Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis is a visionary leader, strategic thinker, and champion for educational equity. She made history on June 30, 2017, when she was unanimously appointed the 14th—and first woman—President of Benedict College. Prior to this role, she served as the first woman President of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Florida.

With a deep commitment to the transformation of institutions that serve underrepresented students, Dr. Artis has earned national recognition for her dynamic leadership. She was named “Female HBCU President of the Year” (2018) and “President of the Year” (2020) by HBCU Digest and Higher Ed Dive, respectively. Under her leadership, Benedict College was named HBCU of the Year and received the American Council on Education’s Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Dr. Artis has lectured and published extensively on equity in education and the complexities of leading minority-serving institutions. She is the founding Co-Chair of the HBCU Annual Sustainability Summit and has received more than 300 awards for her leadership.  She is particularly passionate about mentoring, developing and supporting aspiring women leaders at all levels.  Dr. Artis is a member of the International Women’s Forum (Carolinas Forum) and is the co-editor of a forthcoming book entitled “The HBCU Sisterhood: Testimonies of Triumph and Transformation.” 

Dr. Artis believes deeply in the transformative power of global learning experiences for historically underrepresented and/or marginalized students.  She is the recipient of a 2025 Fulbright Fellowship and serves on the Board for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) where she advocates for inclusive opportunities abroad.

Dr. Artis serves on number of other national boards and advisory councils, including the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Campus Compact, Citizens & Scholars, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), where she serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees.  She chairs the Presidents’ Advisory Board for Title III Administrators and is the Chair of the Member Presidents for the thirty-seven institutional members of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). In this capacity, she serves as a member of the UNCF Corporate Board of Directors as well.

At the federal level, she was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) in 2021 and is a former member of the Education Advisory Committee to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and was named an “Equity in Energy Ambassador” by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Additionally, Dr. Artis has served as a member of the NCAA Management Council for Division II and currently serves as Chair of the President’s Council for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

Locally, Dr. Artis is a member of the Palmetto Partners, an advisory council to the Governor of South Carolina and the Midlands Business Leaders Group.  She is a member and Past Chair of the United Way Board of Directors, a member of the Columbia Chamber Executive Committee, the Advisory Committee for First Citizens Bank and the Columbia Philharmonic and is a Board Member for the Central Carolina Community Foundation.

Dr. Artis holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, a Juris Doctor from West Virginia University College of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from sister-HBCU, West Virginia State University. She also earned a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University and a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from DePaul University.

Personally, she is married to Mr. Selby R. Artis and is the proud parent of Christopher, Jayden and Jocelyn. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Links Inc. and Jack & Jill of America, Inc.