USC Upstate holds investiture of chancellor Bennie L. Harris. Campus expansion part of vision.

Samantha Swann, Herald-Journal

April 15, 2022 at 3:39 PM·3 min read

The University of South Carolina Upstate saw the investiture of its fifth chancellor, Bennie L. Harris, Ph.D. Friday morning.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as local and state leaders, gathered in the G.B. Hodge Center for a ceremony that, at times, had the atmosphere of a joyous church service, featuring an invocation from Chancellor Harris' childhood pastor, Dr. Harvey M. Jackson of Lampton Street Church of Christ in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. The investiture also featured performances by the USC Upstate Gospel Choir.

2021 lookback: New USC Upstate Chancellor Bennie Harris introduced. Eager to 'innovate and transform'

Award-winning gospel artist and Season 9 BET Sunday Best winner, Melvin Crispell III, led the choir in a rendition of "I Can Only Imagine" following Harris' donning of the university's regalia.

Here are five things to know about the investiture and new chancellor:

What is an investiture?

USC-Upstate held its Investiture Ceremony to install the fifth Chancellor of the university, Bennie L. Harris, Ph.D., at the Hodge Center on the USC-Upstate campus in Spartanburg, Friday, April 15, 2022.

An investiture is the formal welcoming and installation of a new leader to a college or university. It's one of the oldest traditions in academia and is based on English knighting ceremonies.

Harris' investiture was attended by government leaders, including Governor Henry McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster and Spartanburg Mayor Jerome Rice. Also attending were: delegates from local and national universities, guests from Harris' alma mater, Mississippi State University and Harris' family. Students, staff and faculty members also attended.

Harris making history at USC Upstate

Harris is the fifth chancellor in the university's 55 year history, preceded by Dr. Olin B. Sansbury, Jr., Dr. John C. Stockwell, Dr. Thomas F. Moore and Dr. Brendan Kelly.

Harris is the first Black chancellor of USC Upstate. He, like 31 percent of the university's freshmen, was a first-generation college student.

Bennie L. Harris' first year

Harris took on the responsibilities of chancellor in July of 2021. Since then, he's been appointed to the boards of the Spartanburg Academic Movement, Ten at the Top, OneSpartanburg, The Charles Lea Center Administrative Board, United Way of the Piedmont, the Franklin School and the NCAA's Big South Conference. Harris is also a member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Accelerate Steering Committee and the Prisma Health Medical Scholars Program.

Harris developed a vision plan which he hopes will increase the value proposition of college education in the upstate and increase the number of degree holders in Spartanburg and Greenville counties.

"The ultimate vision is seeing our products, which are our students, continue to change the world, continue to make a difference in lives of our country, our state and our local community," Harris said.

Reimagining USC Upstate

Physical campus expansions are also part of Harris' vision for the future of USC Upstate.

With OneSpartanburg, Inc., the university is exploring the possibility of building an $85 million regional Convocation Center near the USC Upstate campus, which would be used for graduations, concerts, athletics, consumer shows, conventions and banquets.

$9 million of repairs to the Health Education Complex, a $19 million library addition and renovation plan, and a $53 million dedicated building for the Mary Black School of Nursing are also being considered.

Looking to the future

Harris said his main goal for the 2022-23 academic year is to work to ensure student success in the realms of graduation rates and career attainment and to increase enrollment.

"We're going to focus on our brand and telling our story," Harris said.

Samantha Swann covers food and restaurants in Spartanburg County. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her with your burning restaurant questions, recipes, and new dinner specials at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sameatsspartanburg.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: 5 things to know about the investiture of USC Upstate's 5th chancellor

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