CHARLES E. CARPENTER LECTURE & CONFERENCE ENDOWMENT

Established in 2004, the Charles E. Carpenter Lecture and Conference Endowment supports advances in professional development for community college leaders. Held each spring, the Carpenter Lecture features a nationally known speaker on a topic of importance to community colleges. In addition to current students in the Adult and Higher Education doctoral program, attendees include northwest community college leaders and members of the OSU community. The Carpenter Lecture has become a premier professional development event for community college leaders and has significantly advanced Oregon State University’s work in community college leadership.


 

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Adrien Bennings Headshot

Thank you to all who joined us for the 2024 Charles Carpenter Lecture. Please check back in the near future for the announcement of our 2025 honored speaker.

 

2024 GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Adrien Bennings

President of Portland Community College
 

Savoring Success: "The 7-Layer Cake of Community College Excellence"

This lecture is a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted nature of community college leadership and management. This approach uses the analogy of a 7-layer cake to represent key aspects crucial for the effective administration of community colleges. Each layer symbolizes a distinct area of focus: Funding and Finance, Administration and Leadership, Academic Programs and Curriculum, Workplace Culture and Staff Development, Student Services and Support, Community Engagement and Partnerships, and Governance and Policy.
 

This event occurred on Thursday, February 22, 2024

View event recording

About the Speaker:

Dr. Adrien Bennings joined Portland Community College in the summer of 2022 as the college’s eighth president, making her PCC’s first permanent female president in its history.

Dr. Bennings has taught courses in human resources development, academic development and retention, and small business development. She has held progressively higher-level positions in higher education for more than 15 years.

Before coming to Portland, she served as the president of Kellogg Community College, one of 28 community colleges in Michigan whose service region spans three counties. She was also the president of the Kellogg Community College Foundation, helping to lead the foundation’s strategic planning and fundraising activities, and advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Before joining KCC, Dr. Bennings was the vice president of administration and finance and chief financial officer at Clovis Community College in New Mexico. Prior to this, she served as regional director of small business development at Texas Tech University where she advanced economic development initiatives spanning a 16-county area. Additionally, she serves as a certified peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

Dr. Bennings’ educational background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University; a Master of Science in Business Administration with a Human Resources concentration from Wayland Baptist University; and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Development from Texas A&M University.

Supporting ADULT HIGHER EDUCATION

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Our Past Speakers

Enjoy this list of speakers and a collection of some of the content from past Carpenter Lectures.

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