James Ottavio Castagnera

James Ottavio Castagnera, J.D., Ph.D., has spent nearly 30 years practicing, writing about, and teaching law. He has been a faculty member at several institutions and a communication director at an R1 university, and is currently a key administrator at Rider University. He also has been a labor lawyer and litigator with a major Philadelphia firm and the general counsel/corporate secretary for the then-largest convenience store chain in New Jersey and for the nation's number one econometric forecasting organization. He has published 21 books, as well as some 50 professional/scholarly articles and book chapters. He has been a frequent commentator in newsletters, newspapers and magazines, and on the Internet. His teaching has taken him to the University of Texas-Austin, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Widener University School of Law. He is commencing his 15th year as Associate Provost & Legal Counsel for Academic Affairs at Rider University, where he also holds the rank of Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics. At Rider he has taught classes in the American Studies, Baccalaureate Honors, and Law & Justice programs. Dr. Castagnera is also the managing director of a freelance-writing company, K&C Human Resource Enterprises.

Dr. Castagnera has published 21 books.  His most recent is Riding the Fifth Wave in Higher Education: A Survival Guide for the New Normal (NY: Peter Lang 2017).

Educational Background

• Ph.D., American Studies, Case Western Reserve University
• J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law
• M.A., Journalism, Kent State University
• B.A., Government, Franklin and Marshall College

Associate Provost/Associate Counsel Responsibilities

• Negotiation and administration of the University's collective bargaining agreement with its faculty, librarians and coaches.
• Government relations:
  • Grants and contracts
  • Human subjects research
  • Research integrity
  • Nuclear and controlled substance licensing
  • Animal facilities
• International Programs:
  • Faculty and student visas
  • Student exchange and related agreements
  • Supervision of Director of International Programs
• Legal Affairs:
  • Litigation management
  • Contracts and licenses
  • Intellectual property
  • Employment law and labor relations
  • Disability compliance and affirmative action
• Governance:
• Academic Policy Manual

Member of

• University Academic Policy Committee
• Promotion & Tenure Committee
• Affirmative Action Committee
• Judicial Appeals Council
• University Technology Steering Committee
• University Honors Council (Chair)
• Assessment Committee
• University Institutional Research Board (Chair)
• Academic Integrity Committee (Chair)
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
• Faculty Mentoring Committee (Co-Chair)
• Faculty of Marketing and Legal Studies Departments, American Studies Program, Baccalaureate Honors Program, and Law and Justice Program (Acting Director)

Employment Background

• Public Information Officer (LTjq), United States Coast Guard
• Director, University Communication, Case Western Reserve University
• Assistant Professor, Business Law, University of Texas - Austin
• Labor Lawyer, Saul Ewing
• Professor of Legal Methods, Widener University School of Law