What is a Provost? The Provost is the chief academic officer of the University of South Carolina. He oversees the schools and colleges of the USC Columbia campus as well as the four regional campuses (USC Lancaster, USC Salkehatchie, USC Sumter, USC Union).

The Provost is responsible for leading the formulation and implementation of system-wide academic affairs policy relating to faculty hiring, retention, tenure, promotion, and development. He is charged with oversight of USC’s graduate and undergraduate academic programs as well as curriculum development, program assessment, and university accreditation.

The Provost provides budgetary oversight for all USC Columbia academic units and academic support areas and manages the strategic planning processes for those units. The USC Press, the Office of Institutional Assessment and Compliance, the Office of Academic Support, and the Information Technology division also report to the Provost.

Provost Office Organization and Responsibilities Organizational Chart for Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Division (PDF)

Provost

Michael D. Amiridis, Ph.D. - Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Vice Provosts

Christine W. Curtis, Ph.D. - Senior Vice Provost

• Faculty Hiring and Academic Unit Human Resources
• Dean Reviews
• Tenure and Promotion, Post-Tenure Review, and Third Year Review
• Endowed Chairs and Named Professorships
• Center of Economic Excellence Program
• SECAC and ALDP Academic Leadership Program
• Advance (Focus) Carolina
• Center for Teaching Excellence
• Family Friendly Policies

Helen I. Doerpinghaus, Ph.D. - Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies

• University Policies and Procedures (USC System)
• Academic Program Development (USC System)
• Academic Affairs Policies and Programs
• Carolina Core Committee (General Education)
• Faculty Salary Equity Committee
• SACS and CHE Accreditation and Compliance
• Undergraduate Studies
• First-Year Reading Experience
• USC Press
• Low Country Graduate Center
• University Center Greenville

Russell Pate, Ph.D. - Vice Provost

• USC Greenville Hospital Academic Health System
• Focus Carolina Health Sciences Task Force
• USC Representative to South Carolina Clinical Translational Research Institute (SCTR)

Assistant Provost

Elise T.C. Ahyi - Assistant Provost

• University Policies and Procedures Manual and Website
• Academic Affairs (ACAF) Policies
• USC Columbia Faculty Manual
• Website Design and Development (Provost Office, Tenure & Promotion, University Policies, Focus Carolina, General Education)
• Provost Office Communications

Other Related Administrators

Ed Walton - Associate Vice President for Resource Planning

• Academic Affairs and Research Budgeting
• Academic Unit Budget Oversight

Officers Reporting to the Provost

Chris P. Plyler, Ph.D. - Vice Provost and Executive Dean for System Affairs and Extended University

• System Affairs
• Regional Campuses (USC Lancaster, USC Salkehatchie, USC Sumter, USC Union)
• Continuing Education and Conferences
• Extended Campus
• Fort Jackson

Dennis A. Pruitt, Ed.D. - Vice Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs

• Academic Integrity
• Enrollment Management
• Fellowships and Scholar Programs
• International Programs
• National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition
• Pre-Professional Advising
• Residential Learning Centers (Capstone, Preston, West (Green) Quad)
• Student Engagement (Service Learning)
• Student Success Center
• University 101

Academic Deans

• Arts and Sciences, College of - Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Dean
• Business, Moore School of - Hildy Teegen, Dean
• Education, College of - Les Sternberg, Dean
• Engineering and Computing, College of - Harry Ploehn, Dean (Interim)
• Graduate School - J. Buggy, Dean (Interim)
• Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of - Brian Mihalik, Dean
• Law, School of - Walter Pratt, Dean
• Mass Communications and Information Studies, College of - Charles Bierbauer, Dean
• Music, School of - Tayloe Harding, Dean
• Medicine, School of - Richard Hoppman, Dean
• Nursing, College of - Peggy Hewlett, Dean
• Pharmacy, College of - Joseph DiPiro, Executive Dean & Randall Rowen, Dean
• Public Health, Norman J. Arnold School of - G. Thomas Chandler, Dean
• System Affairs and Extended University - Chris Plyler, Vice Provost and Executive Dean
• Social Work, College of - Dennis Poole, Dean
• South Carolina Honors College - Davis Baird, Dean
• University Libraries - T. McNally, Dean

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