13 Jun USCB appoints Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
USCB appoints Dr. Eric Skipper as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2021
BEAUFORT, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Beaufort is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Skipper, Ph.D. as the new Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Skipper will start this summer.
Skipper has been serving as vice president for University Affairs at the University of North Georgia and CEO of UNG’s Oconee Campus. As vice president, Skipper has administrative oversight of three campuses, as well as economic development and continuing education across UNG. In addition, he is chair of the implementation of the UNG 2014-2019 Strategic Plan.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Eric Skipper to the USCB family,” said USCB Chancellor Al Panu. “He brings a dedication to excellence, and a breath of experience and skills that will serve our institution well. At USCB, our academic programming is the foundation of the university, and we are confident that he will provide not only strong leadership but bring innovative ideas to our growing institution.”
Skipper was one of 78 candidates from across the country. He will oversee all academic programming including faculty and curriculums within academic departments, grant writing, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research, the library and other areas of academic administration.
“I’m thrilled and humbled to be USCB’s next EVCAA. The institution is on the cusp of many exciting things—a new campus for Hospitality Management, development of a new strategic plan and creation of an Honors program,” reflected Skipper. “I look forward to learning from USCB’s very talented faculty. One of my favorite experiences as a dean was putting people in a position to make valuable contributions. A productive faculty is vital to student success.”
Skipper served as dean of honors and graduate studies at UNG from 2013 to 2015. He has held a variety of administrative positions at the former Gainesville State College, including interim dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, interim AVP for Academic Enrichment and department head of Foreign Languages.
He earned his bachelor’s of science degree in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from Florida State University. Skipper and his wife, Julie, have three children, Javier, a student at Anderson University, Adrian and Gabriel.
Skipper replaces current EVCAA Gordon Haist, Ph.D. Haist will be retiring this year.
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Located in the heart of the Carolina Sea Islands, the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) is a baccalaureate member of the USC system, serving the southeast coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Since 2002, USCB has tripled its academic degree programs, doubled its FTE enrollment, opened its first on-campus housing (now serving more than 750), joined the NAIA Sun Conference, and fielded conference and national award-winning Sand Shark athletes in nine sports. The university’s two campuses serve a diverse student body of 1,980 students. The Hilton Head Gateway campus in Bluffton, SC, offers cutting-edge Computational Science and Nursing laboratories, and a broad range of academic degree programs. The Historic Beaufort campus, located on Beaufort’s downtown waterfront, houses an innovative baccalaureate Studio Art program in close proximity to Beaufort’s many art galleries. The University of South Carolina Beaufort offers students an exceptional place to learn and live in an environment focused on growth, preservation and opportunity.
For more information, contact Kerry Jarvis, public information coordinator, at 843-208-8030 or jarviskc@uscb.edu.