Message from President Tate

LSU Faculty and Staff,

I have enjoyed getting to know many of you through my interview process this past spring, as well as through the dozens of meetings I’ve already had in my first few days here at LSU. For those I have yet to meet in person, I look forward to doing that over the coming weeks and months. While most of my time will be spent listening and learning, I am also in the process of formulating a longer-term, strategic vision for LSU that will further position us to do great things and make a difference for the people of Louisiana and beyond.

Setting us on a new, strategic direction may sometimes require that we seek a fresh start in certain areas. It is not meant to imply that things aren’t going well in those areas. In fact, there may be many positive things happening that we can and should continue to build on while also going in a different direction.

With that in mind, I want to let you know that Executive Vice President & Provost Stacia Haynie will be stepping down from her administrative position and returning to faculty in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. Dr. Haynie has been part of the LSU community since 1990 and has served as provost since 2018. I’d like to personally thank her for everything she has accomplished as provost, and especially for the hard work in navigating the challenges inherent in providing an outstanding student experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support Services Matt Lee has agreed to serve as interim provost while we conduct a national search for the permanent leader of our academic community.

Thank you for your continued hard work, and again I’m looking forward to meeting with more of you and learning about everything you do for our great university.

William Tate IV
LSU President