William McClure, Ph.D., who currently serves as Dean of Faculty in the School of Arts and Humanities at Queens College, has accepted an offer to become the next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY New Paltz. His appointment to this position will begin on July 6.
McClure brings three decades of higher education experience as a teacher, scholar and administrator to this role. A widely recognized expert in Japanese language and linguistics, McClure is also the author of five books and numerous peer-reviewed chapters, papers and articles.
At Queens College and the CUNY Graduate Center, he has worked collaboratively with partners across campus to advance institutional priorities on multiple fronts. Among his accomplishments, he has supported the creation of multiple new academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels; led concerted and sustained efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty; coordinated a revamp of the writing curriculum to serve an increasingly multilingual student population; and represented the institution externally with key stakeholders, including as part of efforts to secure major gifts to benefit academic programs and services.
McClure’s 10 years as a dean at Queens College included terms as special assistant to the provost for international affairs (2015-2021) and as interim associate provost (2017-2018). He had previously served from 2005-2011 as chair of the Department of Classical, Middle Eastern & Asian Languages & Cultures. Prior to his time at Queens, McClure held academic appointments at Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan; Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic; University of Durham, England; and Cornell University, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
As Provost, McClure will be responsible for the planning, development, growth and quality of all academic programs and related support functions. The provost is the chief personnel officer for academic employees and is responsible for hiring and evaluating faculty and ensuring, together with the faculty, that the New Paltz curriculum is relevant, timely and adequately supported.
His duties include the articulation of an academic vision, leadership in academic strategic planning that supports the institutional strategic plan, the development and administration of academic budgets and the advancement of excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. He will oversee the five academic schools – Business, Education, Fine & Performing Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Science & Engineering – as well as the Sojourner Truth Library; Graduate, Professional, & Interdisciplinary Studies; Continuing & Online Education; the Center for International Programs; and the Honors Program.
McClure will succeed outgoing Interim Provost Barbara Lyman, who will leave SUNY New Paltz after serving in this interim role well beyond her initial one-year appointment in 2019-20. Lyman was a valued source of stability and leadership at the University during the COVID-19 pandemic, and contributed to many other institutional initiatives during her time in this position.
Please visit the Division of Academic Affairs online for more information about the Provost Office’s functions, mission and responsibilities.
