Melissa McCartney Named Dean of Winthrop’s School of Graduate, Continuing, and Online Education
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Melissa McCartney, the founding dean of the Graduate School, an associate provost for digital learning and chief online officer for Queens University of Charlotte, has been named the dean of Winthrop University’s School of Graduate, Continuing, and Online Education, beginning July 16, 2025.
McCartney was selected from a strong pool of candidates. Provost Sebastian van Delden said that McCartney’s interviews, public presentation to campus and positive feedback from faculty and staff made her the top contender for the position.
“Following a national search, it was clear that Melissa McCartney’s strong record in advancing innovative, accessible and results-driven programs for adult and graduate learners would benefit Winthrop and our School of Graduate, Continuing, and Online Education. Her experience includes creating career-aligned microcredentials, stackable graduate certificates and accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s pathways, all of which expand access to meaningful credentials for adult learners. In addition, she truly values the student experience and has extensive knowledge in designing and implementing student support structures that have led to very impressive student retention rates, and she has led efforts to streamline registration processes, graduation audits and payment plans. She truly possesses the experience, skill set, passion and leadership that will help elevate this important area of Winthrop’s academic offerings to the next level,” said van Delden.
In addition to her experience at Queens University, she served as an instructional designer, an assistant program dean and doctoral programs dean for the University of Phoenix.
“I look forward to soon joining Winthrop and the School of Graduate, Continuing, and Online Education. My time on campus meeting with faculty, staff, students and administrators made me excited about the future of adult and graduate education at Winthrop. I know that my experience aligns well with Winthrop’s commitment to academic excellence, community engagement and workforce development, and I can’t wait to get started,” said McCartney.
She holds a Doctorate in Education from Arizona State University, a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of Arizona.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at [email protected].
