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Robert Granfield will step down as vice provost for faculty affairs this summer and return to his faculty role in the Department of Sociology and Criminology.

The news was announced in an email to the university on Friday by Provost A. Scott Weber, who thanked Granfield for his more than a decade of service in the position and recognized the university’s accomplishments under Granfield’s leadership.

“During his over 10-year tenure as vice provost, Professor Granfield has significantly enhanced programs and services for UB faculty,” Weber wrote. “His commitment to faculty success, recognition and development has greatly advanced UB’s mission to achieve academic excellence.”

A faculty member in sociology since 2004, as well as a former department chair, Granfield was named vice provost for faculty affairs in 2014, responsible to the provost for all matters faculty, including coordinating promotion and tenure, welcoming new faculty, and assisting with hiring and retention.

“Working with leaders across UB to support our exceptional faculty — the heart of the university — has been a true honor,” Granfield said.

During his tenure leading the Office of Faculty Affairs, Granfield coordinated more than 700 successful promotion and tenure cases. He also worked with the schools within the university to formalize the advancement process for nontenure-track faculty.

Granfield led UB’s efforts to further faculty recognition. He has overseen the application process for SUNY and UB awards, which included the promotion of 60 faculty to the distinguished ranks of SUNY during his time as vice provost, Weber said. In addition, Granfield created the position of director of faculty recognition to help identify and support faculty nominations for prestigious national and international awards.

As vice provost, Granfield prioritized professional development, emphasized best practices and promoted faculty mentorship opportunities, Weber said. He helped facilitate the creation of a fund to support and recognize faculty engaged in civic-based research.

Granfield also co-chaired the President’s Advisory Council on Race Implementation Scholarship, Tenure, and Recognition Subcommittee, which recommended meaningful changes to UB’s tenure and promotion policies, Weber said.

UBNow asked Granfield what he was most proud of during his time as vice provost.

“I take the greatest pride in the collective impact I have had on UB faculty,” Granfield said.

“Alongside my outstanding team in the Office of Faculty Affairs, I have been privileged to promote faculty careers, celebrate their accomplishments and support their leadership,” he said. “Whether through my administrative work, my engagement with students, or my research, what matters most to me is the positive difference my efforts have made in people’s lives.”