Laura Brener has been named director of online and continuing education at Linfield College, according to Susan Agre-Kippenhan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty.
“We are delighted to welcome an outstanding educator and administrator to lead our online and continuing education program,” Agre-Kippenhan said. “Laura has a broad background in higher education and will bring excellent leadership skills to strengthen Linfield’s programs serving adult learners around the state and across the country as well as working with all our online offerings.”
Brener has a long career in adult and continuing education, with 20 years of teaching and 11 years in higher education administration. As vice president of instruction at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash., she planned, developed and coordinated the college’s instructional offerings. She was responsible for transfer, workforce, transitional studies, eLearning, continuing education and community education. She provided leadership for the expansion of eLearning at Lower Columbia including broadening student services and creating professional development opportunities for teaching online. She has also had extensive experience developing and implementing strategies for student success, including programs that aid in the transition to four-year colleges, integrate library services with tutoring and learning, and expand credit for prior learning options.
Brener was previously dean of instruction and academic programs at Centralia College and also taught history and political science there for 13 years. She previously taught at Whitman College, Walla Walla Community College, and at East Brunswick High School in New Jersey.
Brener has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and education, and a master’s in U.S. history, both from State University of New York at Stony Brook.
She begins at Linfield on June 16 and will provide academic and managerial leadership and vision for online and continuing education programs. She will also develop, administer and ensure the quality of degree, certificate and other programs supervising staff primarily based in Portland and McMinnville.
