Southwest names Parisa Naghshpour director of institutional effectiveness

Southwest Tennessee Community College has announced the appointment of Parisa Naghshpour as director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

Naghshpour brings more than a decade of experience in institutional research, effectiveness, planning and leadership within higher education. A native of South Mississippi, she holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from The University of Southern Mississippi, where she began her higher education career in 2011.

Her professional background spans a wide range of institutional contexts, including Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College; Alabama A&M University, a historically Black college and land-grant institution; Nebraska Indian Community College, a tribal college and land-grant institution; and Kilgore College, an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Through these roles, she gained experience supporting data-informed decision-making, accreditation, and continuous improvement efforts.

In addition to campus-based roles, Naghshpour has served as a consultant in multiple leadership capacities, including accreditation consultant, accreditation liaison officer and ombudsman for Pawnee National College, an emerging tribal college located on the historic grounds of the former Pawnee Nation boarding school in Oklahoma. Her accreditation experience includes work with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the Higher Learning Commission and several programmatic accrediting agencies.

College leaders said Naghshpour’s background aligns well with Southwest’s ongoing emphasis on accountability, planning and institutional effectiveness. In her new role, she will oversee institutional research, assessment and effectiveness initiatives that support the college’s mission and strategic goals.

Naghshpour said she is excited to begin this next chapter at Southwest and to contribute to a culture of continuous improvement. She recently relocated to Memphis with her family, including her twin sons, daughter and granddaughter.

Naghshpour can be reached at 901-333-4946 or pnaghshpour@southwest.tn.edu.