiana that is both a Certified B Corp and a Public Benefit Corporation, emphasizing its commitment to community development, sustainable programming and expansive scholarship opportunities.

Before joining ACE, Landry worked in K-8 classrooms, later serving as a curriculum writer, editor, and director for Voyager Learning. She also worked in higher education as a researcher at the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in gifted education from University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and she has an MBA and a doctorate in educational leadership from Texas Christian University.

About American College of Education American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, 100% online university specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 70 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, master's or bachelor's degree, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation. Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

Media contact: 
Catherine Masri  
[email protected] 
214-886-5870  

SOURCE American College of Education