Linda Smarzik

Post-Secondary Education

Nova Southeastern University
Master of Science
Brain-Based Teaching

Southwest Texas State University
Bachelor of Science
Commercial Art

Teaching Experience

Linda S. Smarzik

Professional Summary

Experienced administrator with a demonstrated history of exemplary work in higher education, particularly in leadership, strategic planning, marketing, team building, management, and on-going improvement through data utilization. Skilled at developing and implementing a culture of collaborative innovation and transformation while building trust through meaningful and equitable partnerships that include administration, faculty, staff, industry,
and the community.

Skills

  • Leadership
  • Grant Procurement and Management
  • Problem Solving
  • Budgeting
  • Teamwork/Team Building
  • Active Listening
  • Verbal and Written Communication  
  • Project Management
  • Innovation
  • Marketing

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Work History

 

Dean, Digital Fluency and Innovation, September, 2022 to Present

Austin Community College District – Austin, Texas

Provide leadership, strategic planning, team building, recruitment, marketing, and implementation for the new division of Digital Fluency and Innovation that is the five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for the college. The new area aims to educate 10,000 enrollments (2022-2026) utilizing 16 Digital Fluency microcredentials that will be facilitated by approximately 50 Digital Navigators. Manages a 5-year budget in excess of $4.5M and a team of six employees, an implementation committee of ten, and collaborators from both within and outside of the college.

  • Provides leadership in developing, implementing, and maintaining curriculum to promote equitable academic and career outcomes by building and offering 16 microcredentials in digital and professional workforce competencies required by the 21st century workplace.
  • Responsible for the gathering and assessment of data required by the QEP: milestones, performance indicators, and student learning outcomes to prepare for yearly and five-year report.
  • Responsible for the outreach to students, faculty, and staff to either enroll in microcredentials or become a Digital Navigator. Currently, for Fall 2023, 393 learners are enrolled in nine microcredentials, offered as both opt-in (self-enrolled) or co-curricular (embedded in a course). To date: 643 learners have enrolled in a Digital Fluency microcredential.
     

Dean, Computer Science and Information Technology, September, 2017 to September 2022

Austin Community College District – Austin, Texas

Provide leadership, strategic planning, team building, marketing, and implementation for the division of Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) comprised of over 3,400 enrollments and 100 faculty and staff. Managed three yearly budgets in excess of $6.5M.

  • Increased enrollment, credit, and contact hours by over 5% (every year) since 2015 through innovative strategy combined with data utilization, marketing, and teambuilding to restructure several degrees, certificates, and coursework. In spite of COVID-19, due to ongoing recruitment, enrollment for the CSIT area is up 10.4% while the college as a whole is down 4.2%.
  • Increased completion rates over 24% since 2015 through the formation of new initiatives such as the Accelerated Programmer Training Program, Women in IT, the Information Technology Institute, and the App ACCelerator: Austin Can Code, and the IT Apprenticeship Leadership Academy.
  • Increased CSIT enrollment of women from 17% (Fall 2014) to 34% (Fall 2019) to overcome under representation of women (23%) in the field of IT.
  • Spearheading a Digital Fluency Certificate built as an adaptive, competency-based education platform in collaboration with Student Affairs, Continuing Education, Lumen Learning, and Carnegie Mellon.
  • Authored a successful 80-page application to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a new Bachelor of Applied Science in Software Development. Led the development for a new advisory committee, recruitment and acceptance processes, and distance-learning, competency-based education curriculum. The BAS degree launched Fall 2020 with 43 new students.  
  • Grant Lead for a Department of Labor Apprenticeship grant ($1.5M) to train and place 350 apprentices into the area of Information Technology. Spearheading the sponsorship of ACC becoming a Registered Apprenticeship site for four IT occupations: Software Development, Programming, Networking, and Computer User Support. Partnering with three other community colleges in Texas combined with IBM, Apple, Cisco, and Dell.
  • As grant lead, spearheaded the comeback of an inherited, out of compliance (in last place within the nation) Social Innovation Fund grant ($1.2M). Upon completion of the grant, the college led the nation and met all deliverables.
  • Chaired committees including most recently the Academic Master Plan - Area of Study committee, the CSIT Area of Studycommittee, and the Digital Fluency Platform committee.
  • Provide or have provided mentorship for grants such as: Fast Track to Success, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ($900,000), National Center for Women in Technology Learning Circles, NCWIT ($10,000), and a Texas Affordable Baccalaureate, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ($187,000).

