Suzan Harkness is the new Provost at SUNY Morrisville, beginning Jan. 9, 2023.
Harkness comes to SUNY Morrisville with more than two decades of experience in higher education, most recently as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Assessment at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, Maryland. In that role, she is responsible for academic operations, student success and retention, institutional accreditation and assessment, policy development and online learning.
“All of us at Morrisville are excited to have Suzan join our campus community,” said SUNY Morrisville President David Rogers. “Her academic background and administrative experience are exactly what we need to advance our college mission and propel us into our next century.”
As provost, Harkness will be responsible for the oversight and administration of all academic support programs and addressing opportunities that support the college’s mission to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. She will also serve as the contact person for academic policies and procedures.
“I am excited to join the SUNY family and come to Morrisville at this pivotal time to support the innovative and dedicated work of faculty, support student success, innovate in partnership across all campus communities and work closely with President Rogers as we continue to build a strong and sustainable future,” Harkness said.
Currently a full professor, Harkness has held positions at both public and private, small- and medium-sized institutions, co-ed, single gender, predominately minority and institutions focused on serving underrepresented students.
Her administrative experience includes serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Stephens College; Special Assistant to the President, Founding Director of the Center for Academic Technology, and Assistant Dean in the Learning Resources Division, all at the University of the District of Columbia. She was also the Managing Director for Academic Affairs at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.
As an early adopter of teaching online beginning in 1995, Harkness broke new ground by using podcast technology in 2005, before much larger institutions jumped on the technological revolution. These early efforts garnered news coverage around the world.
She received national and international recognition by Quality Matters, Blackboard International and the National University Technology Network (NUTN) for institutional achievement, student success and faculty professional development.
Harkness earned her Ph.D. in political science, specializing in public policy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, an M.A. in international relations from U.S. International University and a B.S. in psychology from the University of Wisconsin System at La Crosse.
She also has certificates in data analytics from Cornell University, leadership and intercultural curriculum development from the East-West Center, Higher Education Management from the Peabody School at Vanderbilt University, and leadership of the faculty from Harvard University.
