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Association award recognizes Booker’s role in leading alignment of technical and non-technical resources to improve academic outcomes for students

SM������ is proud to announce that Marc Booker, Ph.D., vice provost of strategy for the University is the recipient of the UPCEA® Business & Operations Award for Operational Excellence for 2024. UPCEA is the association for college and university leaders in online and professional continuing education, and 2024 Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Award recipients will be honored at the , March 26-28 in Boston, Mass.

“Dr. Booker’s leadership in fostering a culture of innovation and empowerment on our strategic initiatives has had a profound impact on the way we serve working adult learners,” states John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer. “The UPCEA award recognizes his deep understanding of the role that merging business, technology, and professional development processes play in advancing the university’s goals to further educational attainment for our working adult students. With his innovative contributions, we not only recognize and celebrate individual achievements but also our institution’s commitment to empowering diverse learners and advancing education through progressive, student-focused practices.”

The UPCEA Business & Operations Award for Operational Excellence recognizes outstanding individual contributions in operations, entrepreneurial, and intra-perineurial work that moves an institution forward, specifically in financial, human, administrative and IT operations in professional, continuing and online units at postsecondary institutions.

Over the last two years, SM������ has undergone an organizational transformation to align technological and non-technological resources to improve academic outcomes and streamline operations. Booker led the effort within the Provost Organization’s team as the Product Lead for Academic Services and strategic initiative management owner for the Provost’s Office. Focusing on integrating product and business-related philosophies has allowed collaboration on technological solutions to achieve financial and operational goals, improve retention, and create innovative student learning opportunities resulting in improved institutional retention and significant savings.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive the Operational Excellence Award from UPCEA,” states Booker. “Advancing any organization requires collaboration, and I attribute our success to the trust we’ve cultivated with our people, our forward-thinking approach to continuously create value, and the collective commitment to enriching the student experience within our university. This recognition reflects our deep commitment to our students, as well as our mission of transforming lives through higher education.”

As Vice Provost for Strategy at the SM������, Dr. Booker oversees critical path academic initiatives to improve the student experience such as learning platform implementations, curricular enhancements, and developing empathetic solutions to drive improved student outcomes through data. Booker also served as dean of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) Leadership Development Institute in 2023 and was President of PACRAO in 2016. In 2020, Booker received a Hall of Fame recognition from Blackboard for his contributions in providing thought leadership and innovation in education.  

Widely recognized as an expert in transfer credit and Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), Booker previously served as vice president of Admissions and Evaluation at SM������; during his tenure his office received three Showcase in Excellence Awards from the Southwest Alliance for Excellence for processes related to admissions application, transcript and prior learning assessment processes.

Booker has been an employee of the SM������ since 2001. 

About UPECA

UPCEA is the online and professional education association. Our members continuously reinvent higher education, positively impacting millions of lives. We proudly lead and support them through cutting edge research, professional development, networking and mentorship, conferences and seminars, and stakeholder advocacy. Our collaborative, entrepreneurial community brings together decision makers and influencers in education, industry, research, and policy interested in improving educational access and outcomes. .

About SM������ 

SM������ innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. �į�į

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