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Philip L. Hartley, Ph.D.

Dr. PHILIP HARTLEY most recently served as the Academic Vice Provost for the federal system of colleges in the United Arab Emirates where he lived in Abu Dhabi. His contract with the UAE called for him to assist the 16 campus system of the Higher Colleges of Technology to fully implement a newly designed baccalaureate track programs and to guide the system toward achieving U.S. institutional accreditation. He completed his contract and returned to the U.S. in 2011.

Prior to working overseas, Dr. Hartley’s career spanned 37 years of service in higher education. Phil served as President of West Valley College, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, retiring on August 1, 2009. As President, Phil worked on a successful bond campaign. He led the college to develop a new facilities and educational master plan and implement a campus-wide building program. He reversed a declining enrollment trend and opened a new center in the college district. He led the college to a clear, full-term accreditation in a year in which only 25% of all visited community colleges achieved an exception free accreditation. In recent years he has provided leadership for a number of international education projects including a nursing program in China, student exchange programs in Brazil and Egypt and development of a new community college in Kuwait.

Before his tenure at West Valley College, Phil served as Executive Vice President of College of the Canyons. Phil was instrumental in establishing a university center on campus, initiated a middle college program, assisted with a successful bond campaign, and managed double-digit enrollment growth each of six years. Working in partnership with the college president, Phil launched new instructional programs, hired 80% of the faculty as the college grew from 6,800 students to 12,000 students and worked on building designs for four major construction projects. He initiated a Teaching and Learning Institute to provide a professional certificate program.

Phil also served as Dean of Instruction at Mendocino College. Here he helped develop a marine science field station on the Mendocino coast, opened a campus center for Sonoma State University. He also initiated a number of new programs, including MESA, Minicorp and Puente, that increased access for historically underrepresented students. Dr. Hartley began his administrative career after 15 years of college teaching experience at Chaffey College, CSU San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona. While teaching he was elected to serve as President of the California Statewide Academic Senate and provided leadership to establish a common general education framework for transfer students to CSU and UC.

During his career he served for seven years as a member of the Accrediting Commission (ACCJC). He has served on numerous statewide committees and projects including the legislative overhaul of California’s community college system. He has served on the Board of Directors for the California Economic and Workforce Development Program, the College Facilities Coalition and the Association of Community College Administrators. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and member of Rotary International.

Dr. Hartley completed a Bachelors Degree in Experimental Psychology at California State University, Humboldt, and went on to complete a doctorate in Physiological Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. His research in graduate school focused on neural systems involved in learning and motivation. His post graduate education includes Harvard University’s Institute of Management & Leadership in Education.

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