Constance M. Carroll

Constance M. Carroll (born September 12, 1945) is an American education leader and advisor. She served as the chancellor of the San Diego Community College District from 2004 to 2021.

Education Carroll was educated at Duquesne University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities in 1966 before spending a year at Knubly University School of Greek Civilization in Athens. In 1969 she earned a Master's degree in Classics at the University of Pittsburgh. She later graduated from Pittsburgh with a PhD in Classics, having written a thesis on ancient Greek tragedy.

Career Between 1968 and 1972, Carroll held teaching and administrative posts at the University of Pittsburgh, before moving to the University of Maine, where she worked as assistant dean, and later associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as well as assistant professor in classics. She spent 11 years as president of San Diego Mesa College from 1993 to 2004.

Among a whole range of awards, in November 2019, Carroll won the Lifetime Leadership Award from the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce for her dedication to the San Diego community and increasing educational access in the San Diego region.

She retired as chancellor on July 1, 2021.

After her retirement, she became president and CEO of the California Community College Baccalaureate Association, an organization she helped establish.

In 2023, President Joe Biden appointed Carroll to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Distinctions and awards 1996: Harry Buttimer Award, the top honour for a California Community College chief executive officer 2004: Visionary Award for Economic Opportunity from LEAD San Diego 2007: national Marie Y. Martin CEO Award, Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) 2009: Whitney M. Young Jr., Leadership Award, Urban League of San Diego County 2013: Leadership in Action Award, Mental Health America of San Diego County 2013: Trailblazer Award, San Diego Women's Hall of Fame 2014: Darlene Marcos Shiley Education Leadership Award, San Diego Business Journal's 21st Annual Women Who Mean Business Awards 2014: Tireless Advocate for Public Education Award, Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice 'Voices for Justice" Breakfast 2015: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Human Dignity Award, YMCA of San Diego County 2016: Moving San Diego Forward award, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce 2017: Pioneer Award, national Community College Baccalaureate Association, for her leadership and work in improving access to baccalaureate level education through community colleges 2019: Woman of the Year in Senate District 39, awarded by Senate President Toni Atkins 2019: Lifetime Leadership Award, Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce 2019: Lifetime Achievement Award, National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) 2022: Clark Kerr Award for distinguished leadership in higher education from the UC Berkeley Academic Senate