Holly Herrera

Holly Herrera
Associate Provost for Transfer Initiatives and Academic Partnerships
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
hherrera@colum.edu
312-369-6499

Holly Herrera, PhD, is the associate provost for transfer initiatives and academic partnerships. In this role, Herrera oversees the ongoing development of domestic articulation agreements and academic partnerships and works with the vice president for Enrollment Management to set the strategy for the recruitment of transfer students. In collaboration with Admissions and Enrollment Management, the Registrar, Dean’s Offices, and academic departments as well as community colleges and potential academic partners, Herrera leads in the creation and evaluation of a robust transfer recruitment plan for the college, which includes building territory recruitment plans, establishing appropriate recruitment messaging, building partnerships with key community colleges, and the creation and execution of a diversity recruitment plan. In addition, the associate provost for transfer initiatives and academic partnerships utilizes a data-driven approach to identify new opportunities for growth in transfer and diversity recruitment.
 
Prior to joining Columbia, Herrera has worked in the areas of higher education for 14 years in program creation, coordination, and administration of campus partnerships. Herrera comes to Columbia College Chicago from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she coordinated admissions partnerships between the university and select community colleges in order to increase access to higher education for transfer students. By focusing on access and adjustment throughout her career, Herrera has worked closely with campus administrations to decrease barriers for students by facilitating campus-wide discussions of how to establish a transfer-receptive culture. In 2018 Herrera was awarded a Rising Star award by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students for her significant contributions to the transfer field and her ability to establish rapport, communicate effectively, and foster collaboration with internal and external leadership. Throughout her career, Herrera has demonstrated commitment to increasing access to higher education through community college partnerships and supporting initiatives that are integral to increasing opportunities for social mobility.

Herrera holds a PhD in Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MEd in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BS in Business Administration from Illinois State University.