Barbara Leigh Smith is a Senior Scholar at the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, an emeritus member of the faculty, and former provost and vice president for academic affairs at The Evergreen State College. Smith and Jean MacGregor are founders of the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education which has led learning community development for twenty years.

Jean MacGregor is a Senior Scholar at the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education and teaches in the master of environmental studies program at The Evergreen State College.

Roberta S. Matthews is provost and vice president for academic affairs and professor of English at Brooklyn College.

Faith Gabelnick was president emerita of Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon, and president of Gabelnick Consulting Institute.