Karen Schuster Webb is an American academic administrator serving as the sixth president of the Union Institute & University since 2018. She was president of Antioch University Midwest from 2014 to 2016.

Life

Webb was born to Corinne Perryman and Louis H. Schuster, II. ^[1] She earned a B.A. in Spanish, a M.S. in education, and a Ph.D. in English education and second language studies from the Indiana University Bloomington. ^[2] Webb's 1980 dissertation at the Indiana University School of Education was titled, A Study of Cognitive Processing Strategies for the Encoding of English Idioms into Long-Term Memory: A Study of Native, Advanced Nonnative, and Low Intermediate Nonnative Speakers of English. ^[1] Harry L. Gradman was her doctoral advisor. ^[1]

Webb worked at Howard University, Indiana University Bloomington, and Coppin State University. ^{[3] [4]} From 1992 to 1998, she was the program director for language education programs at the University of Kentucky. ^[4] She cofounded and co-directed its center for the study of academy achievement in learning environments from 1994 to 1998. ^[4] From 1998 to 2000, Webb was dean of the college of education at Southern University. ^[4] Webb was an associate provost for community engagement and was the founding dean of the Shirley M. Hufstedler School of Education at the Alliant International University. ^[2] In 2014, Webb became the fourth president of Antioch University Midwest and senior advisor for academic innovation do the chancellor of Antioch University. ^{[5] [6]} Her position as a campus president was terminated in 2016. ^[7]

On July 1, 2018, Webb became the sixth president of the Union Institute & University. ^[5] In October 2023, fifty doctoral students at Union signed a letter saying that she should resign as president “due to her creation of and subsequent failure to address the financial crisis, as well as her lack of transparency and empathy.” ^[8] However, as of March 2024, she remains as President of Union despite serious financial challenges at the institution. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

Webb married Wallace H. Webb, II. ^[1] She has two children. ^[2] She resided in Milford, Ohio before purchasing a home in Bloomington, Indiana in December 2022. ^[13]

References