LTCC Selects New Director of Institutional Effectiveness

July 10, 2018

Lake Tahoe Community College is pleased to welcome Dr. Donna Sohan, the new Director of Institutional Effectiveness, who joined the campus administration in early July after a national search.

LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco said, “Dr. Sohan fills a critical role for the college. She has worked extensively with both four-year and community colleges and brings to LTCC the essential experience in generating, analyzing and utilizing data effectively necessary to support the full range of institutional decision-making.”

He also noted, “We are just beginning the implementation of the very exciting Guided Pathways approach to student success, a program which creates clear pathways to employment and further education, helps students select their pathway, supports their commitment to that path, and ensures that learning is happening with intentional outcomes. Dr. Sohan’s prior experience with this important initiative will be very helpful for LTCC. She has already participated in training workshops, and has met with faculty and with our outstanding staff and students.”

Dr. Sohan explained, “I see my role as bridging data with decision-making. I look forward to being part of the innovative LTCC team and to working on behalf of LTCC students. Although Lake Tahoe is indeed a beautiful area, I am making the cross-country trek to work with President DeFranco and his amazing team.”

The Director of Institutional Effectiveness takes the lead on coordinating the college’s strategic and master planning processes, assuring the linking of planning to the budgeting process, and is instrumental in producing the data needed for regional and national accreditation reporting and developing applications for grants and other resource development.

Dr. Sohan comes to LTCC with wide-ranging experience in educational research, compliance reporting, assessment, strategic planning, and accreditation. She currently serves as Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at Quinebaug Valley Community College in Connecticut. She concurrently serves as the IPEDS Coordinator and Analyst with Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. IPEDS is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the core data collection program for the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, which works with all providers of postsecondary education across the country.

Dr. Sohan was awarded her Ph.D. in Education and an M.S. in Molecular and Environmental Plant Physiology from Texas A & M University, and an M.S. in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Horticulture at the University of Connecticut. She also has an executive certificate in Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame.

Although raised in Connecticut, she is a California native by birth as both her parents served in the U.S. Navy and were stationed in San Diego.