Frances C. Welch
Dean, School of Education
A native of Dorchester County, S.C., Frances C. Welch is the dean of the School of Education. The school is comprised of the Department of Teacher Education as well as numerous centers, services and special programs.
Welch has devoted more than 45 years of her professional life to the education and development of teachers, health professionals and youth. She has many accomplishments, most notably, the design and implementation of the Teacher Leader program; the Call Me MISTER program at the College of Charleston, which encourages African American males to become teachers; the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education; the Early Childhood Summit; has led several successful national reaccreditations; and worked on several stages of the design, construction and move into a new School of Education building. She has expanded international education opportunities by establishing the English Language Institute at the College, facilitating a bilateral agreement with National Kaohsiung Normal University (Taiwan) and launching an exchange program in Ecuador.
From May 2019 to June 2020, Welch was the College’s interim provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. In this role, Welch served as the chief academic officer of the College of Charleston and was a key member of the president’s senior staff. She oversaw academic programs, faculty affairs and many academic support functions, and worked to ensure that the College of Charleston fulfills its institutional mission and goals. During her tenure, she steered the development and approval of two new degree offerings, systems engineering and electrical engineering, and she co-chaired the steering committee that created the College’s new 10-year strategic plan.
Service at the College and to the greater community is a significant part of Welch’s professional life. She is a member of the Foundations, Inc. National Advisory Board, past chair of the Committee on Opportunities in Science of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, a member of the Engaging Creative Minds Board, the Charleston County School District Advisory Board, the Trident United Way Board, the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement, and other local boards. She is active in Alpha Delta Kappa, serving as past chair of the Credentials Committee and past membership chair for the Southeast region.
Welch frequently presents at professional meetings, sharing her research and pursuits. The author of approximately 40 articles and two books, Welch is currently working on several manuscripts, focusing on school leadership and evaluation of teachers. She is certified in South Carolina in the following areas: elementary teacher and principal, superintendent, learning disabilities, mental disabilities and school psychologist. Welch is also licensed as a psychologist specializing with children and adolescents.
Career Highlights
2020-present: Dean, School of Education
2019-2020: Interim Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, College of Charleston
2001-2019: Dean, School of Education, Health, and Human Performance, College of Charleston
1995-2000: Chair and Professor, Department of Foundations, Secondary and Special Education, School of Education, College of Charleston
1993-1995: Assistant Dean for Professional Development and Associate Professor, School of Education, College of Charleston
1992-1993: Associate Professor, Department of Educational and Specializations, School of Education, College of Charleston
1988-1992: Director, Staff Development, Dorchester School District Two
1972-1976: School Psychologist, Charleston County School District
1970-1972: Teacher, Educable Mentally Handicapped, Dorchester School District Two
Honors and Achievements
2010: Woman of the Year, Office of Institutional Diversity, College of Charleston
2009: Women of Distinction Award for Education, Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina
2008: Save the City Three Sisters Award
2004: Excellence in Education Award, S.C. Alpha Delta Kappa
2003: Acknowledgement of Support Award, SCAHPERD
1992: Wil Lou Gray Outstanding Educator Award, Columbia College
1987: Outstanding Computer Using Educator, S.C. Council of Computing Educators