CBT: The College Brain Trust - Consultants

Patricia Griffin

PATRICIA L. GRIFFIN retired from the College of San Mateo where she served as Vice-President, Student Services, for 16 years. Prior to that, she was Dean, Counseling and Special Programs at Saddleback College for five years and Director of Counseling at Catonsville Community College in Maryland for two years. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and a MS from Syracuse University, both in Counseling; her BA, also from the University of Michigan, is in English.

Pat began her community college career in 1976 as a faculty member at Orange Coast College where she was a counselor and associate professor of psychology. Beginning her administrative career in 1983, she spent 23 years in various administrative roles in community colleges and during that time had responsibility for virtually every area of student services, numbering nearly two dozen programs and services at College of San Mateo at the time of her retirement. While at CSM, Pat added new and strengthened existing programs and services, implemented both program review and student learning outcomes throughout student services, and created the initial design for the consolidation of student services into one new building. Pat has also taught graduate courses in guidance, counseling and student development at the University of Michigan and Santa Clara University.

Throughout her community college career, Pat has served on a number of local, state, and national committees, commissions, and boards, including the Commission on Student Services of CACC, now CCLC. She also served as president of both the California Community College Chief Student Services Administrators Association and the National Council on Student Development, a Council of AACC. Currently she serves on the citizens’ oversight committee for high school district bond projects in her local community.