Clemson University announces J. Cole Smith to become new provost

Clemson University announced on Oct. 7 that J. Cole Smith, a University alumnus, has been appointed to be the new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

On Monday night, President Jim Clements spoke at the Clemson Undergraduate Student Government’s meeting, stating that the new provost would be announced the following day, after a 3 p.m. meeting on Tuesday.

Clements announced that the new provost will aim to address the “significant drop across the country in the number of international undergraduate students.” Clements said that Smith would be engaging with Doug Hallenbeck, the vice president of student affairs, and others to develop a strategy to work on gaining international students.

Smith graduated from Clemson in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences. He also earned a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech and served as a professor of industrial and systems engineering at both the University of Florida and the University of Arizona.

He later served as the dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University for approximately six years. Prior to this role, Smith served as associate provost for academic initiatives and chair of the industrial engineering department at Clemson from 2014 until his appointment as dean.

“I am excited to return to my alma mater, to the place that shaped my values and provided generations of my family with the tools to excel professionally and serve our community,” Smith told Clemson News in an interview.

Smith will serve as the 10th academic officer as well as the seventh provost in Clemson’s history. Smith’s job includes overseeing the University’s academic enterprise, working with faculty, staff and students in an effort to deliver an “exceptional learning experience and advance Clemson’s mission as a leading public research institution,” according to Clemson news.

Smith will assume his new role on Jan. 1, 2026.