Barbara Howard

Education and Credentials

• Doctor of Education

Dr. Barbara Howard is an Associate Professor of Education and serves as the Director of Assessment and Accreditation for the School of Education at Concordia University Irvine, where she has dedicated nearly 22 years to advancing educational excellence and equity. As the School of Education’s liaison to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Dr. Howard brings deep expertise in accreditation standards and program evaluation, having served as a volunteer reviewer on multiple CTC site visits. She also chairs the university’s Educational Effectiveness Committee and supports institutional assessment efforts for WSCUC accreditation. Dr. Howard earned her Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco, grounding her work in a commitment to culturally competent education that serves all students.

As an HSI Faculty Fellow, Dr. Howard has worked to ensure students at Concordia University Irvine feel that they belong here. To that end, she has developed and embedded survey instruments that measure how loved, accepted, and at home students feel at CUI. Her data-driven approach has led to meaningful programmatic changes across the School of Education, translating assessment findings into actionable improvements that enhance student experience and success.

Dr. Howard’s mentorship philosophy centers on walking alongside doctoral students on their journey—guiding rather than directing, supporting rather than prescribing. She brings to dissertation advising the same servant leadership approach she has reflected on in her daily work, creating a collaborative partnership where students develop their scholarly voice while benefiting from her expertise in assessment, accreditation, and equity-focused educational practice.

Dissertation Chairing and Advising

Barbara Howard serves as a dissertation chair for Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) students and advises doctoral research aligned with program requirements.

Courses Taught

• Dissertation Chair

Areas of Expertise

• Sense of Belonging, Assessment, Adult Pedagogy