Sandra S. ("Sandy") Benson, J.D., Professor of Business Law, earned her B.A. in economics and business administration from Vanderbilt University (summa cum laude) and her J.D. from the University of Georgia earning the McDougal Award as first in her class. She established her own law firm representing health care and business professionals and other clients in a variety of matters, such as establishing new business organizations, drafting employment and other contracts, and counseling clients in healthcare business transactions. The Tennessee Medical Association endorsed her to represent physicians in managed care contract negotiations.

Joining MTSU full-time in 2006, Professor Benson has taught undergraduate and graduate courses inclucing Commercial Law, Legal Environment of Business, the Dale Carnegie® Communication & Human Relations Seminar, Legal Topics in Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Fraud (graduate), and Legal Aspects of Health Care (graduate). She draws on her 12 years of experience in practicing law and her love for teaching when designing her classroom activities and her own research. Her research has focused on emerging issues related to fraud, accountant liability, healthcare, and effective pedagogy in business law. Her work and expertise have been recognized by The Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, the New York Society of CPAs, and CNBC. She previously served on the Editorial Advisory Board of The CPA Journal and was formerly the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal in Legal Studies Education.

Benson has received several awards for excellence, research and teaching, including the MTSU Foundation Award - Outstanding Teaching 2012-2013, Accounting Advisory Board Partnership Awards (April 2017, September 2021, and February 2025), and E.W. “Wink” Midgett Awards (Distinguished Teaching April 2018 and Faculty Excellence April 2017). She was selected as a Master Teacher Finalist, in the international Charles M. Hewitt Competition, Academy of Legal Studies in Business, August 2013.  Benson also completed training and was one of the certified Dale Carnegie® instructors teaching the cutting-edge Dale Carnegie® Communication & Human Relations Seminar to undergraduate students in the Jones College of Business (2017-2020). She serves or has served on numerous committees and in leadership roles, including the Department of Accounting Tenure and Promotion Committee in multiple years (Chair 2023-24), the JCOB Charitable Campaign (Chair 2013, Co-Chair 2014), Department of Accounting CPE Committee (Chair, 2025-26), JCOB Student Success Committee (Chair AY 2017-18), and twice as Interim Chair for the Department of Accounting (AY 2014-15 and AY 2024-25). She was selected to participate in MTSU’s Leadership on Deck Cohort IV (AY 24-25).  

Benson especially enjoys designing courses and activities to provide interactive opportunities for learners to build communication and critical thinking skills while exploring real-world legal and ethical issues affecting accounting, business, human resources, or healthcare. With input from the Department of Accounting Advisory Board, colleagues and students, Benson designed a Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Fraud course. She gained approval to certify her sections of this graduate course, as well as her undergraduate Commerical Law sections as Engage-certified and EXL (experiential)-certified courses. Learners have had opportunities to participate in various immersive activities, such as "The Court Experience" she developed for students to rotate in attorney and juror roles to apply critical thinking, engage in civil discourse, and enhance written communication skills using real world cases to gain knowledge of legal and ethical in business.  She continuously updates her courses to encompass timely legal issues for graduate learners in the Master of Accounting, MBA, MPS Human Resources programs. In AY 2021-22, Benson received funding from MTSU's Learning, Teaching, and Technologies Center and MT Online to facilitate two MTSU faculty learning communities on “Successfully Engaging Students in the Virtual Learning Environment” focusing on asynchronous delivery modes and "Sucessfully Engaging Students in the Virtual Learning Classroom" focusing on synchronous delivery modes. In addition to encouraging incorporating technology, Benson emphasizes presentation, engaged discussion and constructive feedback skills in her virtual learning classrooms. 

In AY 22-23, Professor Benson began working as a member of various committees from the Nashville School of Law, MTSU administration, and colleagues in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, and the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment as MTSU developed a proposal for a new M.S. in Legal Studies degree.  As the proposal progressed, Benson was part of the team to develop the curriculum proposal. She ultimately began serving as the Program Director. This unique program approved by THEC and SACSCOC in Spring 25 is housed in the Department of Accounting in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and offered in collaboration with NSL with classes to begin in the Summer 2026. The program is designed for working professionals to develop legal fluency in one of three concentrations. The concentrations are not designed to produce legal, accounting or technical specialists and does not lead to licensure to practice law.

Professor Benson and her family are True Blue. Her two daughters and two sons-in-law earned graduate degrees from MTSU - spanning business, psychology, and biology! Benson’s hobbies include running, hiking, and traveling with family and friends.    

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