Harford Community College Announces New Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs

Harford Community College announces the appointment of Dr. Olivia Rines to the position of Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs effective June 1, 2024. Dr. Rines has 11 years of experience in higher education, teaching transitional English, composition, literature, and applied linguistics courses.

They earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from Arizona State University, and an M.A. in English (Concentration in Applied Linguistics) and a B.A. in English with a minor in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Dr. Rines is currently the coordinator for English and languages and an assistant professor of English and Transitional Studies at Harford Community College. As the coordinator for English and languages, they are responsible for hiring, onboarding, orienting, mentoring, and supporting adjunct faculty; coordinating schedule building and staffing; working with internal and external stakeholders to implement dual-enrollment initiatives; overseeing assessment and the program review process; responding to student needs, including course placement requests; and directing curricular development, including program development, course development, curricular mapping, and updating of student learning outcomes. Dr. Rines currently teaches ENG 018: Integrated Reading & Writing, ENG 101: First Year Composition, ENG 019: Accelerated Writing, and ENG 102: English Composition and Literature at Harford.

Prior to joining Harford, Dr. Rines was a faculty associate for Writing Programs at Arizona State University. They also worked previously as adjunct faculty teaching Composition, Creative Writing and Literature at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona. Other academic posts held include SAT Preparation instructor, The Princeton Review; writing tutor at the Writing Center, Mesa Community College (Arizona); education specialist, Global Launch, Arizona State University; teaching associate at Arizona State University and UNC Charlotte; and graduate assistant, Writing Resources Center at UNC Charlotte. Their teaching experience includes face-to-face, hybrid, and online instruction.   

At Harford, they serve on the Learning Assessment Committee, Safe Zone Committee, Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum Workgroup, Gateway Courses Workgroup, and Strategic Plan Student Access Workgroup. In addition, they co-advise the Active Minds and Rainbow Alliance student clubs.

Dr. Rines’ pedagogical focuses are inclusive teaching strategies and high impact practices that create a dynamic and equitable learning experience for all students.