 

Dean, Computer Studies and Advanced Technologies, October, 2003 to August, 2017

Austin Community College District – Austin, Texas

Provided leadership, strategic planning, team building, and implementation for the division of Computer Studies and Advanced Technology (CSAT), comprised of approximately 5,600 enrollments and 164 staff and faculty. Managed seven budgets in excess of $11M. Division consisted of Computer Science, Computer Information Technology, Visual Communication, Game Development, Animation, and Motion Graphics, Land Surveying, Architecture Engineering and Computer Aided Design, and Electronics and Advanced Technologies. Supervised, mentored, and evaluated five Department Chairs, two Directors, and staff.

  • Doubled the graduation rate by converting 41 traditional programming and networking courses into accelerated, distance-learning, competency-based education. Funded through a $2.1M Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant.
  • Designed the IT Innovation Collaborative, an early-stage, innovation and entrepreneurship incubator that assists students in the creation and launch of new companies that include IT, artificial intelligence, and digital media. Funded through a bond election. Will launch in 2021.
  • Worked in tandem with the grants office to raise over $5M in funding for Computer Information Technology, Renewable Energy, and Visual Communication from federal, state, and local sources through collaboration with regional and national partners.
  • Chaired a Distance Learning Task Force that authored a 70-page report making recommendations for organizational restructure and a new distance learning model to improve the student success rate.
  • Organized and galvanized faculty and administrators from multiple Areas of Study to strategize and plan for the Digital and Creative Media Center (125,000 new square feet) that will open in Fall 2020 inside a converted mall. Funded through a bond election.
  • Designed an innovative Women in Information Technology program through a Breakthrough Models Incubator funded by the Gates Foundation.
  • Designed and oversaw the building of the Game Development Institute and Applied Game Lab consisting of five classrooms for 2-D Animation, 3-D Animation, Motion Graphics, and an inter-disciplinary classroom that included Computer Programming. 
     

Program Coordinator/Department Chair, Visual Communication,

Austin Community College District – Austin, Texas

Provided leadership, strategic planning, team building, and implementation for the department of Visual Communication, comprised of approximately 1,200 enrollments and 50 staff and faculty. Managed a budget in excess of $2M. Oversaw development and quality of programs in Graphic Design, Web Design, 2-D Animation, 3-D Animation, Game Design, and Printing.

  • Orchestrated the conversion of an outdated printing department into the Game Development Institute.
  • Creation and implementation of a new Game Development degree.
  • Restructured multiple degree plans into one-degree plan with a core curriculum that encompassed several specializations.
  • Planned and oversaw a team that implemented the first eight distance learning courses for not only Visual Communication but the college as well.

Assistant Professor

Austin Community College District – Austin, Texas

  • Taught and wrote curriculum for all upper division courses.
  • Students in courses taught were awarded over 150 local, regional, national, and international awards. 

Adjunct Faculty of Visual Communication and 2-D Animation

Austin Community College District – Austin, Texas

  • Instruct students in courses such as Design Concepts (problem solving), Type Design, Design One and Two, Web Design, Portfolio Development, and Background Design for 2-D Animation.  

President and Creative Director, Smarzik, Fults, and Associates, Inc. – Austin, Texas

  • Directed and oversaw creative strategy and marketing in print, radio, television, and web development for local, regional, and national clients. As a small business owner, managed accounts and sales of approximately $1M per year.

Education
Master of Science: Brain-Based Teaching and Learning, Nova Southeastern University – Davie, Florida

Bachelor of Science: Commercial Art, Texas State University - San Marcos, Texas

Awards

  • The League for Innovation, Innovation of the Year Award, 2018.
  • Administrator of the Year at Austin Community College, 2017.
  • John and Suanne Roueche Award, The League for Innovation, 2017.
  • The STAR Award, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2017.
  • Adjunct Faculty Award of Excellence.

 

