Shelly Bacon serves as Associate Vice Provost in the Office of Undergraduate Education and provides strategic leadership and oversight for a portfolio that includes federated academic advising and coaching functions across campus, the Program in Exploratory Studies, the Design Your Path Living & Learning Community, and transfer student success initiatives.
Shelly began her ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder career in 2000 as a professional academic advisor, after six years working at the University of Georgia and a short stint teaching English as a second language. Before moving to the Office of Undergraduate Education, she was most recently the Assistant Dean for Academic Advising and Student Success in the College of Arts & Sciences, where she oversaw advising and student support services in that college.
In her current role as AVP, Shelly serves as a consultant to the broader campus community on issues related to academic exploration and support, academic advising and coaching, first-year and transfer student experience, and academic policies and processes. Holding the most senior advising-related position on campus, Shelly works closely with advising leaders from all and sponsors the Campus Advising Executive Council (CAEC). She provides executive sponsorship and fiscal support and influences the vision and structures for academic advising and coaching through collaborative leadership. She also teaches EDUC 5020, College Academic Advising, as part of our Masters in Higher Education (MAHE) program.
Another primary area of focus for Shelly is providing leadership and oversight for all aspects of the Program in Exploratory Studies (PES), which is the academic home to ~2,400 students, including approximately 25% of each entering first-year class. In this role Shelly manages academic and administrative policies and processes and serves as the primary point of contact for dean’s office functions. While several courses are taught within or closely affiliated with PES, the program has no faculty and does not confer degrees. Rather, it is an advising and student support program that serves as a campus-wide open option major.