USC can now welcome Susan Elkins to the Gamecock family. Elkins, a vice president at Tennessee Technological University, was named the first chancellor of the new Palmetto College program by USC’s board of trustees Monday. Overall, she’s an excellent choice for the role.
At Tennessee Tech, she helped start Web degree programs, which combined online coursework along with physical campuses. In her new role as chancellor, Elkins will control the new online college — aimed at wooing South Carolinians back into the classroom and providing broader access to higher education — and the USC system’s four regional campuses. When the program officially begins in August, she expects to start off with an initial class of 500 to 1,000 students.
As a first-generation college graduate, she embodies what Palmetto College is all about. Elkins knows what it takes to encourage people from diverse backgrounds and is determined to meet with local South Carolinians to better cater to their needs.
She’s even planning on visiting every single county in the state in order to meet with members of the local community. It’s a great publicity move as it helps to showcase what a monumental change this system can bring to our growing state.
By reflecting on her past experiences in her long career, Susan Elkins definitely has what it takes to get Palmetto College up and running. We wish her the best of luck, and we hope this new program will aim to deliver an education to all of our state’s citizens.