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Governor for Part-Time (Southern Region) Dr. Susan Finley is dedicated to the growth and development of part-time faculty members as professionals, ensuring they can best serve their communities, institutions, and students alike. She advocates for collegiality and a working environment that values all voices in service to students. Dr. Finley is an experienced educator and mental health advocate with nearly two decades in higher education. She teaches psychology and counseling at the graduate and undergraduate levels, with current roles at Santa Monica College (where she has been an adjunct since 2013) and as curriculum developer at UCLA Health. She also has experience as a course developer at Riverside Community College District, and as a career counselor and associate professor at Pace University and Dutchess Community College in New York. In addition, Dr. Finley taught research methods in psychology at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) for Pepperdine University for five years. Dr. Finley holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University, an MS in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University, and a BA in Media Studies with a minor in Psychology from Fordham University, where she was a scholar-athlete. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Board Certified–TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) under the National Board for Certified Counselors. Her research focuses on distance education, telehealth, mindfulness, and resilience. Actively engaged in mental health advocacy, she has trained at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center and works in suicide prevention. Committed to equity, accessibility, and faculty advocacy, Dr. Finley aligns with the FACCC mission to empower educators and support student success. She champions social justice, diversity, and the vital role of community colleges in economic and social growth where every faculty member is an advocate, and every advocate is informed. It has been the honor of her life to work in the community college environment as an adjunct instructor, and she looks forward to representing her peers with pride and Contact Susan: |
