Provost Joe Weixlmann has stepped down from his position for a two-month administrative leave “for personal as well as professional reasons,” according to a press release issued by Saint Louis University.

The leave will go into effect on July 31. The position he will hold at the end of his two-month leave, whether in the teaching or administrative sphere, is to be decided upon his return.

“I have been honored to serve as the University’s chief academic officer for the past seven years, and I look forward to new challenges after I return from administrative leave in the fall,” Weixlmann said in the press release.

Manoj Patankar, the current dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, will serve as the interim provost in Weixlmann’s absence.

Weixlmann was appointed provost in March of 2003, and first joined the SLU community as the dean for the College of Arts and Sciences in 2001.

Requests for an interview with Weixlmann were unreturned at press time.

The full press release can be found here: http://www.slu.edu/x31180.xml