CHARLESTON, Ill. (WAND) - Eastern Illinois University announced Monday that Dr. Holly Farley will assume duties as the acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for the storied institution starting June 1.
“I am excited to take on the many responsibilities of this new role, and to helping EIU uplift and achieve its critical mission,” Farley said. “I am humbled by the trust my colleagues have placed in me, and I commit to representing the institution and its faculty and student stakeholders with integrity, confidence, and enthusiasm as we navigate a path toward our most promising future.”
“I have worked with Holly in a variety of roles over the past eight years, and she has proven herself to be an effective leader and a respected chair,” added EIU President Dr. Jay Gatrell. “She brings to the role a deep commitment to student success, EIU, and east central Illinois.”
Dr. Farley launched the Gail & Richard Lumpkin School of Nursing and was the driving force behind the creation of EIU’s Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program, which launched in 2021.
Dr. Farley is a multi-year member of the Council of Chairs executive committee. She has served on the EIU-UPI negotiating team and is experienced in contracts and negotiations.
Prior to joining EIU in 2015, Farley served as a full-time faculty member of the nursing program at Olney Central College for nine years and has extensive professional and clinical experience as a Surgical Practice Manager and Registered Nurse at health care facilities across eastern and central Illinois.
Farley earned a Doctoral Degree in Education—Leadership and Organizational Development in 2017 from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
She earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education in 2005 from Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the Mennonite College of Nursing in 1996 from Illinois State University in Normal.
She is also a graduate of Lake Land College in Mattoon (1993) and Newton (IL) Community High School (1991). Farley is a lifelong resident of Newton, Illinois, where she lives with her husband and three sons.
EIU’s announcement comes following the planned departure of current EIU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ryan Hendrickson.
Hendrickson will start a new role as President of University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois this summer.
Eastern Illinois University will launch a national search for its next permanent Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs in late summer 2025.
Copyright 2025 WAND TV. All rights reserved.
