SAGINAW, MI – Dr. Dawn Hinton, a seasoned academic leader with nearly three decades of experience in higher education, has been appointed Associate Provost at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), the university announced Monday in a Facebook post.
Dr. Hinton has been a prominent figure at SVSU since 1997, where she began as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. Over the years, she has advanced to key leadership roles, including Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). Her career has been defined by her focus on student success, institutional innovation, and community engagement.
As Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Hinton led efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and implement student-centered programs. Among her accomplishments is the establishment of the Student Success Center, which aligns general education curriculum with institutional goals to enhance the student experience.
Dr. Hinton’s tenure as Director of CETL was marked by significant achievements, including the introduction of Faculty Learning Communities that engaged over 50 faculty members in cross-disciplinary collaboration. She also expanded CETL’s mission, positioning it as a central resource for faculty development and pedagogical innovation. Under her leadership, CETL introduced Open Educational Resources across all General Education categories, reducing costs for students while enhancing academic accessibility.
Her dedication to DEI is reflected in initiatives such as the Sankofa Project, which connects underserved youth to global cultures, and her work in establishing a sister city partnership between Saginaw and Amanokrom, Ghana. Dr. Hinton has also been a driving force behind key grant-funded programs, including the MiLEAP Student Success Grant and TRIO programs, which support underserved student populations.
Dr. Hinton’s work has earned her numerous accolades, including being named Michigan ACE Institutional Representative of the Year in 2023 and Great Lakes Bay Region Woman of the Year in 2020.
She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from Western Michigan University and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan-Flint. Throughout her career, she has taught a wide range of courses, including those focused on social inequality, urban sociology, and the experiences of Black women in America.
As Associate Provost, Dr. Hinton will play a pivotal role in advancing SVSU’s mission of academic excellence and student success.
