Biography
Dr. Dave Clinefelter is the Chief Academic Officer at The Learning House, Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky where he is responsible for developing the highest academic tools, training and strategies for our online partners. Dave'€™s thirty-year career in education spans all levels, from K-12 to higher education. His start was as a high school English teacher and then a high school principal followed by eight years as a superintendent of schools in rural Iowa.
At the post secondary level, Dave was first a professor at the University of Nebraska -€“ Omaha and a lecturer at the Ohio State University prior to becoming the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Graceland University, a liberal arts institution in Iowa. In 1996-97, Dr. Clinefelter was an ACE Fellow and his host institution was Northwest Missouri State University. At the conclusion of his fellowship year, he became President of Graceland and served in that capacity for six years. Graceland was an entrepreneurial institution having developed the first accredited distance-learning program in nursing. The University also owned a subsidiary named SkillPath Seminars, a training company that provided one-day seminars throughout the US. Dr. Clinefelter served as chair of the Board of Directors for Skillpath.
In 2002, Dave joined Kaplan University as Provost. Over the following eight years, the University grew from 1,500 to over 68,000 students with approximately 4,000 faculty members. Degree programs grew from a handful of associate degrees and one bachelor'€™s degree to over eighty associate'€™s, bachelor'€™s, and master'€™s degrees. While the majority of the students were enrolled in online programs, the University also added nine campuses. Dr. Clinefelter joined Walden University in 2010 as Chief Academic Officer. Walden was established in 1970 as an alternative institution for doctoral education and continues to be primarily a graduate institution with approximately 45,000 online students.
Throughout his career, Dr. Clinefelter has used technology to improve teaching and learning. From putting telephones on teacher’s desks, to replacing typewriters with computers, to developing fully online college degrees, he has consistently applied new tools to help teachers and students.
Presentations (selected listing)
Clinefelter, D. (2010, May) Walden University and Market Drive Higher Education. Invited presentation at the Top Management Programme of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. Washington, D.C.
Clinefelter, D. (2009, November) Kaplan University and Market Driven Higher Education. Invited presentation at the Top Management Programme of the Leadershipo Foundation for Higher Education. Washington, D.C.
Clinefelter, D. (2007, October) Distance Education: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Career Colleges. Panelist at the Professional Development Conference of the American Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, San Francisco.
Clinefelter, D. & Lehne, D. (2005, May). Evaluation Techniques for Your Corporate University. Invited address at the Corporate University Summit, Las Vegas.
Clinefelter, D. (2005, January). Kaplan University – Corporate Education Connections. Presentation at Corporate University Exchange annual meeting, Orlando, Florida.
Clinefelter, D. (2004, June). Proprietary U: Making a Profit, Providing Access, and Delivering Quality Education. Presentation at the ACE Council of Fellows Weekend Conference – The Business of Higher Education, Washington, DC.
Recent Publications
Clinefelter, D. (2009) The For Profit Option. Inside Higher Education (August 21) http://www.insidehighered.com/news.
Clinefelter, D., Saxton, S., Bosse, C., Brooke-DeBock, W., (2005). Learning from the Oakland A’s: Using Metrics to Improve Performance. In Van Kollenburg, S. (Ed.), A Collection of Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement, Volume 1, Becoming a Learning-Focused Organization: Organizational Distinctiveness and Effectiveness (pp22-24). Chicago: The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Professional Service (selected listing)
- Executive Committee, ACE Fellows Program, Washington, DC, 2005 - Present
- President’s Forum of Excelsior College, 2006 - 2010
- Exec. Committee, Iowa Ass. of Independent Colleges and Uni.’s 2000 - 2002
- Board of Directors, Iowa Public Television, Des Moines, IA 1999 - 2002
