The general governance of Wayne State University is constitutionally vested in the Board of Governors, consisting of eight popularly elected members and the President of the University, who is named by the elected members. The president is the chief executive officer of the university and is charged by the Board of Governors with responsibility for its administration. For educational and administrative purposes, the university is organized into major academic units — schools, colleges, divisions, centers and institutes. The following schools, colleges and divisions constitute the heart of the University:

Mike Ilitch School of Business
College of Education
College of Engineering
College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
Irvin D. Reid Honors College
Graduate School
Law School
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
School of Information Sciences
School of Medicine
College of Nursing
Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
School of Social Work

The dean of the college or school is its chief executive officer. More than half the colleges and schools are organized into departments or divisions, each administered by a chairperson (or assistant dean). Academic standards, curricular development, course revision and similar academic matters are the primary responsibility of the faculty and dean of the college or school, although these matters are subject to review and approval by the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and by the President of the University. Major educational policy decisions are also subject to review by the Academic Senate.

The Graduate School is the central unit for the supervision and encouragement of graduate work in the university and has basic responsibility for the improvement and review of existing programs and the approval of new graduate programs. Except for applicants and candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, the detailed supervision of graduate students’ work is conducted by the college and school and, where appropriate, by the departments.

All degrees are granted by the university through the colleges and schools, except that the Dean of the Graduate School, with the approval of the Graduate Council, recommends candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Board of Governors

BRYAN C. BARNHILL, II
MICHAEL BUSUITO
MARK GAFFNEY
MARILYN KELLY, Chair
ANIL KUMAR
TERRI LYNN LAND
SHIRLEY STANCATO
DANA THOMPSON

KIMBERLY ANDREWS ESPY, ex officio

President and Cabinet

KIMBERLY ANDREWS ESPY, Ph.D., President of the University
MARK L. KORNBLUH, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
AHMAD EZZEDDINE, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Student Affairs and Global Engagement
CAROLYN P. HAFNER, B.B.A., Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
PATRICK O. LINDSEY, M.A., Vice President for Government and Community Affairs
DAVID P. MASSARON, J.D., Chief Business Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Finance and Business Operations; and Treasurer
JULIE MILLER, M.A., Vice President and Secretary to the Board of Governors
DONYALE R. PADGETT, Ph.D., Interim Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
MIKE POTERALA, J.D., Vice President and General Counsel
DAVID RIPPLE, M.A.,  Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs
MARK SCHWEITZER, M.D., Vice President of Health Affairs
EDWARD (NED) STAEBLER, M.S., Vice President for Economic Development.
TIMOTHY STEMMLER, Ph.D., Interim Vice President for Research
MICHAEL WRIGHT, M.B.A., Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief of Staff

Academic Administrators

ALI ABOLMAALI, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Engineering
BORIS BALTES, Ph.D., Associate Provost Faculty Affairs and Associate Vice President of Academic Personnel
DENISE TALIAFERRO BASZILE, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education
RICHARD BIERSCHBACH, J.D., Dean of the Law School
PAUL BRACKE, Ph.D., Dean of the University Libraries and the School of Information Sciences
AMANDA BRYANT-FRIEDRICH, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School
LAURIE LAUZON CLABO, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Nursing
JOHN CORVINO, Ph.D., Dean of the Irvin D. Reid Honors College
BRIAN CUMMINGS, Ph.D., Dean of the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
HASAN ELAHI, M.F.A., Dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
R. DARIN ELLIS, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
STEPHANIE HARTWELL, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
SARA KACIN, Ph.D., Assistant Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Success and Director of Office for Teaching and Learning
VIRGINA KLEIST, Ph.D., Dean of the Mike Ilitch School of Business
SHERYL KUBIAK, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Social Work
WAEL SAKR, M.D., Dean of the School of Medicine
LISA SHRADER, C.P.A., Assistant Vice President for Academic Administration
DAVID STRAUSS, Ph.D., Dean of Students
ROB THOMPSON, Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice President for Computing and Information Technology