Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina to step down at end of year, pursue university presidency position

Syracuse University’s vice chancellor and provost, Eric Spina, will step down at the end of 2014, according to a Dec. 5 SU News Release.

Spina, who has held the position under two chancellors since 2006, will return to the faculty as a Trustee Professor while he begins to seriously pursue a university presidency position, according to the release. Liz Liddy, dean of the School of Information Studies, will assume his position as interim vice chancellor and provost starting Jan. 1, 2015.

“I care deeply about this University, and at this time believe I owe it to the campus community to step aside before I begin my earnest search for a presidency position,” Spina said in the release.

Beginning his career at SU as a faculty member in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, Spina has been at SU for 26 years. He has served as the chair of the department of mechanical, aerospace and manufacturing engineering; dean of the engineering college; vice chancellor and provost; and interim chancellor and president in 2013 after then-Chancellor Nancy Cantor stepped down.

“Eric has devoted more than 25 years of his life to Syracuse, as a teacher, as a dean, as vice chancellor and provost, and the University is a better place because of it,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said in the release.