After the passing of Dr. Mechel Camp, Jackson State and Community College went on the search for a new Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, finally settling on Dr. Jeanne LaHaie, who has more than 20 years of experience in higher education.
Dr. Jeanne LaHaie has been appointed Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Jackson State Community College after an extensive search looking at candidates from around the country.
Dr. LaHaie is a native of Western Michigan with more than 20 years of experience in the education industry in both the community college and university settings. The hiring committee found this experience was one of the things that set her apart for the position. In her 22-year career in education, she has worked at many institutions, starting as a graduate and adjunct instructor of writing and English education at Western Michigan University. She stayed there for 15 years, moving between a range of roles.
In 2016, Dr. LaHaie earned a position in Klamath Falls, Oregon at Klamath Community College, where she worked as a professor of writing and literature for three years. In 2019, she was appointed as the Dean of Instruction.
In an article posted on Jackson State Community College’s website, Dr. Jennifer Lopes, Vice President of Academic Affairs at JSCC, was quoted about Dr. LaHaie’s credentials, saying, “Dr. LaHaie brings extensive knowledge and experience to Jackson State, having worked with various student populations to deliver the utmost educational experience at her former institutions. I am pleased to appoint Dr. LaHaie as the new Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and know that she will uphold the educational legacy of the late Dr. Mechel Camp, who she succeeds.”
While in her time at Western Michigan University, Dr. LaHaie taught as a graduate and adjunct instructor for Children’s Literature, as a gifted and talented educator teaching writing skills to students in WMU’s Academically Talented Youth Program, and as a faculty specialist in Rhetoric and Composition.
Dr. LaHaie holds a number of degrees, many of which she earned while working at Western Michigan University. She has a BA and an MA in Literature as well as a Ph.D. in English Literature with concentrations in Victorian, Romantic, and Children’s Literature. She has also served on many committees during her career. Most recently, Dr. LaHaie served on KCC’s Academic Council, was the Chair of the General Education Committee, and sat on the Continuing Improvement and Innovation Committee before coming to Jackson State Community College.
Dr. LaHaie is taking the place of the late Dr. Mechel Camp, who was the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at JSCC before she passed in 2022.
More information can be found about Jackson State Community College at the school’s website.