Carshonda M. Harris

Biography

Dr. Carshonda Harris currently serves as Assistant Provost of Student Success and Flourishing within the Office of the Provost at Belmont University, a role she has held since January 2022. As a senior academic leader, Dr. Harris provides strategic vision, direction, and oversight for institution‑wide initiatives focused on holistic student development, success, persistence, and flourishing. Her leadership advances Belmont’s commitment to equitable access to education, student retention, and meaningful student outcomes by aligning academic and non‑academic supports to foster inclusive, empowering learning environments where all students can thrive.

Under Dr. Harris’s leadership, the Division of Student Success and Flourishing delivers comprehensive, student‑centered resources that champion Belmont students throughout their collegiate journey. Through holistic academic coaching, learning support, and career planning and preparation, the division empowers students to take ownership of their personal and academic growth; cultivates engaging learning environments grounded in community and belonging; and guides students as they explore identity, purpose, and vocation. The division is grounded in the values of Learning, Exploration, Collaboration, Access, and Empowerment, ensuring students receive support above, within, and beyond the classroom.

With Dr. Harris’s leadership and oversight, Belmont University achieved its highest Fall‑to‑Fall retention rate of 87% in Fall 2024 and a Fall‑to‑Spring persistence rate of 96%, reflecting a strengthened institutional focus on coordinated advising, proactive outreach, and holistic, student‑centered support that promotes continuity, belonging, and academic momentum.

She also served on the institutional leadership team responsible for implementing Salesforce Education Cloud, enhancing the advising and student success experience through integrated systems, data‑informed decision‑making, and personalized student engagement across the lifecycle.

Dr. Harris has led efforts to expand student well‑being and access by ensuring all Belmont students now have access to student health insurance, including establishing a strategic partnership with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) to better support student health, continuity of care, and overall success. She also provides oversight for the Bruins Emergency Fund, ensuring timely financial support for students facing unexpected hardships that could otherwise disrupt their academic progress or persistence. In addition, she leads institution‑wide initiatives supporting first‑generation and transfer students, strengthening onboarding experiences, retention efforts, and students’ sense of belonging.

Dr. Harris also co-leads the University You Summer Enrichment Program, providing strategic oversight for both the academic and co‑curricular components of the program. Through intentional co‑curriculum design, she ensures students are supported in developing college‑ready skills, academic confidence, community connections, and a strong sense of purpose prior to the start of the academic year. By coordinating advising, enrichment, and proactive outreach across enrollment and student success functions, Dr. Harris advances a seamless, student‑centered support network that removes barriers to success and promotes academic continuity.

As part of her leadership of pathway and access programs, Dr. Harris was responsible for a 96% persistence rate within the Bridges to Belmont Bell Tower Scholars Program, evidencing her commitment to student belonging, continuity, and academic momentum. Her dedication to community‑engaged student success also includes creating the Power Hour Program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee, strengthening academic support, mentorship, and enrichment opportunities for students and families in the greater Nashville community.

Dr. Harris has also expanded first‑year student success initiatives through strategic partnerships and innovative co‑curricular design. She established a partnership with TGLearn and secured funding to support semester‑long workshops and the First‑Year Seminar course, Foundations of Student Flourishing, designed specifically for first‑time freshmen. These initiatives strengthen executive functioning skills, foster wellbeing and purpose, and equip students with the academic and personal foundations necessary for successful college transition and persistence.

In addition, Dr. Harris created and secured funding for a four‑year mission trip program for first‑time freshmen, providing students with an immersive service‑learning experience in Memphis, Tennessee, in partnership with Serve 901. This program integrates reflection, civic engagement, and mission‑driven learning, supporting students’ development of purpose, leadership, and community responsibility while reinforcing Belmont’s commitment to values‑based education and student flourishing.

Dr. Harris earned an Associate Degree from Walters State Community College in 2004, a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in 2007, and a Master of Professional Studies in Strategic Leadership in 2012. She completed her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Learning at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2025.

Prior to joining Belmont, Dr. Harris served ETSU from 2009 to 2022 in leadership roles across Enrollment Services, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Equity and Diversity. Her work included oversight of the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center and its affiliated programs, including Programming and Outreach, Student Access and Success, International Student Support, the Pride Center, and scholarship and diversity initiatives. She led strategic planning, budgeting, assessment, reporting, and program evaluation efforts and played a key role in cultivating a welcoming, inclusive, and educationally focused campus climate. She also served in divisional leadership capacities, including Care Team and De‑Escalation Team leadership, on‑call administrator rotation, admissions and advising advocacy, and Chair of the Equity and Inclusion Conference.

Throughout her career, Dr. Harris has collaborated across diverse institutional contexts to design, implement, and assess student‑centered initiatives that enhance the overall student experience. Her professional and community engagement includes service on the YWCA of Tennessee and Virginia Board, the HOPE Council, and participation in the Johnson City Chamber Leadership Program. She has also served as a Tennessee Achieves Connect Mentor, Unity Way Allocations member, UMJOA community member, LeaderShape Family Cluster Facilitator, and Mid‑Manager Institute graduate.

Dr. Harris’s leadership and service have been recognized through numerous honors, including currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashville and received the Partner in Education (2024) and the Tennessee C.A.R.E. Award (2026). Dr. Harris’s community‑engaged leadership also includes service with the Boys & Girls Club, where she serves as a judge for the local Youth of the Year program and plays a key role in coordinating the Tennessee Boys & Girls Club Statewide Summit each spring. Through this work, she supports youth leadership development, educational aspiration, and statewide collaboration focused on student success and community impact.

Additional recognitions include membership in Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi, National Residence Hall Honorary, Health Heroes Nominee, Advisor of the Year, and inclusion in the 30 Under 40 Sawubona Class. She participated in the 2023 Fall Young Leader Council, and remains actively engaged with NASPA, serving on both the AVP Symposium Planning Committee and the AVP Steering Committee.