The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s provost and vice president of Academic Affairs announced today that he will retire in December at the end of the fall semester.
Dr. Steve Landry was named the university’s first provost in August 2008. He remained the university’s vice president for Academic Affairs, a position he has held since 2000.
Landry made the announcement during a weekly meeting with deans of UL Lafayette’s colleges and schools. It was followed by a letter from Dr. Joseph Savoie, the university’s president, that was e-mailed to administrators, faculty and staff.
Savoie said Landry has agreed to lead a task force this fall that will develop a systematic plan for reviewing and evaluating academic and administrative units and programs.
“I am grateful for Dr. Landry’s steadfast support and engagement during these first critical years of our new administration. Much of what we are as a university today is a result of his dedication and hard work,” Savoie said.
Dr. Carolyn Bruder, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, will serve as interim provost while a search for Landry’s replacement is conducted. Effective June 1, she will assume most of the day-to-day responsibilities of the provost. She will take over full-time responsibilities of the provost in August.
Bruder is a former faculty member and department head. She has also been involved in the university’s accreditation reviews by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the NCAA.
Savoie said a nationwide search will be conducted for Dr. Landry’s replacement. “The UL System has stringent guidelines that we intend to follow in the process of identifying a highly qualified, proven academic leader as UL Lafayette’s next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.”
The provost is the senior academic administrator and senior vice president on campus. He is responsible for the general direction of UL Lafayette’s instruction, research and outreach activities. He coordinates academic affairs, student affairs, research, advancement and administration.
Deans of each of the university’s academic colleges report to the provost. One of his duties is helping to recruit outstanding faculty.
As vice president for Academic Affairs, Landry led a seven-year transition through increasingly selective admissions standards. He facilitated the development of an accelerated option track in nursing that allows students with four-year degrees in other disciplines to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing through a fast track. He also led the development and implementation of the university’s partnership with the Lafayette Parish School System and other district school systems for dual enrollment of high school students.
Prior to being named vice president for Academic Affairs, Landry was the university’s vice president for Research. He had previously served as director of Research and Sponsored Programs. His university career has spanned more than 35 years. Landry is a former associate professor and department head in computer science and the Center for Advanced Computer Studies at UL Lafayette and director of the University Computing Center.
Before joining the UL Lafayette faculty, he was an assistant professor of computer science at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., and a visiting research assistant for IBM and worked for IBM in Baton Rouge as a computer systems engineer.
He received a Ph.D. and master’s degrees in computer science from UL Lafayette in 1981 and 1975, respectively, and earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Nicholls State University in 1968.
Landry has served as vice president of the Louisiana Experimental Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research, chair of the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund Planning Committee and as a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents Electronic Learning Committee and the Louisiana Partnership for Technology and Innovation.
He is a member of several professional and community organizations.