Sandra Watts

Teaching Professor of Spanish | Academic Director, B.S. in Professional Studies

Dr. Sandra Watts is a leading practitioner in higher education evolution, defined by cross-sector leadership that bridges academia, industry, global defense, and K–12 education. As Academic Director for the B.S. in Professional Studies at UNC Charlotte, she combines certifications in Professional, Online, and Continuing Education and Instructional Design with fourteen years of experience coordinating high-enrollment programs to drive operational excellence and pedagogical innovation.

An expert in adult learner success and online learning, Dr. Watts designs flexible, high-impact pathways for non-traditional students while engaging campus-based students as the Lee Barnes Campus Debate Faculty Fellow. She is recognized for her ability to engage diverse stakeholders across institutional silos; most recently, she forged an AAC&U Curriculum-to-Career Institute team integrating leadership from the School of Professional Studies, the University Career Center, the College of Humanities, Earth, and Social Sciences, and the AI in the Humanities program. Her teaching portfolio ranges from mentoring Honors College students to delivering bilingual corporate leadership training. In 2026, she was invited to lead the community-based course “Barbie: An American Icon” for the CHESS Initiative of Lifelong Learning and The Independent Picture House, blending critical theory and popular culture to facilitate deep humanistic inquiry.

Dr. Watts’ influence in pedagogical innovation and digital transformation extends across state, national, and international levels:

• State: Within the UNC System, she serves on the Language Assembly Executive Board and holds “Best in Track” honors for digital learning. She has also held multiple leadership roles with AATSP-NC including President.

• National: She contributes to the future of higher education as the UPCEA South Region President-Elect (2026)and a member of the EDUCAUSE Technology, Leadership, and Culture Advisory Council. Her leadership is distinguished by her selection as a Bethaida “Bea” González Leadership Scholar and a Teach Access Educator Fellow.

• International: A global speaker and Subject Matter Expert for the AI 2030 Institute, she co-delivered a plenary at the NATO Training Technology Conference in Istanbul and served on the opening panel for the IV Encuentro Latinoamericano de Quality Matters, addressing digital leadership for a multinational Spanish-speaking audience.

As a Strategy Consultant for Vista Higher Learning, a facilitator for the Charlotte AI Innovators Academy, and a frequent guest on higher education and technology podcasts, In all her endeavors from undergraduate courses to the global stage Dr. Watts translates research into scalable innovation.