Acting president says new chapter begins at S.C. State

Conyers, an S.C. State alumnus who has served as vice president for strategic alliances and initiatives since May, was tapped by the university board Tuesday for the acting position after the trustees voted 10-3 to oust President James Clark. The vote for Conyers was unanimous.

“Today, we begin a new chapter, paving a way forward for the history of the next 125 years to be written. We will do so by building and planting new vineyards of opportunity for our new students. Together, we can and we will move SC State University to even greater heights,” Conyers said in his letter.

Here is the full text of the letter:

“Dear Bulldog Nation,

“I am extremely humbled and honored to have been selected by our Board of Trustees to lead our beloved alma mater during this very important transition. After serving our country and our soldiers for almost three decades, I look forward to serving our great university and our great students.

“My dear wife Agatha ’86 and I are extremely excited about the future of South Carolina State University. We don’t take this privilege lightly. As a loyal son and daughter, we are committed to being present, active and engaged ambassadors, representing this institution with honor and integrity. These are unprecedented times. We are keenly aware of how important it is to continue to elevate the Bulldog brand in a manner that will inform, enlighten and attract the best and the brightest students, scholars and mentors. We are up to that task. Our son, who is a rising junior at SC State, may be less excited about my new position than we are. I don’t know many college students who want Mom and Dad tagging along for their collegiate journey. But he, too, is a loyal Bulldog through and through and he supports our family during this leg of our life journey.

“Periods of transition can be extremely challenging. I am confident, however, that the obstacles we face today pale in comparison to those we have persevered through over the last 125 years. As we reflect on those times, we have an enormous number of accomplishments to be thankful for and to be proud of.

“I am forever reminded of Joshua 24: 13 — “I have given you a land on which you did not labor… you eat from vineyards which you did not plant.”

“Today, we begin a new chapter, paving a way forward for the history of the next 125 years to be written. We will do so by building and planting new vineyards of opportunity for our new students. Together, we can and we will move SC State University to even greater heights.

“I look forward to culminating the awesome talents, innovative ideas, and positive actions of our students, faculty, staff, and representatives of the greater Orangeburg community to build a stronger SCSU that will remain a prominent beacon in the higher education arena.

“Bulldog Nation, get ready to answer a call to action like none other.

“Let’s go Bulldogs!”