A career based on supporting institutional growth and student success

APUS-2010-20

Dr. Kate Zatz is a higher education executive who consults on accreditation, governance, academic, and student affairs, with a focus on enrollment management. For the past 10 years, she has been a member of the Registry of College and University Presidents and a senior consultant in organizational development, assessment, change management, and employee engagement with Toolpack Consulting LLC, a boutique firm.

Starting from the Marathon County campus of the University of Wisconsin, a community college, Katherine transferred to Macalaster College for a Bachelor of Arts before moving on to earn a doctorate in higher education from Columbia University. In addition to serving on the APUS Board, in her career,  Dr. Zatz has served as a Dean, Department Chair, Vice President and academic lead at several institutions.

Dr. Zatz has served as  Acting President and as the Chair of the  Board of Trustees of the American Public University System (APUS), an online university serving over 90,000 students in over 220 degree programs. She was appointed to the Board in 2004 and served as the chair for 10 years; during this time, she chaired the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and was the university’s representative to the Compensation Committee of American Public Education Inc.

She has also served on the Macalester College Alumni Board and the Alumni Council of Teachers College – Columbia University. In 2011, Dr. Zatz was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Teaneck Community Charter School; in 2012, she was elected vice-chair.

Dr. Zatz is a member of the Institute of Leadership Management (ILM) and has is pursuing a license in executive coaching.

Education and Credentials

  • ED.D.

    Higher Education, Post-Secondary and Adult Education – Teachers College, Columbia University, New York (1994)

  • ED.M.

    Education Administration – Teachers College, Columbia University, New York (1992) Graduate Commencement Speaker

  • M.A.

    Student Personnel Administration – Teachers College, Columbia University, New York (1985)

  • B.A.

    Political Science, History, and Social Science – Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota (1982) Cum Laude Graduate

Teaching Experience

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University, Graduate School of Public and Global Affairs (2023 - current)
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University, School Director for Administrative Sciences (2017 – 2020)
  • Seton Hall University, Dissertation Reader (2014 - 2016)
  • Capella University, Visiting Scholar in Higher Education (2012 - 2021)
  • Teachers College, Columbia University (Guest Lecturer) (2006 – 2009)
  • College of St. Francis, Illinois (1988 – 1990)

Biography

Dr. Kate Zatz is a higher education executive who consults on accreditation, governance, and academic and student affairs, with a focus on enrollment management. For the past 10 years, she has been a member of the Registry of College and University Presidents and a senior consultant in organizational development, assessment, change, and engagement with Toolpack Consulting LLC, a boutique firm.

She was appointed to the Board of American Public University and American Military University in 2004, serving as board chair for ten years and staying on the board through 2018. When she arrived, enrollment was 7,000; at the end of her term, the university served 90,000 students in over 200 degree programs.

Dr. Zatz was also named to the Macalester College Alumni Board and the Alumni Council of Teachers College – Columbia University. In 2011, Dr. Zatz was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Teaneck Community Charter School. In 2012, she was elected vice chair.

From 2017 until 2020, Dr. Zatz served as the School Director of Petrocelli College at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Zatz was responsible for P&L and launched the masters degree in Cyber and Homeland Security as well as certificate programs in subjects including Cyber Security Administration.

As Vice President of Student Development at SUNY-Rockland, Dr. Zatz was responsible for enrollment management, financial aid, student activities and athletics, the student information system, two off-site centers, administration of federal and state grants, and academic advising. Within one year at SUNY-Rockland, she stabilized enrollment after ten years of decline, and increased new student enrollment.

In her nine years at Hudson County Community College, Dr. Zatz was responsible for more than doubling the enrollment from 2,900 to 8,400 (in head count), without substantial budget increases. She also helped to raise retention by 26 points, achieved 18 consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, and lowered the student loan default rate.

Dr. Zatz has served as the President of the New Jersey Deans’ Association for Community Colleges. She also has been a member of the Legislative Committee for the Council of County Colleges and a Middle States Commission peer evaluator. She served for six years as member of the Substantive Change Committee of the Middle States Commission.

