Saran Donahoo

July 20, 2023

Saran Donahoo named associate provost for academic programs

by Kim Rendfeld

Saran Donahoo, a longtime professor and administrator in SIU Carbondale’s School of Education, has been appointed associate provost for academic programs at the university, effective July 5. 

In her new role, Donahoo has primary administrative responsibility for development and coordination of academic and curricular matters, ensuring that the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is responsive to the needs of students, faculty, colleges and schools. 

Her duties also include program review and accreditation, serving as liaison to the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council on program changes, overseeing student academic appeals, collaborating on reports to the SIU Board of Trustees and Illinois Board of Higher Education, and preparing state legislative reports. 

Donahoo came to SIU in 2004 as an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education. During her tenure at SIU, she has been promoted to full professor, held a variety of administrative positions in the department and served as associate dean in the School of Education. Her research interests focus on educational legal and policy issues, K-16/P-20 systems, spirituality, graduate education and diversity issues. She has received several awards and authored many papers, presentations and journal articles. She is a co-author of three books and has written 34 book chapters. 

Donahoo earned her B.A. in secondary education from the University of Arizona, her M.A. in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Ph.D. in higher education administration, also from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.