Appointment of Professor Maureen O’Rourke as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
This past spring, I solicited nominations and applications to identify a new Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs. This followed the announcement in April that Senior Associate Provost Julie Sandell, who has overseen Faculty Affairs for the last 10 years, would be leaving at the end of June to become the new Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Suffolk University.
In considering the nominations and applications I received, I sought candidates who would bring the dynamic and thoughtful leadership, institutional knowledge, and respect of the BU faculty community vital to overseeing a vast portfolio at the heart of our university’s operation. Following consultation with a variety of institutional leaders, I am delighted to announce the appointment of School of Law Dean Emerita and Professor Maureen O’Rourke as BU’s next Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.
Professor O’Rourke is among our most distinguished faculty leaders and one of the nation’s top scholars in intellectual property law. A member of the BU faculty for the last 26 years, Professor O’Rourke served as Dean of the School of Law from 2004-2018 (including a term as interim dean from 2004-2006), where she led advances in the quality, relevance, and accessibility of the School’s academic programs, as well as in its national reputation. In addition to spearheading the launch of innovative new academic programs and collaborative partnerships aimed at better answering marketplace needs and advancing the public good, Dean O’Rourke oversaw the completion of a state-of-the-art law school complex, including the opening of the Sumner M. Redstone Building in 2014, and the renovation and re-opening of the 17-story LAW tower in 2015.
Professor O’Rourke joined BU in 1993 after working as an attorney on IBM’s in-house counsel staff. She became a full professor in 1998, associate dean for administration in 2001, and associate dean for academic affairs in 2003 before assuming the interim deanship a year later. In 2000, she received the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, the University’s highest teaching honor. Professor O’Rourke has published extensively, co-authoring one of the leading copyright casebooks in the nation,Copyright in a Global Information Economy, and authoring dozens of articles for thelaw reviews of Columbia, Duke, Iowa, and Minnesota, the technology journals of Berkeley, Harvard, and BU, and the Journal of the Copyright Society. Her research explores intellectual property law’s intersection with a variety of fields including contract and antitrust law, particularly in the context of software and high technology. Professor O’Rourke has recently served as chair of the council for the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (the accrediting agency for U.S. law schools) and has been recognized several times on The National Jurist’s list of the most influential people in legal education. She serves on the Board of Directors of AccessLex Institute, an organization dedicated to using data-driven research to improve legal education. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Marist College.
Through extensive conversations it was quickly clear that Professor O’Rourke’s strong track record of energetic, strategic leadership, her gift for communication, building rapport, and achieving consensus, and her passion for the continued development of a world-class faculty make her exceptionally well-suited for the role of Associate Provost. In her new role, Professor O’Rourke will oversee faculty recruitment, appointment, and compensation, as well as the promotion and tenure process for the Charles River Campus. As a member of the Provost’s Cabinet, she will work closely with me on faculty policies, including those that support the University’s commitment to faculty diversity, professional development, and work-life balance, and she will represent me in discussions with schools, colleges and University-wide groups on issues concerning the faculty. She will also supervise the University’s Equal Opportunity Office.
Professor O’Rourke will begin her duties as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs on July 15, 2019. We hope that you will join us in congratulating her as she prepares to take on her new role. We hope you will also join us in thanking Dr. Sandell for her exemplary service and in wishing her well as she embarks on her new leadership opportunity at Suffolk. Finally, I want to thank all of you who nominated colleagues and took part in this search process. Your participation and commitment to excellence in faculty leadership were essential to the success of this effort.
Appointment of Professor Maureen O’Rourke as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs – 6.28.19