Southeastern names G. Eric Skipper Vice President and Provost

     Southeastern Louisiana University’s new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is G. Eric Skipper, the university recently announced. His appointment follows a nationwide search and has been approved by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.
     In his new position, Skipper will serve as the chief academic officer of the university, overseeing all academic departments, enrollment services, Sims Memorial Library and various other divisions on campus. He will participate in formulating and administering the university’s policies and in developing long-range goals and objectives, as well as ensuring the academic integrity and accreditation of all programs.
     “Dr. Skipper joins us with a wealth of experience in higher education,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright. “His experience builds on previous academic roles, including nine years as provost and executive vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, dean of graduate studies at UNG, and as president of the Georgia Council of Graduate Schools.”
     In his last role at USCB, Skipper had administrative oversight of all academic units and programs, as well as library, grants, research, eLearning, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Planning, analytics and compliance, centers and institutes, Beaufort College Honors, and two branch campuses. He also oversaw strategic planning in alignment with the USCB academic master plan, leading to significant increases in student experiential learning, community engagement, sponsored funding, student and faculty accolades, and institutional/program rankings.
     “My leadership philosophy centers on empowering faculty and staff to generate bold ideas and pursue use-inspired research, positioning the university for sustained impact and long-term success,” he said. “Universities must be intensely collaborative, fostering innovation while maintaining academic excellence.”
     A professor of Spanish literature, Skipper is the author of numerous articles and presentations related to higher education, leadership roles and his academic discipline. He holds a doctorate from Florida State University and an undergraduate degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.