Reception Held for Jaci Webb Dempsey

On Nov 30, the Watson College of Education, the College of Health and Human Services, and the Cameron School of Business held a joint reception to honor Jaci Webb-Dempsey who will retire from her position as director of program assessment, accreditation, and development at the end of the year.

Interim Dean Carol McNulty announced Jaci’s retirement in an email to Watson College faculty and staff in late October:

It is with mixed emotions that I write to share news that Jaci Webb-Dempsey has decided to retire at the end of this calendar year. Jaci has served as director of program assessment, accreditation, and development for three professional colleges, the Watson College of Education, the College of Health and Human Services and Cameron School of Business, for the past five years and we will miss her greatly.

Jaci made a tremendous impact on the university and our college. She played a large role in our CAEP accreditation process achieved this past year, and her work has helped shape the future of Watson and its success. In addition to developing and implementing strategies to support program and college-level assessment, Jaci has enhanced our program and unit accreditation processes, and supported the development of new academic programs. Perhaps most importantly, she was instrumental in creating a positive campus-wide culture of assessment.

Jaci enjoyed a long and distinguished career. Prior to coming to UNC Wilmington, she served as interim associate dean for the College of Education, Health, and Human Performance at Fairmont State University from 2013-2015, and as a faculty member from 2008. She began her career in higher education at West Virginia University in 1994, first as director of assessment for the Benedum Collaborative Professional Development Schools initiative and later as a faculty member in the College of Human Resources and Education.

Before transitioning to higher education, Jaci was a research associate at Research for Better Schools, the federal education lab in Philadelphia serving the MidAtlantic states. She completed her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Social and Cultural Foundations of Education. Jaci is an alumna of UNC Wilmington, where she received the Master of Education in supervision and administration and spent a year as an instructor. She received her undergraduate degree in fine arts from Methodist University, where she also completed certification requirements in art education and subsequently served as an arts administrator and a high school art teacher in Fayetteville, N.C.

We are grateful to Jaci for all that she has accomplished for UNC Wilmington and the Watson College of Education. Her knowledge of the university, appreciation for the people within our community, expertise, and ability to focus on the importance of our work make her a remarkable colleague. We will deeply miss Jaci’s presence and expertise as she embarks on this new chapter in her life. We are confident that her passion for education and her commitment to making a difference will continue to thrive in her post-retirement endeavors.

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS, Jaci!