After nearly 20 years of service to Allan Hancock College in various positions, most recently the dean of academic affairs, Paul Murphy, Ph.D., has been approved by the board of trustees as the new vice president of institutional effectiveness. Murphy started his new post Aug. 1, 2015.

“I am very excited. I hope to add to the college’s ability to focus on its mission and to serve the community,” said Murphy, who earned his doctorate in economics from UC Santa Barbara. “This is a time when colleges need to have a firm grasp on understanding the outcomes of students and knowledge of how we can best allocate our resources to ensure students meet their goals.”

Hancock Superintendent and President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D., created the position to ensure the effectiveness of programs and services at the college as well as to increase student success and institutional quality.

“Paul Murphy possesses the experience and foresight to help take our programs and services to the next level, allowing the college to better support and meet the needs of the community,” said Walthers.

Murphy will be responsible for designing, directing and evaluating activities that support the district’s strategic plan, the college’s mission, accreditation and student success initiatives. He will also develop and administer institutional research, information retrieval and statistical analysis.

“The college will benefit from a culture of precision with data because it will allow us to better evaluate if we are meeting the college mission,” said Murphy. “I will be able to ensure the appropriate support systems, data and processes are in place to provide quality information to make informed decisions and plan effectively.”

Murphy has served as the college’s dean of academic affairs since 2005. He supervised several academic departments and programs, including mathematics, life and physical sciences, as well as health,  social and behavioral sciences.

He has also served as director of the college’s Department of Education HSI STEM and Articulation program, where he oversaw a $4.3 million grant aimed at increasing transfers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Murphy started at Hancock in 1999 as the director of the institutional research and planning department, where he performed statistical analysis. He has also been a fixture in the Hancock classroom teaching mathematics and economics classes since 2000.

“Both my education and prior experience provide a solid background for the job,” added Murphy. “I have the technical skill set to provide qualitative and quantitative data analysis to ensure the college’s continued success.”

Prior to working at Hancock, Murphy taught economics at University of La Verne; UC Santa Barbara and Irvine Valley College.  

Murphy earned his doctorate in economics from UC Santa Barbara. He received a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in economics from California State University, Fullerton.

— Andrew Masuda represents Allan Hancock College.