In his first few days as the new president of South Carolina State University (SCSU), Thomas Elzey quickly learned that he would have his work cut out for him in leading an institution that has had 10 chief executives, including three permanent presidents, in the last 10 years.
“I came in and everything was dormant,” Elzey said in a recent interview. “Fundraising was dormant. Recruitment was dormant. Organization was dormant.”
In one instance, Elzey said it took several weeks to get an important list of information he sought. When the list arrived, there was another awakening: “It was outdated.”
Today, five months into his first and new position as a university president, Elzey is pursing an ambitious agenda to give the troubled institution a new lease on life.
“I was very well aware of the needs of this great institution,” said Elzey, who came to SCSU from The Citadel—the Military College of South Carolina, where he had been an executive vice president since 2011. “This was more than taking on just another job; this was an opportunity.”
His job, Elzey said, is to get others—from rank-and-file employees to government officials and private funders—to embrace that sentiment. As he expounds on his challenges and goals at SCSU, Elzey describes what observers might call a major overhaul.
“I have been very insistent [that] this is not business as usual,” Elzey said, referring to how many functions of the university have run in the past. “I’ve made sure all of our staff understands customer service is number one.”
