HWS News
13 March 2025 • Faculty Pliner Wins National Award in Academic Leadership
For her work shaping and supporting positive change on campus, Susan Pliner is the recipient of a national award for higher education administrators.
Susan Pliner is the recipient of the 2024 Academic Conference of Academic Deans award for “Excellence in Academic Leadership.” On campus, Pliner serves as the Associate Provost for Academic Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives. She is also the Dean of First-Year Academic Programs and Dean of Graduate Programs.
Founded in 1945, the American Conference for Academic Deans (ACAD) is dedicated to the professional development of academic leaders, including provosts, deans and other academic administrators. More than 800 professionals from over 500 colleges and universities are members.
Joined by Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk and Associate Provost and Professor of Geoscience, Pliner was presented with the award during the ACAD Annual Meeting Networking Luncheon on Feb. 19 in Phoenix, Ariz. Read the ACAD press release recognizing Pliner.
ACAD received nominations for the “Excellence in Academic Leadership” award from across the country. In announcing Pliner as the 2024 recipient, ACAD highlighted her work implementing significant innovations in Academic Affairs that have enriched the academic experience for HWS students.
“Susan Pliner is the administrative partner you dream of having,” says Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk. “She is a strategic thinker, strong collaborator and passionate about student access and success. She brings people together to develop solutions to complex issues."
“I am so honored to have been nominated for this award,” Pliner says. “I love my job and the work I get to do but I get the most satisfaction from working to make the educational experience for students the best it can be.”
Pliner is a distinguished leader in higher education. Since joining HWS in 2006, she has been influential in advancing academic initiatives and fostering student and faculty success.
As Associate Provost, Pliner supports faculty in advising, course development and building inclusive learning environments. She oversees the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. She also serves as the Disability Coordinator for Faculty and works with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across campus.
An Associate Professor of Practice, Pliner teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in Educational Studies, the First-Year Seminar Program, and the Master’s in Management and the Master's in Higher Education Leadership.
She has successfully launched several cross-institutional collaborations on campus. Alongside Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Student Wellness and Support Shelle Basilio, Pliner co-led the First-Year Impact Committee, which steered a campus-wide initiative to streamline the First-Year experience, resulting in a more engaging and supportive environment for incoming students.
In collaboration with faculty and the Centennial Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, Pliner developed the Degree with Leadership Distinction program, which offers students an opportunity to learn about leadership within their chosen discipline. Learn more about earning a degree with leadership distinction here.
Pliner has also been instrumental in creating and developing signature events on campus, such as The Pitch, Senior Symposium and HWS Day, which have become iconic experiences for students and have strengthened HWS’ commitment to experiential learning.
Before joining HWS, Pliner led impactful programs at Mount Holyoke College and managed disability services initiatives at Columbia and Brown University. She earned her M.Ed. in Special Education and Ed.D. in Human Development and Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
