Faculty in the College of Graduate and Innovative Programs at all levels are selected not only for their respective academic credentials, but for their demonstrated ability to provide students with a learning experience that translates into applicable leadership and expertise.
Vice President of Educational InnovationDean, College of Graduate and Innovative ProgramsProfessor of Leadership
Dr. Thomas (Tom) Jandris is an educator and business person with a wide range of experience. Tom currently has the unique distinction of serving as Vice President for Innovation and Dean of a large and rapidly growing college at Concordia University Chicago—the College of Graduate and Innovative Programs. In this capacity, he leads several graduate programs that are among the largest in the country and serve approximately 4,000 graduate students in 39 programs. He was also the founding Dean of the College of Business at Concordia. Most recently, the University of Minnesota, where Jandris serves on the Board, named its “Thomas P. Jandris Center for Innovation in Higher Education” after him.
Several years ago, Dr. Jandris started Progress Education Corporation to offer staff development, school improvement planning, policy consulting, and a line of proprietary technology–based learning management tools to schools, districts and states. Before that, he served as the president of EDmin, Inc., a company that develops technology solutions to empower performance management in public education.
Other private sector, education experience include founding and managing Fox River Learning and serving as CEO of HOSTS Corporation. Prior to his service to EDmin, he served as the lead consultant to the governor of Michigan and the mayor’s office in Detroit during the reform takeover of the Detroit Public Schools. He was also asked by Governor Bush and Commissioner Gallagher in Florida to help draft the enabling legislation to implement a constitutional amendment to restructure the governance of Florida’s entire education system. Additional work is focused on designing and planning comprehensive performance management systems for urban school districts.
In his capacity as director of state services for the Education Commission of the States (ECS), Dr. Jandris and his team were the policy consultants and technical advisors to the nation’s governors, legislators and other education leaders. In his role as director, Dr. Jandris was the chief architect and leader of the Urban Coalition and Corporate Partners Programs at ECS. While with ECS, Dr. Jandris also directed the three-year national study of the Governance of America’s Schools.
Prior to his tenure at ECS, Dr. Jandris had extensive careers in both education and the private sector. He was a teacher, principal and director of secondary education at a large urban district. He founded and grew a highly successful human resources consulting company. He is a past U.S. Olympic Team member and syndicated columnist.
Dr. Jandris is a licensed psychologist who continues to teach at the graduate level. His education includes a PhD from the University of Minnesota, an MEd from Wayne State and a BS in education from Eastern Illinois University.
Associate Professor of LeadershipAssistant Dean, College of Graduate and Innovative Programs
Dr. Santin teaches graduate level courses focusing on developing human capital, organizational change, leadership theories and professional practice as well as promoting and leading change. Dr. Santin was an early adopter of online education; developing an online MBA program in 1996 and an online doctoral program in 1998. She is an industry expert in the areas of developing learning communities, online curriculum development, online instruction and online faculty training.
Additionally, Dr. Santin is an expert in systems thinking, as well as organizational and higher education leadership. Dr. Santin has been a member of Concordia’s faculty since 2008.
Associaate Professor of LeadershipAssistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Dr. Trybus teaches graduate courses focusing on the areas of education and leadership such as school evaluation and change, research based decision making, organizational change, curriculum construction and instructional leadership. She is a research expert in the areas of administrative internship programs, organizational development and change and high school restructuring.
Previously, Dr. Trybus, worked as an Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. She also wrote several Illinois Arts Council grants for K-12 schools in Illinois, which brought dance, theater, music and visual arts programs to various communities. She also served as a grant reader for many other organizations. Dr. Trybus has been a member of Concordia’s faculty since 2006.