Feeley was a fellow at the Institute for the Study of Change at Claremont University Center (now Claremont Graduate University).[4] She was an American Council on Education intern in 1970/1971.[4]
Feeley became president of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland on July 1, 1971.[1][2][4][5] At the time, many Catholic colleges for women were merging with colleges for men or becoming coeducational. Feeley led the process to determine what the College of Notre Dame would do.[1]
Under Feeley's leadership, the college allowed part-time students and started the second Weekend College in the nation in 1975.[1] In 1984, the college began to offer graduate degrees.[1] In 1989, she founded the Renaissance Institute at the college.[6] She served as president for 21 years and retired in 1992.[1][2]
In 1999, she returned to the College of Notre Dame as a professor of English.[2]
In 1994, Feeley worked with the School Sisters of Notre Dame to raise money to renovate a building in Baltimore and found the Caroline Center, a religious institute focused on helping women with job readiness, skill training and support.[1][5]
In 1995, Feeley was appointed by Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke to serve as Administrator for Special Education for Baltimore City Public Schools.[1] A lawsuit had been filed against the city and her task was to bring the city in compliance with special education law.[3] She formed a unique city and state educational partnership that is considered as a model across the United States.[1] She remained in the role until 1997.[2]
Feeley also served as a Fulbright professor of English at the University of Madras in India from 1992 to 1993[2][7] and the Fudan University in Shanghai, China from 1998 to 1999.[2] She was a visiting professor at the Australian Catholic University from 1993 to 1994[8] and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County from 1997 to 1998.[2][3]
She was the first female professor at the Catholic University of Ghana in Sunyani, Ghana. She was professor there from 2003 to 2010.[9][10][11][12] In May 2010, she was asked to serve as the interim president of the Institute of Notre Dame and left Ghana for Baltimore. She remained in that role until July 1, 2011, when Mary Funke was appointed.[11][12][13]