Professional Publications

Selected Presentations, Panels, and Publications

  • Inside Higher Ed, 2022, “Adaptation Across the Higher Ed Landscape, Case Study: Preparing Workers for the Digital Economy, (p. 10-11). https://www.insidehighered.com/reports/2022/12/21/adaptation-across-higher-ed-landscape
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Schools Conference, December, 2022, “Austin Community College’s Quality Enhancement Plan – Digital Fluency and Innovation.”
  • Aspen Latinos & Society + UpSkill America Webinar – Panel, September 22, 2022, “Pathways to Digital Skills Development for Latino Workers.”
  • Aspen Latinos & Society, May 5, 2022, “Pathways to Digital Skills Development for Latino Workers Report.”https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/pathways-to-digital-skills-development-for-latino-workers/
  • Aspen Institute, March 4 2022, “Developing Digital Fluency to Advance Equity: The Case of Austin Community College.” https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/developing-digital-fluency-to-advance-equity-the-case-of-austin-community-college/
  • NCWE Conference, October 2019, “Addressing Greying America’s Hidden, Technology Crisis.”
  • League for Innovations Conference, February 2019, “Building a Competency-Based Education Model for Graying America’s Technology Crisis.”
  • National Science Foundation, Authentic Inclusion of Community Colleges in Broadening Participation, January 2018, Panelist, “Equity for Women in IT.”
  • Fast Track to Success Conference, June 2018, “Looking Forward to CBE & Innovation in Higher Education.”
  • Workforce Development Institute, American Association of Community Colleges, February 2019, “Women’s Economic Stability Initiative Report.”
  • Livability for Longevity Symposium, 2017, Panelist, “The Significance of Austin’s Aging Workforce.”
  • SIGCSE Conference (Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education), March 2016, “Competency Based Education (CBE) in Community Colleges.”
  • TABLab, February 2016, “Recruitment and Admissions for CBE.”
  • TABLab, February 2016, “Plenary Session: Developing a CBE program: Lessons Learned from the Texas Trenches.”
  • Workforce One Webinar, December 2015, “Implementing Effective Acceleration Strategies Virtual Institute: Competency-Based Education: A New Approach to Acceleration.”
  • CBE4CC Conference, June 2015, “State and Campus Challenges and Opportunities.”
  • CBE4CC Conference, June 2015, “CBE Orientation Courses.”
  • CBE4CC Conference, June 2015, “Academic Planning and Strategies.”
  • Educause, January 2014, “National Initiatives in Competency-Based Education: Progress and Lessons.”
  • Educause, January 2013, “Lessons in Competency-Based Education Program Development.”
  • SXSW Interactive, March 2012, Panelist, “Educating the Future of Austin Technology.
  • National Institute for Staff and Organization Development (NISOD), March 2011. “Dealing with Student Procrastination and Perfectionism.”
  • Game On! Texas, 2010, Panelist, “State of Game Development Education in Texas from the Postsecondary Viewpoint.”
  • Case District IV Conference: Pushing the Limits, 2010, “Unraveling the Process of Creativity.”
  • Same -Tec Conference, July 2008, Panelist, “Technical Programs: Here to Stay or Too Expensive to Maintain.”
  • National Council for Workforce Education, 2008, “Game On: The Game Development Institute.”
  • National Council for Workforce Education, 2009, “Multi-disciplinary Programs.”
  • MATEC Networks, Webinar, 2007, Panelist, “Technical Programs: Here to Stay or Too Expensive to Maintain.”
  • Workforce Consortium for Emerging Technologies, 2007, Keynote Speaker, “Nanotechnology in Austin.”

 

Grant Collaborations

  • Grant Lead - Texas is IT (TXIT), Department of Labor Apprenticeship grant. Funding was 1.5M for

2019-2023.

  • Grant Lead – TRUE Grant, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Funding was $500,000 for
  • 2021-2022
  • Co-Lead - National Center for Women in Technology Learning Circles for Austin Community College’s Women in IT, 2020-2021. Funding is $10,000 for 2020.
  • Leadership and Mentoring - Fast Track to Success, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Carl Perkins Leadership grant for CBE. Funding was $900,000 for 2016-2020.
  • Leadership and Mentoring - Texas Affordable Baccalaureate, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Carl Perkins Leadership grant. Funding was $187,000 for 2017-2018.
  • Grant Lead - AARP Back to Work 50+. Funding was $1.2M for 2016-2018.
  • Grant Lead - Department of Labor, TAACCCT Grant, Accelerated Programmer Training Program.
    Funding was 2.1M for 2012-2016.
  • Grant Lead - Breakthrough Models Incubator, Gates Foundation, Women in Information Technology.
    Funding was $50,000 for 2014-2015.
  • Co-PI - National Science Foundation (NSF), Texas Energy Institute, Planning grant, Co-PI, Funding was $70,000 for 2011-2012.
  • Co-Lead - Texas Comptroller, Jobs and Education for Texans, (JET). Funding was approximately $80,000 for 2010. 
  • Co-Lead - Energy Sector Training Grant, State Energy Conservation Office, (SECO). Funding was approximately $70,000 for 2010. 
  • Co-Lead - Preparing Occupations for Lineman Education, Department of Energy.
    Funding was approximately $100,000 for 2010.
  • Co-PI - Work Ready Electronics (WRE) with MATEC, National Science Foundation. Funding was $70,000 for 2005.

 

Published: November 25, 2024