SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University College of Law Dean Craig Boise plans to step down from the role at the end of this academic year. He has served as dean since 2016. Following a sabbatical, Boise will return to the College of Law to teach, mentor, and continue his work as a legal scholar, Syracuse […]
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University College of Law Dean Craig Boise plans to step down from the role at the end of this academic year.
He has served as dean since 2016.
Following a sabbatical, Boise will return to the College of Law to teach, mentor, and continue his work as a legal scholar, Syracuse University said in an online announcement.
Information on the search effort to identify Boise’s successor is “forthcoming,” the school noted.
“Craig’s impact has been transformative,” Gretchen Ritter, Syracuse University vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, said in a university statement. “Under his leadership, the College of Law has been exceptionally strong in research, which is not traditional for law schools, and it has been innovative and entrepreneurial, particularly as it relates to evolving the legal education space to meet the needs of today’s students, increasing accessibility and opening doors to those who may come from post-traditional pathways. Craig has been an outstanding leader, partner and innovator and will leave behind an incredible success on which to be built.”
Boise came to Syracuse University from the Cleveland State University College of Law during a “period of great stress in legal education” when there were substantially fewer law-school applicants and a soft legal job market, Syracuse said.
“Craig saw these challenges as opportunities,” Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said. “He knew that law schools that could quickly pivot and creatively figure out ways to develop collaborative, interdisciplinary, novel and relevant course offerings and degrees would stand out competitively and attract talented students and faculty. I look forward to his continued contributions to Syracuse University as a legal scholar and colleague.”
When Boise stepped into his role as dean of the College of Law, Syracuse University said he described his vision to create “a sustainable law school that leverages the knowledge, skill and imagination of its faculty and staff to expand legal education in innovative ways.”
Seven years later, Boise is announcing his decision to step down “with that vision achieved,” the university contends. The College of Law is on “strong” financial and academic footing with new, “innovative” programs, partnerships and modalities, and students and graduates “performing at high levels during and after their legal education,” it adds.
“No dean remains in the role forever — we are merely stewards of our institutions for the time that we serve, with the goal of leaving them better than we found them,” Boise said. “I’m gratified to know that the College of Law is in a strong position on all fronts and that we can embrace the future with confidence. What our outstanding faculty and staff have created together — supported by our remarkable alumni — will serve as a solid foundation on which the next generation of extraordinary Orange lawyers will build their professional lives as they, in turn, strengthen the college’s reputation and impact.”
Accomplishments
In its announcement, Syracuse University listed several accomplishments for the College of Law under Boise’s leadership. They include launching the JDinteractive online J.D. program, “the first such program in the country to utilize virtual classrooms” and the “only online J.D./MBA program in the country” in partnership with the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
In addition, the Syracuse College of Law launched the Orange Advance pipeline program with Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta. The College of Law also significantly increased both the diversity and credentials of the student body; on average, students of color have comprised 30 percent of entering classes, with a record 37 percent for the entering class of 2022, the university noted.
In addition, Boise has “significantly strengthened” the college’s financial position, by operating with a balanced budget and “raising more philanthropic dollars than ever before,” the college noted.
The annual fund surpassed $1 million for the first time in the college’s history and will exceed its $38 million Forever Orange Campaign goal more than one year ahead of schedule.
