FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 8, 2006
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
Jordan to join MUW as vice president for academic
affairs and provost
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi University for Women
recently announced Dr. Sandra Jordan from Murray
State University in Kentucky as its new vice
president for academic affairs and provost, pending
IHL Board approval.
She will join MUW July 1, 2007, to allow the search
process for her replacement at Murray State as well
as to give her new president time to get settled.
“Dr. Jordan will be a wonderful addition to our
team,” said MUW President Claudia A. Limbert. “I
look forward to working with her as she takes on
this very important position to our university.”
She currently serves as associate provost at Murray
State and has nearly 18 years of experience in
higher education administration.
In addition to Murray State, she has worked at
Eastern New Mexico University, the University of
Montevallo (Alabama), Lander University (South
Carolina) and Auburn University.
Jordan earned her doctor of philosophy in art
history and masters of art in art history, both with
honors, from the University of Georgia in Athens.
She graduated from the University of Alabama in
Tuscaloosa with a bachelor of arts, where she
majored in art with a minor in English.
The following areas will report to Jordan: College
of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College
of Education and Human Sciences, College of Nursing
and Speech Language Pathology, Culinary Arts
Institute, Library, Registrar, Academic Support
Services, Governor’s School, Graduate Studies,
Honors College, Southern Women’s Institute, Study
Abroad, Wicker Center for Creative Learning and the
Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship.
Jordan said she was attracted to MUW because of its
excellent reputation in the southeast and a growing
reputation nationally.
“Years ago, when I chose higher education as my
life-long profession, I did so because I love
working with students and value the enterprise of
teaching and learning. I didn’t enter higher
education to become an administrator, rather, I
wanted to teach and make a contribution to my
discipline (art history),” she said. “My career took
an unexpected turn, but even today, after nearly 18
years in administration, I want to work at a
university where teaching is first and where there
is a vital and exciting exchange of ideas. MUW is
just such a place.”
Jordan said she did not have any immediate goals
given all of the creative and collaborative work
currently taking place on campus. However, she did
speak about the value of planning.
“During the first 100 days of the job, I plan to
create opportunities to meet one-on-one with the
faculty and staff in each college and with student
groups across the campus. I will be doing a lot of
listening. I trust that I’ll benefit from these
meetings and an honest exchange of ideas on a
variety of topics significant to academic affairs
and the institution as a whole.”
She and her family are looking forward to becoming a
part of the community.
“The university and the community enrich each other.
My husband and I have always been active in the
communities where we have lived, serving on boards,
joining service organizations and volunteering.”
Her husband Michael is an architect and currently
teaches at Murray State University and maintains an
active architectural design business. Her son
Matthew is a senior at Murray High School.
