Jerry Pope

Vice President of Academic Affairs
Kansas City Kansas Community College

Jerry Pope serves as vice president of academic affairs at Kansas City Kansas Community College, or KCKCC, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he provides leadership for the college's academic divisions and programs, workforce and adult education, academic planning, curriculum, program review, assessment, faculty development and partnerships with schools, universities, employers and community organizations. He also serves as KCKCC's accreditation liaison officer to the Higher Learning Commission and has played a central role in the college's accreditation, institutional improvement and academic quality initiatives. His work focuses on connecting academic quality and student success with workforce needs, institutional strategy, and the evolving role of community colleges in the region.

Pope brings more than three decades of experience in higher education as a faculty member and administrator, including 13 years in the classroom before moving into full-time academic leadership. Throughout his career, he has been particularly interested in curriculum and program development, assessment, shared governance, organizational leadership and creating stronger connections between education and the communities it serves. He is pleased to serve on the K-State Olathe Deans Advisory Board and contribute a community college perspective to conversations about academic innovation, workforce alignment and educational pathways across the Kansas City region.