A native of North Carolina, Bailey earned a bachelor's degree in English from Coker College in Hartsville, SC.
Bailey's termination by the board came after she refused an offer to buy out her contract, worth upwards of $400,000, if she resigned.
[5] Bailey has been president and senior consultant of JIHBAILEY ASSOCIATES, serving higher education and other nonprofits since 2006.
In January 2007, she became a senior fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Bailey was granted status as President Emeritus of Northern Michigan University on May 1, 2013.