Dr. Norma Chandler has worked in higher education 19+ years. Although the focus of Dr. Chandler’s work is on Student Affairs, she has also taught business and college success courses, part-time. Dr. Chandler’s leadership roles at PVCC include managing various Student Affairs departments such as Student CARE and Conduct, Career Services, Academic Advising, Veteran Services, Early College Programs and programs such as First Generation College Students, and MENs and Women Rising Programs.
Dr. Chandler has co-chaired the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Engagement committee at Paradise Valley Community College since 2008. Dr. Chandler’s passion toward bringing these values to her workplace and community are evident in her daily practice. Recent awards include the 2021 NISOD Excellence Award and 2019/2020 League for Innovation Employee Excellence Award.
If you were to ask Dr. Chandler which career development theory best describes her career pathway, she would say The Planned Happenstance Theory of Career Development by John Krumboltz. Likewise, community college students are led to college due to unpredictable social factors, chance events, and/or environmental factors. As a first-generation college student with immigrant parents, Dr. Chandler understands firsthand many of the challenges community college students face and how important a sense of belonging and positive guidance is in helping students achieve their goals.
Her educational credentials include an Associate’s Degree from PVCC, BS degree in Marketing from ASU, Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree from WP Carey School of Business and a Doctorate in Higher Education and Adult Learning from Walden University; Diversity and Inclusion was the focus of her doctoral study.
Hobbies include: Reading (including cookbooks, but doesn’t enjoy cooking), Hiking, Swimming, and Kayaking. She is married to her soulmate and together have two adult children.