John Basie named provost

The following announcement was written and disseminated Feb. 10 by Erskine’s interim president, who called a meeting to inform faculty and staff members of the appointment.

Interim President Dr. Robert E. Gustafson is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John Basie (pictured at left) as the new Provost of Erskine College beginning March 13, 2017. Along with his appointment as provost, Basie has also accepted the position of Associate Professor of Philosophy and Ethics.

“My family and I are humbled by this calling to come serve the Erskine community and the ARP Church,” Basie said. “We look forward to working alongside others in implementing the college’s Christ-centered mission.”

Since 2006, Basie has served in higher education leadership at the Impact 360 Institute, an academically rigorous educational organization committed to teaching biblical worldview and servant leadership principles in all of its programs. Impact 360 Institute is affiliated with Union University (Tennessee), Lifeshape Foundation, and Chick-fil-A, Inc. Basie is the founding director of Impact 360 Scholars program, a virtual academic coaching program for college students and young professionals. He is also the founding director of the Impact 360 Master’s program, an innovative degree-granting graduate program launched in collaboration with Union University.

Prior to his current roles, Basie served as director of the Impact 360 Gap Year program. During his tenure with Impact 360 Gap Year, he led the execution of the strategic plan, recruited full-time and visiting faculty and staff, fostered alliance-building with institutional partners and donors on regional and national levels, contributed to a team achievement of a 30 percent enrollment increase, served as academic curriculum consultant, and led the department of student learning and living. Basie has served as visiting assistant professor of philosophy with Union University since 2006.

Before his posts with Impact 360 Institute, Basie was Dean of Enrollment Management at Columbia International University. There he maintained oversight of a $1.5 million budget, reversed declining enrollment to deliver a combined 34 percent growth in the graduate and seminary programs, and then led the establishment of the R.C. McQuilkin Scholarship, a full-tuition leadership scholarship for incoming freshmen. For more than 15 years he has balanced his administrative leadership responsibilities with teaching courses in philosophy, ethics, and Christian worldview at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Basie earned an A.B. in psychology and Christian education from Erskine College (1996), an M.A. in philosophy and ethics from Biola University, and a Ph.D. in church-state studies (religion and politics) from Baylor University. He is the author of Your College Launch Story: Six Things Every Parent Must Do and founder and principal for Millennial 360, LLC, a leadership and career-coaching firm targeting millennial generation students and leaders. He is an Affiliated Scholar with the John Jay Institute (Pennsylvania), and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Basie served on the Erskine College and Seminary Board of Trustees from 2007-2013.

Basie and his wife, Marana (class of 1997), are the parents of three children: Patrick, Rebekah Ruth, and Rachel. They have held membership in a number of ARP churches in several presbyteries, including Ebenezer ARP (Rock Hill), First ARP in Gastonia, Church of the Atonement (Maryland), First Presbyterian in Columbia, Due West ARP, and White Oak ARP (Georgia). The Basie family has most recently worshiped at St. Andrews Presbyterian (PCA) in Columbus, Georgia.

Gustafson said Basie comes “with strong Associate Reformed Presbyterian connections and the skill set and professional expertise to give fresh insight into the Erskine College experience, and is the ideal candidate to lead Erskine College as its provost during this important time in the school’s history.”