Dr. Althia Ellis

About Dr. Ellis

Althia Ellis, Ph.D., is a higher education administrator, academic leader, facilitator, and independent consultant with more than 15 years of experience in higher education administration and leadership, approximately 16 years of teaching at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, and workshop and conference facilitation experience since 2017.

Her strongest areas include higher education accreditation and institutional effectiveness, academic leadership and faculty development, student success and retention for adult and online learners, and cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication. She has written self-studies, prepared evidence, and hosted evaluation visits for DEAC, ACEN, and ACICS, including leading an academic division through an ACICS-to-DEAC accreditation transition.

Workshops & Consulting

Five services support inclusive leadership, strengths-based planning, adult learner success, and institutional improvement. Each can be customized to the organization’s context, audience, and goals.

Facilitation Philosophy

Real challenges. Inclusive voices. Practical next steps.

I believe the most useful learning happens when people work on their own real challenges, not when they simply receive information. As an educator and academic leader trained in adult learning, I design every session around the experience and expertise already present. I start from what an organization does well, then help the group build on it.

I care about results people can see. Every workshop or engagement should end with clear priorities, named owners and practical next steps, not just good conversation. My years leading accreditation work taught me that lasting improvement comes from everyday habits and evidence, not last-minute effort.

I also believe every voice matters. Drawing on my research in cultural intelligence, I create inclusive spaces where people of different backgrounds, roles and perspectives can contribute fully, because better decisions come from hearing everyone. Above all, I work with integrity; I deliver honest assessments, realistic recommendations and respect for each organization’s context and goals.

Approach & Engagement Details

Dr. Ellis applies the four-capability CQ model, andragogy, experiential learning, accreditation standards and gap analysis, outcomes-based curriculum and assessment alignment, data-informed continuous improvement, transformational leadership, reflective practice, and culturally responsive teaching. She facilitates confidently with SOAR, SWOT, Appreciative Inquiry, silent brainstorming, affinity clustering, prioritization, and voting. She has introductory familiarity with Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, Design Thinking, customer journey mapping, scenario planning, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, and systems thinking.

Her scholarly work includes peer-reviewed publications in American Behavioral Scientist (2025) and Education Sciences (2024), a book chapter on cultural intelligence and experiential learning (2016), her Florida Atlantic University doctoral dissertation on CQ and faculty leadership (2017), and a book on senior centers and older adults’ quality of life (2024). Conference presentations have addressed vocational excellence in Dakar (2026), academia–industry connections and education at Women in Business conferences (2024), cultural intelligence and faculty leadership at Broward College (2018), and international student success at the Florida Consortium for International Education (2017). Her workshops include a six-session APA writing series at San Ignacio University (2023–2024), faculty development and retention in-services (2022–2023), strategic higher education leadership for MBA students (2020), and cultural intelligence in classrooms (2018).

Based in Davie, Florida, Dr. Ellis delivers online sessions as her preferred format, in-person services in South Florida, and hybrid engagements on request. She is generally available Monday–Friday and some weekends, from mornings through early evenings Eastern Time. Standard workshops usually require 1–2 weeks’ notice; customized sessions and consulting require 3–4 weeks. Previously delivered workshops may be available with 48–72 hours’ notice. Approximate monthly capacity is up to four workshops plus two to four consulting engagements. She welcomes one-time and recurring relationships and can accommodate international clients, including Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific, with advance scheduling. Travel within Florida, elsewhere in the United States, and internationally is possible with advance notice.

Dr. Ellis is a member and fellowship application reviewer for the POD Network and a member of the Global Trade Chamber. Her reported recognitions include Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community (2019) and the Minority Woman Entrepreneur Award from the Minority Chamber of Commerce in Miami (2010).

Her technology toolkit includes Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Blackboard Collaborate, Google Meet, Microsoft 365, PowerPoint, Canvas, Blackboard, D2L, Google Workspace, Canva, Panopto, Campus Café, Dropout Detective, HubSpot, Claude, Perplexity, and ChatGPT, with familiarity in Miro and Mural.