UL fills academic affairs post

The University of Louisiana System on Thursday named a nationally known higher education administrator and consultant its interim provost and vice president for academic and student affairs.

Gary Reichard will take over the position effective Monday. He replaces Brad O’Hara, who left the UL System last month after 25 years to return to his native Canada.

UL System spokeswoman Jackie Tisdell said Reichard will be in charge of setting the vision and overall direction of academic programs at all nine of the UL System’s colleges.

Reichard has held administrative positions with Florida Atlantic University and with the University of Maryland and California State University systems before his retirement in 2009, Tisdell said in a news release.

In retirement, Reichard has taken on consulting work including three projects for the UL System. Since 2010, he has led institutional review teams for the University of New Orleans and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He’s also been involved in strategic planning sessions for the UL System Board of Supervisors, Tisdell said.