In addition to her role as CCA content expert, Ashley Ruby serves as the Director of Advising and Academic Success at Garrett College in rural Western Maryland. In this role, Ashley oversees academic advisement for entering, developmental, and probation students, academic support services such as tutoring and testing, and career and transfer advisement. She also serves as Assistant Director of the Learning Commons and aided in the transition of a sluggish college library to an active learning-centered gathering place.

Prior to this role, Ashley has served her institution as both academic advisor and adjunct instructor of courses such as developmental mathematics, First Year Experience, Introduction to Communication, Field Experience in Business and Information Technology, and Natural Resources Seminar II. She has served her community as a public school academic intervention teacher and and long-term local business manager. Both her prior and current roles have positioned her well to understand and bridge the areas of student services and academics.

At a small institution, staff have the advantage of collaborating frequently across department lines. While Ashley serves her institution as the expert in the entities directly under her purview, she is also knowledgeable in many other areas, such as Admissions, Academics, Marketing, Records, and Financial Aid. Add to that her prior background in business; Ashley upholds many skills that are highly valued in higher education today, like customer service and market-driven decision-making.

Ashley’s multiple roles at her institution and diverse skillset have allowed her the opportunity to gain expertise, lend vision, and enact results to multiple Complete College America game-changing strategies. Her areas of expertise include Proactive Advising, Academic Mapping, 15 to Finish, and Technology Implementation.