Earlier this week, Dr. Louis Levy, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, announced his intentions to retire as of Jan. 1, 2010 .
 Dr. Levy has worked at Valdosta State for 20 years and is in his 10th year as vice president of Academic Affairs.
 “I just decided it was a good time to retire. You get to a stage when you know in your head it’s time to [retire],” Levy said.
 Levy said he decided to retire so that he can spend more time with his family and travel a little bit. “It’s very difficult to travel the United States and abroad and be the provost at the same time,” he said.
 An interim provost will take over Levy’s position chosen by VSU President Dr. Patrick J. Schloss and the dean’s council while the university conducts a national search for someone to fill Levy’s shoes. The interim should be chosen within the next few days, said Schloss.
 A new provost and vice president of Academic Affairs should be chosen by July 1, 2010, according to Schloss.
 Levy said his replacement will have to have a capacity for high levels productivity and administration, be able to balance competing interests while all the time being student centered and totally committed to the advancement of VSU.
  Levy has been at VSU since 1989, first as a professor then department head, then vice president for Academic Affairs, then interim vice president for Academic Affairs in 2000. He became the official vice president in 2002 and was appointed provost in 2008.
 Levy said the hardest part about his position was trying to be everywhere all at once and to satisfy all of the great needs we have at VSU. The easiest part about his job, according to Levy, was working with great vice presidents, deans, staff, and faculty.
 “My favorite part is working with students; they keep me current, keep me young,” Levy said.
 Though Levy is retiring, he said he’ll be back at VSU for activities and events. Levy believes you can’t invest so much time into something, and then just completely abandon it.
    “It’s been an honor to serve Valdosta State University as a faculty member and an administrator over the last 20 years,” Levy said.
 “He is a dear friend as well as a colleague,” Dr Schloss said. “I’m going to miss him a great deal. I’ve never known anyone as sensitive, as thoughtful, and very, very bright and very committed to Valdosta State .”