by Kristine Hartvigsen
The daughter of a West Virginia coal miner who attended schools where 97 percent of the students bore little resemblance to her, Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis had no idea her circumstances weren’t the norm everywhere. When it came time to begin college, she enrolled in West Virginia State University, a historically Black college or university. It was a culture shock.
“I didn’t even know what HBCU meant,” she says. “I had never been around so many people of color. What I learned is that all are welcome, which is endemic to the HBCU.”
Roslyn prospered there, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. She went on to complete law school at West Virginia University College of Law and worked as a successful litigator for nearly a decade. She earned her doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University.
Today, Roslyn is serving in her eighth year as president of Benedict College. When she arrived in 2017, the HBCU was operating under probationary sanctions that left its future formidably in doubt. She knew turning it around would be a heavy lift.
Established in 1870, the original “Benedict Institute” in its early years focused on improving the socioeconomic circumstances of black people in the post-Civil War South by preparing students to become teachers and preachers. The curriculum later expanded to include traditional college disciplines. In 1894, the state legislature chartered the institution as a liberal arts college, and the name was formally changed to Benedict College.
Q: During your first months in office, what were your immediate goals for Benedict?
A: When I arrived in 2017, the institution was challenged on every front. You name it, it was broken. The challenges were quite significant, but that can be motivating because I am competitive. Everyone with a stake in Benedict College had a lot to lose in that moment, so I had a sense of urgency. We were dealing with everything at once. It was like drinking from a fire hose. Fortunately, I am like a wartime general. I can think under fire and make good decisions.
Q: How has your past as a litigator impacted your leadership style?
A: My law degree has been very beneficial throughout my career. As a lawyer, you don’t learn the law; you learn how to translate it. It’s not about memorizing what the law is but about finding the answer, distilling it, and making a decision. I am pretty good at cutting to the chase, getting to the essence of the problem, and solving it. That is how you achieve sustainable change.
It also has helped me be an advocate. My 2,000 students are my clients now. I present their case to the General Assembly, to Congress, accrediting bodies, and other decision-makers.
Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of over your tenure so far?
A: In 2018, Benedict was recognized by the American Council on Education with its Award for Institutional Transformation. To receive that acknowledgement within a year and a half signified we were heading in the right direction. It gave us some wind beneath our wings.
In 2020, we had challenges with COVID-19. I think Benedict weathered that particularly well. We are small and private, so we could be agile in our response. We remained open when everyone else closed. A large portion of our student body lived in a digital desert with little or no access to broadband. We really felt like we needed to remain open for the population we serve. We are one of only two higher education institutions in the nation that had an in-person graduation in 2020. It was for graduates only, but we livestreamed it for all. I really think the parents had a better line of sight watching the livestream. We pulled it off, and I was really proud of that.
In 2021, we hosted a 10-year reaccreditation visit. We not only were removed from our sanctions, but we won full accreditation. We got a 100 on the test! We had a perfect score, which is hard to come by.
Q: Is there a student whose personal story has touched you and reinforced your sense of mission?
A: Yes. During the pandemic, I met a young lady working in the drive-through at a local fast-food establishment. She asked when it would be possible to get back on campus. Later, I checked on her circumstances and learned that she was homeless, working two jobs, and sleeping in her car in the restaurant parking lot. She used the restaurant’s Wi-Fi to take our courses. She really needed to be on campus to access resources. She participated in ROTC and has since been commissioned in the U.S. Army, where she works in cybersecurity.
Q: What are some of the ways you show students how much you care?
A: I let them know they can talk about anything with me. I believe in the free exchange of ideas and freedom of expression. I want the students to know that they matter in a very significant way. It is statistically more likely that our students need additional resources to get their degrees and have a healthy, holistic, nurturing environment. We call it “intentional empathy.” The goal is not just to listen but to understand.
