SLU President Dr. William Wainwright announced Dr. Eric Skipper will serve as provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Skipper will replace Dr. Tena Golding, the former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, who is retiring. She worked in various leadership roles for over forty years. For her service, SLU awarded Golding the university Lifetime Achievement Award during commencement on Saturday, May 17.

“She is a deeply respected leader by many, who leads with love and represents our core values of excellence and caring,” Wainwright said.

The provost oversees all academic activities on campus. They coordinate with every college and several academic departments, including the Sims Memorial Library, Study Abroad and Global Engagement, Graduate Studies and the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs.

Skipper is coming from the University of South Carolina-Beaufort, where he served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. He’ll be stepping into essentially the same role here at SLU, just with a much larger student body.

The enrollment at USCB is around 2,200, according to a November 2024 article on the institution’s website, whereas SLU’s enrollment sits at nearly 15,000, as reported in its February announcement.

Wainwright also announced that Jacob Penton, director of the Office of Internal Audit, will serve as Chief Audit and Compliance Officer. The position ensures the university complies with federal and state laws, particularly those related to discrimination, harassment, and equal employment opportunity. 

The CCO also serves as the Title IX Coordinator, implementing policies to prevent and address sex-based discrimination.

“Both bring depth of experience within their respective fields and I look forward to the contributions they will make to advance our mission,” Wainwright said in a campus update.