» Provost
The Office of the Provost promotes collaboration across the University and oversees policies and initiatives that shape the academic life of the University as a whole. In coordination with academic deans, directors and faculty, the Office of the Provost is responsible for advancing the University's mission through the administration of academic programs and the management of academic administrative and support services.
Northwest President Dr. Lance Tatum will serve as Interim Provost while the University conducts a national search for its next next chief academic advisor.
Dr. Tatum previously had served as senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, since January 2019 while holding the rank of professor in its Sorrell College of Business—School of Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management.
Tatum joined Troy University as a faculty member in 1998 and went on to serve as vice chancellor for its campus in Montgomery, Alabama; vice chancellor for its Global Campus; dean of the College of Education; and chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion as well as a Faculty Athletics Representative. Throughout his career, he held faculty positions in sport and fitness management at Troy University, and he began his academic career as an assistant professor of physical education at Gordon College in Barnesville, Georgia.
He earned a Ph.D. in sport management at Florida State University. He has a Master of Science in Education degree in foundations of education and a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education, both from Troy University.
Tatum and his wife, Jill, have two children, Thad and Zoe, who attend Auburn University in Alabama.
