Roslyn Clark Artis, J.D., Ed.D
President
Benedict College
Roslyn Clark Artis was unanimously appointed as the 14th President of Benedict College in June 2017. She is the first female President in the 147-year history of the College, which was founded by a woman, Mrs. Bathsheba Benedict, in 1870 and celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
In 2019, Dr. Artis was named Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education, the 2019 Educator of the Year by the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., and a Walker Legacy Award Recipient.
Under Dr. Artis’ leadership, Benedict College was awarded the 2019 American Council on Education (ACE) Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. The award recognizes institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic results in a short period of time. Benedict College was only the 2nd HBCU and the 1st private college to receive this national recognition. Additionally, Benedict received the top honors and named HBCU Digest 2019 HBCU of the Year.
Dr. Artis is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political science from sister HBCU, West Virginia State University. Dr. Artis also holds a Certificate of Fundraising Management from Indiana University and a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from DePaul University.
Dr. Artis is a member of the Presidents’ Advisory Board for Title III Administrators, the Educational Testing Service Presidents’ Advisory Council and is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Board of Directors for the Council of Independent Colleges. She is also a member of the National Black MBA Advisory Council and an Equity in Energy Ambassador for the Department of Energy.
Locally, Dr. Artis is a member of the United Way of the Midlands, Board of Directors, and is serving as Co-Chair of the 2020 Campaign, the EngenuitySC Board, and the First Citizens Bank, Greater Columbia Advisory Board. She serves as the secretary for the South Carolina Education Tuition Grants Commission, and the Advisory Council for the South Carolina Philharmonic. Dr. Artis is an active member of the Governor’s COVID-19 AccelerateSC Advisory Team, the South Carolina Commission of Minority Affairs, and the Midlands Business Leadership Group (MBLG).