She previously was the 5th president of Kennesaw State University and served on the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics.

[7] Whitten was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Georgia from 2014 until 2018.

[18] On April 25, 2024, Whitten formed an ad hoc committee to change the terms of use of Indiana University Assembly Ground on the eve of pro-Palestinian protests.

[19] This policy change facilitated the arrest of students, faculty, and community members who were occupying Dunn Meadow.

[20][21] Legal scholars interviewed by The Herald-Times questioned whether the policy changes may have violated the First Amendment.