UPDATED: Oct. 10, 2013 at 1:52 a.m.

Nancy Cantor announced on Wednesday that she will step away from overseeing the daily operations of Syracuse University to create a “smooth transition” for the next chancellor. The change is effective Monday.

At an Executive Committee meeting on Thursday, Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Thompson will recommend that Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina be appointed interim chancellor. Spina has agreed to assume this position, according to a Wednesday SU News release.

“My focus has always been on what the university needs to move forward,” Spina said in an interview. “Obviously we’re in transitional time, so my primary job is that day-to-day operations of the university continue to go smoothly, while making certain the transition between Chancellor Cantor and Chancellor-designate Syverud goes smoothly.”

Chancellor-designate Kent Syverud begins his tenure as chancellor on Jan. 13.

Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, said in an email he feels Spina is “absolutely” capable of assuming Cantor’s position. He said Thompson is also confident in Spina’s abilities and expects the Executive Committee to be enthusiastic and supportive of the appointment.

Syverud is currently the dean of the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Making this shift in leadership now will allow me greater time to provide assistance to Kent Syverud as he makes his transition, provide additional flexibility as I myself transition to Rutgers-Newark, and enable me to finish several key initiatives and fulfill a number of SU-related national speaking obligations during the next few months,” Cantor said in the release.

In October 2012, Cantor said she would leave SU when her contract expired in June 2014. It was later announced that Cantor would become chancellor of Rutgers-Newark on Jan. 1.

 —Asst. News Editor Annie Palmer and Staff Writer Marwa Eltagouri contributed reporting to this article

Published on October 9, 2013 at 11:43 am

Contact Meredith: mhnewman@syr.edu | @MerNewman93