Linda Baer has spent her career as a faculty member and as an academic leader in the Minnesota State University System, retiring as the System Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. She was tapped to serve as Interim President of one of the System’s institutions and as Interim Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. She also led many of the university’s widely admired innovations and expeditions in digital learning, e-portfolios, and workforce connections. Since leaving the MnSCU System, she has served as a Senior Fellow with Civitas Learning, Senior Program Officer in Postsecondary Success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a Principal at Strategic Initiatives. She is a co-author of Transforming for Turbulent Times and other publications with Donald Norris and Tim Gilmour. Linda’s extensive connections throughout the higher education community and her long-term commitment to and knowledge of student success, using data analytics for informed action, and transformational leadership fields make her a critical member of our writing group.

Dr. Baer has been very active in SCUP, serving on the board and winning the SCUP Distinguished Service Award. She has authored numerous articles on smart change and transformation in higher education, the use of analytics to improve student success, and books on partnerships. More recently, she co-edited An Analytics Handbook: Moving from Evidence to Impact (2019).