Elizabeth Oliver Appointed Interim Provost at Washington and Lee University

By News Office
January 7, 2020

Elizabeth Goad Oliver, associate dean of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics and Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor of Accounting, has been appointed to a one-year term as interim provost at Washington and Lee University, effective July 1, 2020. She will return to her position as associate dean in July 2021.

Oliver succeeds Marc Conner, who has served as provost since 2016 and will become president of Skidmore College this summer.

W&L President William C. Dudley announced Oliver’s appointment, along with his intention to name a committee to conduct a national search for W&L’s next provost in the fall.

“I am delighted that Elizabeth Oliver has accepted this important assignment,” said Dudley. “She brings significant administrative experience from her seven years as associate dean of the Williams School and 15 years as a department head, while also being an accomplished scholar and a strong advocate for both the liberal arts and experiential learning. I look forward to working with her to sustain our momentum on academic initiatives while we search for W&L’s next provost.”

Oliver joined the Williams School faculty in 1991. She holds an A.B. from Mary Baldwin College, an M.A. in English from the University of Kansas, an M.S. in accounting from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.

She has been associate dean of the Williams School since 2018, having previously served in that role from 1998-2003. From 2003-2018, she was head of the Accounting Department, teaching courses in accounting research and corporate social responsibility, and launching and coordinating the W&L London Internship Program. She serves as a faculty advisor to Washington and Lee Student Consulting, and helps oversee the group’s pro bono work with businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Oliver has served in a number of key university roles during her time at W&L, as chair of the Benefits Committee, the President’s Committee on Women at Washington and Lee, and the University Study of Incremental Salary Differences, and interim chair of the Faculty Executive Committee. She has also been a member of the President’s Advisory Committee, the Faculty Administrators Evaluation Committee, the Student Affairs Committee, and various search committees and strategic planning groups.

Outside of her work at W&L, Oliver is a member of the editorial board of Business Horizons and past president of the American Accounting Association’s Accounting Program Leadership Group (APLG). In the community, she has served as treasurer of the Friends of Rockbridge Choral Society and chair of the Finance Committee of Grace Episcopal Church.

As interim provost, Oliver will serve as the chief academic officer of the university and as a key member of the president’s senior leadership team. The provost is responsible for articulating and directing the academic mission of Washington and Lee and its three academic units: the College, the Williams School, and the School of Law. The provost also oversees the University Library, the University Registrar, Information Technology Services, Athletics, the Mudd Center for Ethics, the Center for International Education, the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity, and the Office of Community-Based Learning.

“I’m fortunate to have been involved with a range of university-wide initiatives throughout my years at Washington and Lee,” said Oliver. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to learn more about our school while working with people from the College, Law School, Williams School, and the administrative units reporting to the Provost’s Office.”