One Historically Black-College President ensured over 120 student arrived home safely during the unexpected Coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, the first-female President of Benedict College in Colombia, South Carolina made a public statement on Facebook about the financial support from alumnus, the Columbia Chapter of the Links, Inc. and the Benedict College Board of Trustees that made the traveling accommodations much more smoother for her students.
“We provided luggage, money for gas, paid for bags and provided cash for food while traveling to our neediest students. Benedict ran 24-hour shuttle service to Charleston, Charlotte, and Columbia airports as well as to the train station and the bus depot, regardless of whether we purchased the ticket or the students booked themselves. We have transported belongings to storage facilities for students and assisted with boxes etc. for students to pack and store their items. In short, we have done everything we could think of to make a terrible situation a little less terrible for our students,” Dr. Artis wrote on her Facebook page.
Nearly 90 airline tickets (domestic and international), 4 train tickets purchased and 5 bus tickets for students. In addition, One Trustee member personally booked over 45 plane tickets, according to Dr. Artis’s Facebook page.
Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis Facebook Statement:
PRAISE REPORT!
As everyone knows, Benedict College will follow the order issued by the SC Governor, closing all public colleges and Universities in SC. The public/private distinction is irrelevant with the safety of our students, staff and faculty at stake. Therefore, on Sunday I notified the campus community that we would be closing the campus today at 5pm.
Recognizing the extreme financial hardship this would be for many of our students and families, I reached out to the Benedict College Board of Trustees for help, and they delivered in a mighty way! Due to the personal and collective generosity of our Trustees, and a generous donation from the Columbia Chapter of the Links, Inc., Benedict was able to offer emergency travel assistance for students with no resources to get home. In total, Benedict College was able to provide travel assistance to more than 120 students. We booked nearly 90 airline tickets (domestic and international), purchased 4 train tickets and 5 bus tickets for students. One of my Trustees personally booked over 45 plane tickets!
We provided luggage, money for gas, paid for bags and provided cash for food while traveling to our neediest students. Benedict ran 24-hour shuttle service to Charleston, Charlotte, and Columbia airports as well as to the train station and the bus depot, regardless of whether we purchased the ticket or the students booked themselves. We have transported belongings to storage facilities for students and assisted with boxes etc. for students to pack and store their items. In short, we have done everything we could think of to make a terrible situation a little less terrible for our students.
The transportation, housing, facilities, athletics, campus safety, retention, IT, student health center, HR, finance, academic, student services and administrative teams have worked non-stop for the last 48-72 hours to assist and care for our students. We are far from perfect, we made mistakes, and in hindsight, could have done some things differently. After all, we are human beings who were faced with an unprecedented crisis. However, every decision made, every dollar donated, every message drafted, every call made and every meeting held, were done with our students, staff and faculty and their well-being in mind.
I pray for God’s grace, mercy and protection over the entirety of the BC Family and hope that we can re-open the Benedict Campus very soon. A College campus isn’t a campus without it’s students…I miss you already. I hope to see you again soon – especially my Seniors who are praying for an “on-time” commencement!
I am proud to lead an institution where a Board of Trustees demonstrates its commitment to students by contributing their personal financial resources to support our vulnerable students in a crisis. I am proud of our faculty for transitioning to online delivery practically overnight. I am proud of a staff that works non-stop to care for our students. I am proud of the calls and emails and texts I’ve received from Alumni and community members offering their support. That is what attending an HBCU is all about. We are #HBCUStrong! We are #TheBESTofBC!
If you didn’t have an opportunity to make a gift during our Day of Giving, it’s not too late to make a difference. Please support our BC COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund for Benedict students. Visit https://t.co/HeGrcgaSig to make your gift. pic.twitter.com/zB1DYSY0Yo
