Gettys
to Return to Faculty Full-Time
Erskine Vice President and Academic Dean Dr. James
W. Gettys will leave his administrative duties behind
and return to the faculty full-time after 11 years of
overseeing the academic direction of one of the top
faculties in the nation.
“Deaning is rewarding, but for several years
I have wanted to return to the faculty,” Gettys
said. “The rewards of an administrator are
insignificant to those of a teacher. A teachers gets to
watch graduates contribute to society and knows that
he has touched the future.”
Gettys, who began teaching history at Erskine
College in 1965, has been Vice President and Dean of
the College since 1988 and previously served as Dean
of Admissions (1983-85) and Director of Institutional
Research (1986-88). He was twice selected to receive
the Younts Excellence in Teaching Award at Erskine,
and has continued teaching history classes throughout
his administrative career at the college.
In 1998 Gettys was named to the newly-established
McDonald-Boswell Endowed Professorship in History.
His full-time return to the faculty was made possible
when former longtime history professor Dr. Nancy
Erickson was named academic dean at Iowa Wesleyan
College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, earlier this year.
Gettys said that Erskine President Dr. John
Carson, as former Erskine President James Strobel had
done before, urged him to remain as Dean.
“But Dr. Carson supports my decision,”
Gettys said. “I have enjoyed serving as Dean
with Presidents Ezell, Strobel and Carson. John's
dedication amazes me. He arrives at work an hour
before I do and if he is not in his office when I
leave, he is on the road working for Erskine.”
Carson said, “As both a professor and
administrator, and most recently as vice president
and dean of the college, Dr. Jim Gettys has been an
excellent example of one who is committed to
Christian Higher Education. Under his tenure Erskine
has made many advancements and it continues to be
recognized as one of the finest teaching institutions
in the nation.
“Dr. Gettys' personal commitment to Due West,
the ARP Church, and this faculty is
unquestioned,” Carson said. “He has been a
great resource for me coming into this position, but
expressed from the first day I talked to him his
desire to return to the faculty as soon as an opening
became available.
“We will continue to look to Dr. Gettys in
the coming years for his wisdom and input,”
Carson said. “I'm sure his successor will find
him to be a true and faithful friend.”
Under the leadership of Gettys, many important
improvements were made on campus, including Erskine's
rise to a BA 1 liberal arts ranking nationally. He
also created a service-oriented library for Erskine
students that is now totally automated. His vision of
a fiber optic network at Erskine led to the campus
becoming a technological leader and improved
communication, teaching, and mentoring among faculty
and students.
Gettys also directed the admissions efforts of the
college, eventually recommending the creation of a
separate position of vice president for admissions,
financial aid and technology.
When Gettys became dean at Erskine few faculty
members had computers. That changed quickly, and
within three years all Erskine professors had
personal computers. Today, compared with any faculty
at any college anywhere, Gettys said Erskine
professors have excellent computers running the
latest software.
“Now, constant training to use the computers
and software is the biggest issue we face with the
faculty,” Gettys said.
A graduate of Rock Hill High School, Gettys earned
an A.B. in History with a minor in Philosophy in 1962
at Erskine, continuing his education at the
University of South Carolina, where he received the
M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, completing his doctoral
studies in August 1974.
“My greatest lack of success has been in
curriculum reform,” Gettys said. “I became
dean here thinking that was essential. I have tried
to encourage it but it hasn't happened. It's
something I think the college needs, and hopefully
the next dean can make it happen.”
Carson disagrees with Gettys on this point. He said that the
curricullum review committee that Gettys established is set to make its
report to the president later this month.
Gettys said that when he accepted the Dean's
position at Erskine he felt as if he was stepping
down from the faculty to become an administrator.
“I now feel as if I am stepping up to return to
the faculty,” Gettys said. “They are an
exceptional collection of teachers.”
A member of the Due West Associate Reformed Church
where he has served as Sunday school teacher, deacon,
and elder, he is married to the former Sandra
Lockaby, a public school teacher and Erskine alumna.
They have two children, both Erskine graduates, and
one grandchild, and make their home in Due West.
Carson said a national search for a replacement
for Gettys will begin immediately. Gettys will remain
as Dean until the end of June.
