Stephen Calkins

DETROIT – Wayne State University has appointed law professor Stephen Calkins as associate vice president for academic personnel. He will have primary responsibility for managing the collective bargaining agreement with the faculty union, supervising the hiring of faculty and academic staff, managing the promotion and tenure process and resolving issues related to academic personnel.

The appointment was announced by Nancy S. Barrett, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Calkins, who has been a Wayne State faculty member since 1983, also was director of graduate studies in the law school prior to his current appointment to the provost’s office. He served as interim dean of the law school for the 1992-93 academic year. An expert on antitrust and consumer law, he was general counsel for the Federal Trade Commission in 1995-97 while on leave from the WSU Law School. He has co-authored or edited three books, is in demand nationally as a speaker and has consulted frequently for federal, state and foreign government agencies.

“With his extensive background in law, teaching and administration – and his familiarity with Wayne State University – Professor Calkins brings an impressive combination of talents and knowledge that will be an asset in performing the duties of associate vice president for academic personnel,” Barrett said. “Steve is a valuable addition to the provost’s office leadership team.”

Calkins, who lives in Northville, Mich., has served on the Wayne State Academic Senate, including its policy committee, and on the university’s promotion and tenure committee. He also has served on the Graduate Council and on many other university committees.
“I would like to congratulate Professor Calkins on behalf of the Wayne State Law School faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends,” said Dean Frank H. Wu. “His outstanding experience and expertise in both law and academia will no doubt prove highly beneficial to Wayne State University students for years to come.”

Calkins earned his law degree from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He plans to continue teaching a consumer law course during the current academic term and expects to do some teaching in the future. In addition to Wayne State, he has taught at the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and University of Utrecht (Netherlands).

He is a member of the American Law Institute, a senior fellow of the American Antitrust Institute and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He also has a leadership position in the American Bar Association and is a former chair of the Association of American Law Schools Antitrust and Economic Regulation Committee. He received an ABA Section of Antitrust Law 50th Anniversary Publications Award and the Federal Trade Commission Award for Distinguished Service.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.