COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina is saying a final farewell to longtime president Dr. Harris Pastides.
After 11 years of mini-cooper rides, selfies and spurs up, South Carolina’s flagship university is saying farewell to their 28th president.
Pastides last day on the job is Wednesday. Dr. Pastides served the flagship university for 10 years and during his time in office, the school has seen record growth in enrollment, new levels of academic success and improved graduation rates for all students.
The school has also seen a campus expansion, new corporate partnerships and record-setting billion-dollar fundraising campaign.
While he has accomplished may things in the last decade, Dr. Pastides says his daily interactions with the students is what he will the most.
On Twitter, the hashtag "#ThankYouPastides" has received hundreds of tweets, and students, faculty, staff and athletic teams have joined in to say goodbye, posting pictures and sentiments.
As Dr. Pastides celebrates his last day, he will be passing the torch to new president-elect retired Army General Robert Caslen, who will take over on Thursday.
Caslen was selected to become the University of South Carolina’s next president, after the school’s board of trustees approved him Friday, July 19, after nearly two weeks of controversy that highlighted deep divides in the leadership of the school, the alumni, and the state’s political class.
The trustees selected Caslen, a former three-star Army general, in a vote just after 1:30 p.m on Friday. The final tally was 11 for, 8 against, and 1 trustee voting present. The trustees had met in a closed-door executive session for over two hours before coming out to hold the vote in public.
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Pastides responded to the controversial vote in an open letter to the Carolina family.
"There is no doubt that the last few months have been difficult and have strained relations within our Carolina family. From time to time that happens in every family, and I know we will show the world the strength of the ties that bind us together," Dr. Pastides said. "Let's pledge to work together to begin the healing and reconciliation as we seek to move our great University forward."
Read Pastides' full statement below.
On the same day of the vote, Caslen tweeted out a statement.
"I am honored to be chosen to lead this great institution," Caslen said. "I fully recognize the challenges the Board addressed to get to this point, and I am grateful for their support and confidence. I will work tirelessly to listen to all of our students, faculty, staff, Board members, and all our constituents to understand their concerns and issues, and I will actively seek their advice. From talking with many people, it is clear the University of South Carolina is on track to be the preeminent institution of higher education in America today, and I will work to move this university and system in that direction, ensuring South Carolina continues to deliver a world-class education to students while making the state a better place to live. I am eager to start meeting with students, faculty and staff, and my goal is to work collaboratively with our entire university and system community to address challenges, to build confidence, respect and trust, and to create new opportunities."
Caslen is set to begin August 1, 2019 and will receive a salary of $650,000 a year.