Syracuse Sun

Gretchen Ritter, who has served as vice chancellor, provost, and chief academic officer for three years, announced today that she will step down from her current role to assume a new position. Effective July 1, Ritter will become the University’s vice president for civic engagement and education. An interim provost will be appointed following consultations with key stakeholders.

“Gretchen arrived at Syracuse University in the midst of a global pandemic and made an immediate impact on our academic and research enterprise,” stated Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Among her most significant achievements, Syracuse University now has a new academic strategic plan and has already begun implementing its ambitious priorities. Gretchen’s contributions as the University’s chief academic officer will be felt for many years to come, and I look forward to her continued impact in this new role.”

Ritter began her tenure as provost in the fall of 2021. During her time in office, she focused on advancing key academic priorities for the University. Her leadership saw several accomplishments:

- Collaboration across disciplines led to the creation of “Leading with Distinction,” an academic strategic plan.

- Recruitment of academic deans for five schools and colleges, along with hiring two of the largest faculty cohorts in University history.

- Navigation through challenges posed by the Supreme Court ruling eliminating race-based admissions.

- Launching centers such as the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship and the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing.

- Developing strategies to protect free speech, free expression, and academic freedom through initiatives like the “Syracuse Statement.”

- Organizing events addressing societal issues including free speech and artificial intelligence.

“Serving as Syracuse University’s chief academic officer has been a great personal and professional honor,” said Ritter. “I am immensely proud of what the University has accomplished in recent years... I am excited to take on this new role... I am grateful for the meaningful relationships I have created here.”

In her new role as vice president for civic engagement and education, Ritter will facilitate programming to foster civil dialogue and promote free expression across diverse viewpoints. She will collaborate with faculty scholars and other units to advance civic engagement appreciation while supporting students' development into engaged citizens. Additionally, Ritter will continue her work as a professor of political science at Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Ritter is recognized as an expert in women’s constitutional rights history and contemporary democracy issues. Before joining Syracuse University, she was executive dean at The Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences. She also served as Harold Tanner Dean at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences—the first female dean—and spent 20 years at the University of Texas at Austin.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in government and a Ph.D. in political science from MIT.