Meet the Senior Vice President

Dr. Kara Turner is Morgan State University's inaugural Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success. She was appointed to the position July 1, 2016. Her major responsibility at Morgan is to provide strategic leadership to the University's enrollment management efforts, including overseeing eight student services offices (Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment, Financial Aid, Student Success and Retention, the Center for Academic Success and Achievement, Records and Registration, Transfer Center, Strategic Enrollment Partnerships, and Student Leadership and Scholar Development). Under her leadership, the University has experienced sustained increases in first to second year retention rates and new student enrollment, and a more than ten percentage point decrease in the federal loan cohort default rate. Additionally, numerous enhancements to student services have been implemented, including transitioning to centralized first-year advising, implementation of automated early alert and degree auditing systems, and an electronic institutional aid application process. She is currently spearheading the University's 50 by 25 Campaign, to increase the University's six-year graduation rate to 50% by 2025, and leading the University's implementation of a $716,700 HBCU Student Success Grant from Lumina Foundation.

Dr. Turner has worked at Morgan since 2002. Prior to being appointed Vice President, she served in numerous administrative positions, including Associate Provost for Enrollment Management and Student Academic Support Services, Assistant Provost, Interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Dean-College of Liberal Arts, and Assistant Dean-College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Turner earned her B.A. in Political Science and Africana Studies from Rutgers University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in American History from Duke University. Prior to coming to Morgan in 2002, she served as Assistant to the Dean of Liberal Arts and Education and Assistant Professor of History at Virginia State University. Dr. Turner's research specialty is African American civil rights and educational history. She is the author of several publications related to these fields, including book chapters, peer­-reviewed journal articles, book reviews, and encyclopedia entries. She's also given numerous scholarly and public presentations on these topics at national conferences, schools, universities, and community venues.

Dr. Turner has a vast array of experience in Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management, and is committed to ensuring that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds and all levels of academic preparedness are given the opportunity to obtain a college degree.