Sheila Ainlay serves as vice provost for academic planning and budget at Arizona State University, having joined the Office of the University Provost in 2007. In this position, she supports the academic and enrollment planning, analysis, and budgeting processes of the university.
Prior to her current position, Professor Ainlay was part of the founding staff of ASU’s Polytechnic campus. Beginning in August 1995, she served as director, and subsequently, as vice provost for planning and budget. Before helping to establish ASU Polytechnic, she was director of institutional planning and research at ASU’s West campus, a position she held from 1987 to 1995. At ASU West, she was involved from the early stages in supporting the planning activities of the campus. She was instrumental in establishing the data and reporting processes related to institutional planning and management for the campus. In 1994, she was asked to join the university-wide team charged with planning for the newly created East campus of ASU (now ASU Polytechnic). She served on the executive committee as well as staff support to the Academic Planning Committee for ASU East, coordinating completion of the First Phase Development Plan.
Prior to coming to ASU, her experience includes working as a member of the Governor’s Management and Audit Team, an effort created by then Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt to provide management consulting services to state agencies.