James E. Todd, Ph.D.
Dr. James Todd has over 18 years of experience in instruction and student services in California community colleges, and he currently serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Educational Services and Support in the Office of Equitable Student Learning, Experience, and Impact at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. James previously served as a tenured anthropology professor at Modesto Junior College, and later became the Vice President of Student Services. Before coming to the Chancellor’s Office, James also served as the Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Instruction and Planning at San Joaquin Delta College and the Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Student Services at Sierra College.
James is a transformational leader who grounds his philosophy and practice in principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. He is passionate about fostering access and opportunity for underserved populations, meeting the needs of local communities, facilitating student success and completion, building public and private partnerships, building pathways for economic mobility, and ensuring equitable post-graduation outcomes for students. He has participated in national reform movements, such as Achieving the Dream, to improve student equity and institutional outcomes, and he has been involved in leading efforts on local campuses to enact Guided Pathways and student-centered strategies for student success.
James graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Brevard Community College in Florida and went on to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and International Relations from New College of Florida, a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology at The George Washington University, and Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. James has also completed the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management, the California Education Policy Fellowship Program at the Education Insights Center (CSU Sacramento), and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Presidential Fellowship Program.