Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth

Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth is the chief academic officer and provost at Western Governors University, a national, nonprofit, online higher education institution. Courtney leads WGU’s academic strategy, vision, and operations to expand access and improve student success. She oversees WGU’s schools of Business, Education, Health, and Technology; program development; university technology and student experience; mentoring; accreditation; and new work-based learning pathways. Previously, she was senior vice president at Strada Education Foundation, leading philanthropic giving and national initiatives to advance education-to-work pathways. Prior to joining Strada, Courtney served as the special assistant to the president at the University of Utah, guiding university-wide strategic planning, presidential initiatives, and innovation efforts. Her background also includes managing executive education and programs at the U’s Sorenson Impact Institute and developing large-scale domestic and global internship programs at the U’s Hinckley Institute of Politics. Courtney has taught dozens of courses in person, hybrid, and online, focused on higher education, political science, and social entrepreneurship. Courtney, a former Academic All-American soccer player, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and education, respectively, from the U. She holds a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. Courtney, her husband Mitch, and their three boys live in Salt Lake City.