Fern Khan

(she/her)

As Dean Emerita of Bank Street College’s Division of Continuing Education, Fern J. Khan is acknowledged as an innovator in program development in public and private postsecondary education. With her focus on providing access and opportunities for underserved populations, she developed and supervised a diverse group of programs including the NY State sponsored Liberty Partnerships Program, the Bank Street Head Start, New Beginnings in Newark, and with her team, provided professional development for teachers and leaders, social workers and afterschool staff in schools and nonprofit programs through innovative courses, workshops, and institutes. Bank Street’s membership in a college consortium enabled Fern to also provide college courses to incarcerated women at the Bedford Hill facility.

Prior to her work at Bank Street College, Fern was Associate Dean for Adult and Continuing Education at LaGuardia Community College where she developed and implemented a CUNY-wide educational program for paraprofessionals in education; the first comprehensive program providing access to post-secondary education for deaf adults; and the first college program for homeless families on a NYC campus, among other programs within her Community Services portfolio. She also conducted an “Assessment of Community Needs in Western Queens.” Fern served two terms on the NY State Advisory Council on Adult Learning Services in the early ‘90s. She currently serves on six nonprofit boards.

Fern holds a B.Sc in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and was PASE’s Afterschool Champion at its 2023 Gala.