Marc Booker, PhD
Vice Provost of Strategy
University of Phoenix
About Booker
With over two decades of experience working with online and distance education students at the post-secondary level in admissions, registrar and academic administration roles, Dr. Marc Booker brings a unique perspective on the trends in higher education from a post-traditional student lens.
As Vice Provost for Strategy at the University of Phoenix, Booker oversees critical path academic initiatives to improve the student experience such as learning platform implementations, curricular enhancements, developing innovative academic program designs and creating empathetic solutions to drive improved student outcomes.
For his work guiding the academic strategy wing of the University of Phoenix, Booker received a 2020 Hall of Fame recognition from Blackboard recognizing his contributions in providing thought leadership and innovation in education; and he was the leader of the team that received the 2023 Anthology Catalyst award in the Teaching and Learning category for the University’s competency-based education programs.
Throughout his career, Booker has been actively engaged in numerous professional associations in an effort to give back and provide development opportunities to the members of the higher education community.
Since 2009, Booker has been a regular speaker, contributor and subject matter expert at national and regional conferences like the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO), the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), EDUCAUSE and more sharing insight on various topics including leadership, process improvement, change management, prior learning assessment, transfer credit and articulation.
Widely recognized as an expert in transfer credit and Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), Booker was previously the Vice President of Admissions and Evaluation at University of Phoenix, and during his tenure his office received three Showcase in Excellence Awards from the Southwest Alliance for Excellence for processes related to admissions application, transcript and prior learning assessment processes.
Currently, Booker is the chair for the AACRAO Transfer and Articulation Committee and he most recently authored the foundational Transfer Articulation 101 online course (2022) for AACRAO which leads to badging opportunities for participants.
Booker has also contributed to several publications on transfer credit processes as a co-author for AACRAO’s Guide to Best Practices: Articulation Agreements (2019); writing a chapter on international admissions for the AACRAO International Guide (2016), and was a consultant and named contributor to the Transferability of Postsecondary Credit Following Student Transfer or Co- Enrollment (2014) study published by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education.
Booker has dedicated numerous volunteer hours to several higher education professional organizations, with some of his most notable achievements coming through his support of PACRAO. Booker has served in several capacities on the PACRAO Board culminating in being President of the association in 2016. However, his proudest achievement for the association has been his work as one of the founding faculty members for the PACRAO Leadership Development Institute, which was formed in 2018. This year-long program serves a cohort of higher education professionals as they develop their competencies while ascending to be the future leaders in our institutions, and in 2022, Booker was named Dean of Faculty for this program.
Booker holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from the University of Phoenix
Research interests:
- Academic transfer credit
- Competency-based education
- Distance education
- Leadership and management in higher education
Publications and projects:
- Co-Author of Creating a Credit Mobility Culture: Supporting Transfer for Adult Learners with Some College Credit and No Degree (2023)
- Co-Author of Coronavirus Crisis: Considerations and Recommendations for Moving Traditional Students to Online Learning Modalities at Scale published in Phoenix Scholar, 2020, Volume 3, Issue 1
- Co-Author of Guide to Best Practices: Articulation Agreements published by AACRAO as part of the AACRAO Work Group Report initiative (2019)
- Author of The Regulatory Triad and United States Higher Education published in the PACRAO Review, 2018, Volume 9, Issue 1
- Co-Author of In-house Credential Evaluation Services: Lessons Learned at the University of Phoenix case study published in The AACRAO International Guide (2016)
- Contributor to the 2014 Transferability of Postsecondary Credit Following Student Transfer or Co-enrollment study published by the National Center for Education Statistics
- Co-Author of the initial 2012 Guidelines for Articulation and Transfer of Credit for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP)
Awards:
Awarded the 2024 UPCEA Business and Operations Award for Operational Excellence that recognizes outstanding individual contributions in operations, entrepreneurial and intra-preneurial work that moves an institution into a more favorable position
- Recipient of 2023 Catalyst Award from Anthology in the Teaching and Learning category for implementation and creation of competency-based education programs at University of Phoenix
- Received 2020 Blackboard Hall of Fame Award for Providing Thought Leadership or Innovation in Education
- Showcase in Excellence Award recipient from the Southwest Alliance for Excellence for Office of Admissions and Evaluation processes:
- 2015 – Office of Admissions and Evaluation’s Admissions Application Intake Process
- 2014 – Prior Learning Assessment – Professional Training Portfolio Process
- 2013 – Office of Admissions and Evaluation’s Transcript Acquisition Process
- Awarded first place in the 2013 P20W Electronic Standards Council (PESC) Best Practices Competition for the Office of Admissions and Evaluation’s electronic transcript acquisition process
Professional associations and boards:
PACRAO (Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers)
- Dean for the PACRAO Leadership Development Institute (2023)
- Faculty member for the PACRAO Leadership Development Institute (2018-2023)
- Served as Acting Treasurer for the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) for the 2016-2017 and 2019-2020 Budget Cycle
- Elected President of the Board to the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) with term beginning on 11/2015 (Term ended 2016)
- Elected to the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ (PACRAO) Board as Vice President of Professional Development in 2014 (Term ended 2015)
- Member since 2009
AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers)
- Currently serving as AACRAO Parliamentarian to ensure adherence for the Association to parliamentary procedure and its bylaws
- Currently serving as Chair for the AACRAO Transfer and Articulation Committee – a role held since 2018
- Member since 2009