Dr. Zatz holds a doctorate in higher and adult education and two master’s degrees from Columbia University - Teachers College. She also has a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College, and attended the University of Wisconsin - Marathon County Center.

Dr. Zatz also earned her School Business Administrator license for the State of New Jersey and certification as a secondary Social Studies teacher in Minnesota.

Community Engagement

Kate was a co-founder and leader of a soup kitchen at 114th Street in Manhattan. It has evolved into Broadway Community, a non-profit serving over 30,000 meals a year. The program now includes addiction programs, HIV and health education, showers and permanent addresses, and a shelter for homeless women. Kate served on the Broadway Community’s Advisory Board until 2012.

As the Vice-Chair and Board Member (2011-2016) of the Teaneck Community Charter School she was instrumental in strategic planning, and wrote a successful grant and created a funding plan for expansion for the school.

In 2015, Dr. Zatz was Governor of Calvert Academy and Calvert Education Services, a fully accredited affordable online school serving students in over 45 countries. 

Columbia graduation speaker

Certificates

  • Entrepreneurship, Diploma, Israel 360 (2023)
  • eCornell Inclusion and Diversity (2021)
  • Title IX Investigator Certification, Academic Impressions (2016)
  • eCornell Human Resource Management (2014)
  • Financial Aid Advisor - Certification, New York Student Financial Aid Administrators Association (2015)
  • School Business Administrator License, Certificate of Eligibility, Department of Education, New Jersey (2012)
  • Foundation Center – Sustainable Non-profit Training Institute, New York (2012)
  • Wharton – University of Pennsylvania - Executive Education, Corporate Governance and Compliance (2009)
  • American Council on Education – Office of Women in Higher Education, Leadership Institute (2006)
  • Wellesley College Higher Education Resource Services Institute (2001)
  • Harvard University Graduate School of Education – Institute for Educational Management (1999)
  • Certified Secondary Education Teacher: Social Studies, Minnesota (1983)

APUS Highlights

  • Kate led an institution with nearly 90,000 students, 263 degree programs from NanoCerts to doctoral degrees, and 142,000 alumni, with tuition at $285 (undergraduates) to $370 (graduate degrees and certificates) per credit
  • Within three months, she ended a six-year trend of falling enrollment and brought double-digit growth, while cutting spending by $3.3 million
  • Under her leadership, APUS achieved entrance into the Higher Learning Commission’s Open Pathway, with the next site visit scheduled for 2030-31
  • Initiated monthly full-staff meetings, weekly leadership meetings, and OKR working sessions to align the entire university around common tactics, goals, and initiatives
  • Increased employee retention through salary reviews, celebration of accomplishments, and a headquarters redesign
  • Reduced position vacancies by streamlining processes and bringing APUS into the Tuition Exchange Program

Honors and Awards

  • President’s Eagle Award

    Presented for outstanding service to American Public University and American Military University (2020)

  • Woman of Achievement

    Girl Scouts of America, Northern New Jersey (2009)

  • Education Champion Award, Board of Directors

    Educational Opportunity Fund Program and Department of Education, New Jersey (2004)

  • Psi Beta honorary member

    Hudson County Community College (2004)

  • Phi Theta Kappa honorary member

    Hudson County Community College (2000)

  • Commencement Speaker, Teachers College

    Columbia University (1992)

  • Golden Towel Award

    Columba-Barnard Community Lunch Program Client Presentation (1990)

Publications

  • Editorial Board, Journal of Online Learning (2021-present)
  • Podcast: Insight from Leading the Way in Online Higher Education (2022)
  • Zatz, K. and Zatz, D. (August 2013) “Executive Engagement” Workforce.
  • Zatz, K. and Zatz, D. (November 2011) “How do we overcome the perception of favoritism?” Workforce.
  • Zatz, K. and Zatz, D. (1999) “Turn problem employees into assets”. Administrator, Volume 18, Number 3.
  • Houghton, K.J. (1989) Comparison of campus alcohol policies of Chicago area colleges and universities. Association of Campus Activities Administrators.