Syracuse University has named Sandra N. Hurd as associate provost for academic affairs, effective at the start of the Fall 2005 semester.
As associate provost, Hurd will serve as a senior administrator with Vice Chancellor and Provost Deborah A. Freund. Among her first assignments will be to help the University prepare for the upcoming Middle States re-accreditation process. She also will work on undergraduate issues and with Associate Vice Chancellor Michael Flusche and others on the vice chancellor's staff to seamlessly make the transition and realign administrative responsibilities in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Hurd has extensive experience in university-level administration, having served for more than a year as interim dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, where she is currently a professor of law and public policy. In addition, she is a core faculty member of the Renee Crown Honors Program and academic affairs director of the University's learning communities program.
"This is an exciting time to be involved with academic administration at SU," says Hurd. "It is a privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate with the wonderfully talented individuals in Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies, and I very much look forward to our work together."
Hurd's appointment will facilitate operations within Academic Affairs, giving the vice chancellor the flexibility needed to address a broader range of University priorities as identified by Chancellor Nancy Cantor. Specific responsibilities of the associate provost will be modified to meet evolving needs.
"Chancellor Cantor has put the University on course to be competitive with the nation's best private research universities. That requires that we all reassess the way we do our jobs, and Academic Affairs is no exception," says Freund. "Sandy is the consummate academic professional with extensive administrative experience, and I'm counting on her to bring new energy and insight to this office to help us all perform more efficiently and effectively."
In addition to her administrative acumen, Hurd also possesses impressive academic credentials. She is an international authority on product liability and safety-her primary area of research-and has published in such journals as the American Business Law Journal, the Journal of Product Liability, the Journal of Legislation, the International Journal of Technology Management, the Maryland Journal of International Law and Trade and the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Economic Law.
Known for her classroom skills and popular with students, Hurd was named a master teacher by the Academy of Legal Studies in Business and is a member of the SU Gateway Fellowship. She co-authored "Using Student Teams in the Classroom" (Anker Publishing, 2000) and "Building and Sustaining Learning Communities: The Syracuse University Experience" (Anker Publishing, 2004). Awards include Whitman School awards for distinguished service and for excellence in teaching, the Tankersley Leadership Award and the Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the University's Academic Programs.
After completing a B.A. degree in English at Wells College, Hurd enrolled in SU's College of Law, where she earned a J.D. She served for six years as law clerk for Ormand N. Gale, senior judge of the Onondaga County Court, then returned to SU to devote her career to her academic interests and service to the University.
For more information about the Office of Academic Affairs, visit http://provost.syr.edu/.
