Joel Johnson, Ed.D.

Dr. Joel Johnson serves as the Dean of Assessment and Continuous Improvement and has more than 20 years of higher education experience working in various roles and contexts. 

As Dean, Dr. Johnson provides leadership, coordination, and oversight of assessment efforts, including the collection, analysis, and distribution of assessment data to be used for continuous quality improvement and in fulfillment of regulatory and compliance requirements. In collaboration with the Provost, Dr. Johnson leads efforts to identify and implement initiatives that advance the mission, vision, and strategic plans of Academic Affairs. In addition to these responsibilities, he serves as liaison to the Higher Learning Commission, leads new academic program exploration and proposal processes, and oversees the Registrar's Office and Online Learning Office.

Prior to his work at Northwestern, Dr. Johnson worked for Ellucian in their Managed Services Division and at the College of St. Scholastica where he served as the institution’s Continuous Improvement Director.

Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (MN), a master's degree in Educational Technology Leadership from the George Washington University (DC), and a doctoral degree from the University of Glasgow (Glasgow, Scotland). He and his wife, Heather (’02), reside in Shoreview with their sons, Isaac and David.