15 Minutes With ... Dr. Anita Gustafson, Presbyterian College President
No one can tell Dr. Anita Gustafson that you can’t go home again. She would say that not only can you go home again, but it can be even sweeter the second time around.
For Gustafson, Presbyterian College is home, and after nearly two decades in faculty and administration roles, she left to take the next steps in her career in 2016.
She served as a history professor and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.
Seven years later, on August 1, 2023, Gustafson’s career road led back to Presbyterian College, this time as the school’s 20th president, the first woman to serve the college in that role since it’s founding in 1880 in Clinton.
Gustafson acknowledges the history-making distinction, but also says it’s not something she thinks about daily. She says her focus is on doing the work, focusing on teaching excellence and serving others.
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With about 1,200 students, Presbyterian College is a small campus that strives to feel more like a family. Gustafson says she looks forward to expanding and strengthening the family and preparing to welcome new generations into it.
Gustafson’s formal inauguration was last month, as her first academic year in office was concluding. We talked with her about her background and her plans for the college.
TALK Greenville:Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. You have made history as the first woman president at Presbyterian College. How does it feel to have this distinction?
Dr. Anita Gustafson: I’m really honored to be the first woman president of PC, and grateful for the opportunity. As a historian, I realize the importance of these first steps for women, and that women of previous generations worked hard for their daughters and granddaughters to enjoy.
TG:What did you most look forward to about becoming president at PC?
AG: I’m excited about the opportunity to build on PC’s strong reputation and develop programs that will draw new students to the college. PC is really a large family and by coming back, I’m able to reconnect with so many alumni and friends. I look forward to building on those relationships.
TG:Speaking of coming back to PC, you left in 2016 to serve as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Mercer University. What drew you back to PC?
AG: Working at Mercer as Dean was excellent preparation for leading a liberal arts college as president. I was drawn back to PC for the opportunity to lead the institution—the time was right for me to move into a presidency. Returning to PC felt like coming home.
TG:How will serving as president differ from your previous leadership roles in terms of building community and implementing forward change?
AG: In previous roles I led the academic arm and I engaged with other departments on campus such as enrollment, marketing, and finance. Now I lead those departments and others. I’m connected with and responsible for all parts of the college as president, and I am better able to bring ideas to fruition.
TG:What is your vision for continuing to move PC forward into its next chapter?
AG: 2030 will mark PC’s 150th anniversary. Moving toward that, I want to lean into academic excellence and service by promoting student-faculty research and service-learning, and mentoring students as they explore their vocation.
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TG:PC is a liberal arts college, and sometimes a case needs to be made for the value of a liberal arts education. Can you tell us more about the value it holds?
AG: Students are now being forced into specializing at a young age, but a liberal arts education broadens their ability to explore new ideas and subjects. It prepares students for jobs that don’t exist yet by giving them the skills they need for whatever their pathway may be. Employers value skills such as communicating through writing and speaking, working with people from diverse backgrounds, and synthesizing complex ideas to find solutions to problems. A liberal arts education also encourages curiosity, an important foundation for life-long learning. Presbyterian College does these things extremely well.
TG:What are the components of a high-quality liberal arts education?
AG: PC provides a broad range of subjects across the curriculum such as fine arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences. It promotes critical thinking, making connections and a community of civility and respect for others. In short, PC prepares students for service and leadership in a democratic society.
TG:You have a liberal arts education and have experienced tremendous career success. Your area of expertise is history. You taught history at PC and have doctoral and master’s degrees in history. What sparked your interest in history and how has it shaped your career?
AG: History provides context for our lives today. I love learning the stories of people who came before us. The American story is multi-faceted and complex, which is why it is fascinating. Learning someone else’s story broadens your world. Studying and writing history has shaped my leadership style. When making decisions, I consider qualitative and quantitative information before reaching a conclusion, just as I do when writing an essay or lecturing on a historical topic.
TG:You likely don’t have much spare time, but when you do, how do you spend it?
AG: Luckily, much of my job encompasses things I love. I’m a sports fan, so I attend PC athletic events and I love meeting new people — a big part of my job. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places with my husband Charlie and my son Karl.
TG:PC’s motto is “While we live, we serve.” Tell us one way you plan to put service into action at PC and within Clinton and Laurens Counties.
AG: We have initiated a new scholarship — the Laurens County Service Scholars — to encourage and enable students from Laurens County to attend PC.
TG:The first Presidential Scholarship Ball closed out you Inauguration Week last month. Tell us about the Ball and how it became part of Inauguration Week.
AG: The Presidential Scholarship Ball is a fundraiser to assist students who need financial assistance to attend PC. I wanted my inauguration focused on building for the future while celebrating PC and the beginning of my presidency. This event was a festive occasion that added to the resources of the college. The evening included dinner and dancing, featuring music by the Ansley Stewart Band. Ansley is a 2007 PC graduate and is part of the Atlanta music scene.
TG:You wrote the book “Swedish Chicago: The Shaping of an Immigrant Community 1880-1920" and you have a bachelor’s degree in Swedish. Tell us about your interest in Swedish language and culture.
AG: My grandparents were Swedish immigrants and I attended North Park University in Chicago, where I studied abroad in Sweden. It was a life-changing experience. I learned the language well enough to have a conversation with my relatives who didn’t speak English. When I returned to North Park, it was easy to complete a second major in Swedish. At the time, I wouldn’t have predicted that I would use my language skills to write my master’s thesis, my dissertation, and my eventual book.