Michael Sugerman, an associate professor of archeology, has been selected as the interim vice chancellor for Academic Affairs for Washington State University Global Campus. The position was left open after Rebecca Van De Vord retired earlier this year.
The vice chancellor for Academic Affairs reports to Global Campus Chancellor Dave Cillay, working with faculty and staff in departments across the university to ensure the high quality of academic programs at WSU Global Campus. Sugerman will assume the role on June 1 on a one‑year interim basis.
Sugerman received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Harvard University and has worked in higher education for more than 20 years, including posts at Binghamton University and University of Massachusetts Amherst.
At Amherst, Sugerman worked in the development of interdisciplinary curriculum, including online programs. He later worked more on the development of online programs during his time at Binghamton. Due to this past experience with online learning, he was appointed the College of Arts and Sciences’ liaison to Global Campus after arriving at WSU in 2020.
“I am honored to accept this interim appointment and very thankful to those who considered me for the position,” said Sugerman. “I plan to bring in my own academic background and perspective to help continue the great work WSU Global Campus has done to extend the reach of high-caliber higher education to a wide variety of students around the world.”
As of fall semester 2020, more than 4,000 primarily adult students are pursuing their education completely online at WSU Global Campus, which offers 21 undergraduate majors and 13 master’s degree programs.
WSU has been a leader in online higher education for more than 25 years. It launched its first distance degree program in 1992 and was one of the first public universities to recognize the potential of online education. In 2021, WSU Global Campus was ranked among the nation’s best online undergraduate programs by U.S. News & World Report.
