Dr. Steve Graham serves as Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Missouri System and provides overall leadership for Academic Affairs issues at the UM System. Dr. Graham’s current work includes the UM eLearning, course sharing, open and affordable resources, and leadership development initiatives, legislative activities, and University-wide policy issues. He serves as a liaison to the University of Missouri campus provosts, the Intercampus Faculty Council, the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development Council of Chief Academic Officers, and chairs the public 4-year university CAO group.

Dr. Graham is a Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri – Columbia (MU). Prior to his current position, he served as an Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, and Director of Continuing Professional Education on the MU campus. He has over 30 years of experience in higher education as an administrator, professor, and consultant.

He has written approximately 100 articles or papers on a variety of topics including leadership development, manager coaching, college outcomes research, adult learning, adult development, professional education, and business training effectiveness. His book, Academic Quality Work, was co-authored with William Massy and Paula Short. His current research efforts focus on the dramatic changes occurring in higher education and their impact on traditional public universities. A recent book entitled Volatility in Higher Education: An Anthropological Perspective was published in 2018 and a forthcoming book is entitled Paths to the Future of Higher Education. Both of these books are co-authored with Brian Foster and Joe Donaldson.

Areas of Expertise

• Professional education
• Training and development
• Leadership