Smith earned her undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan in April 1966 and her master’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan in December 1966.
In 1971, she received her doctorate in English Literature from Case Western Reserve University.
Smith moved to the University of Michigan in 1996 where she was a full professor in the women's studies program.
In 2017 she was named the Lorna G. Goodison Distinguished University Professor of English and Women’s Studies.
[1] Smith served as president for the Modern Language Association from 2010 to 2011.