After 21 years of guiding, educating, mentoring, and providing support for students, faculty and staff at Íæż½ã½ã, Brenda Nichols, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, has announced that she will retire in January 2023.
“Brenda has been a valued member of the Íæż½ã½ã team for over two decades and helped lead the University through both rewarding and challenging circumstances,” President Jaime Taylor said. “Throughout her career at Íæż½ã½ã she has shown great care for students, faculty, staff and has taken pride in their successes while encouraging them to overcome any obstacles they might encounter. Íæż½ã½ã and our community have benefitted significantly from her service and no doubt will continue to collect the rewards of her efforts into the future.”
Nichols has held several leadership positions since joining Íæż½ã½ã as dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences and professor of nursing in 2001 –– a role she filled until October of 2015 when she was named associate provost.
While serving as dean, she guided the work of more than 200 full-time faculty in 12 academic departments, study abroad and partnership programs at the undergraduate and master’s level. Nichols was named interim Vice President of Academic Affairs in 2019 and was later appointed the role in addition to her role as provost in spring of 2021.
“Over the past two years, Brenda has worked closely with Íæż½ã½ã vice president for finance and operations Jeremy Alltop to dramatically improve Íæż½ã½ã’s financial position,” Taylor said. “Together, the two have placed the university in an outstanding position for future success and I could not be more pleased with the work they have done.”
During her tenure, Nichols also led Íæż½ã½ã to its successful reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges –– an accomplishment Dann Brown, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, said did not come without challenges.