Amy Kinsel will be the new Dean of Social Sciences, Library and Parent Child Center at Shoreline Community College.

Amy Kinsel

“Amy’s commitment to our mission and vision is unquestionable,” Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Bob Francis said in making the announcement on May 19, 2015. “Since joining our faculty, Amy has been a consistent advocate for students, staff and faculty.”

Kinsel, who earned Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in History at Cornell University, has been teaching history at Shoreline since 2004. She received a BA in History from the University of Puget Sound.

“I am so pleased to accept this dean position,” Kinsel said. “I’m enthusiastic about the course President Roberts is setting for our college over the next few years. I look forward to working with the entire college community, particularly my division, to create a vibrant and thriving future for Shoreline and our students.”

Francis noted that there were very strong candidates for the position and thanked the search committee members for their work and insights that helped in moving through the decision-making process.

“During her years at Shoreline, Amy has served on virtually all the key college-wide committees and councils both as a member and in leadership positions,” Francis said. “I am confident that her long involvement with the college’s governance system gives her a unique perspective that should serve the college as we move forward.”

Kinsel serves on College Council, the Student Success Coordinating Committee, the Advising Ad Hoc Team, Joint Union Management Committee, and the Strategic Planning Budget Committee. Nationally, she serves on the Executive Board of the Organization of American Historians.

Kinsel is President, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Washington Local 1950 at Shoreline, a job she will resign before moving to the dean position. She is also Vice President for Legislative Affairs for AFT Washington, the union that represents faculty at many colleges across the state. In her AFT Washington role, Kinsel has testified before various committees in the state Legislature and recently spoke at a meeting of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Kinsel will take over the dean position from Terry Taylor, who has been serving in an acting capacity since July 1, 2014. Taylor filled in when Francis moved from the same dean positon to his current vice-president role. Taylor will return to his position as a professor of History and Political Science. He also oversees the Honors Program and the Shoreline chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

“Terry Taylor did an incredible job over the past year,” Francis said. “I look forward to his continued wit, wisdom and support.”

Francis said he expects Kinsel will move into the dean position sometime after July 1, 2015.