After more than 42 years of distinguished service, Pam Bryant Ross, senior vice president for Enrollment Management at Anderson University, has announced her retirement, effective Sept. 1. Ross, a pivotal figure in the university’s remarkable tripling of enrollment, will transition to a consulting role as special assistant to the president.
In anticipation of Ross’s departure, Anderson University will promote two associate vice presidents to share leadership of the increasingly complex enrollment functions. William Monts will be promoted to senior vice president for Enrollment Management, leading undergraduate and graduate admissions. Mike Sapienza will become senior vice president for Enrollment Services, overseeing financial aid, student accounts, and registrar functions. Together, they will form an executive team guiding all enrollment initiatives.
Ross, an alumna of Anderson University and Winthrop University, joined the staff in 1983 as a college representative before transitioning to an admission counselor and head women’s softball coach. Her extraordinary organizational and people skills were quickly noticed, leading to an appointment in admissions leadership. She swiftly rose through the ranks, holding positions as director, associate vice president, vice president, and eventually senior vice president. Throughout her career, she is estimated to have admitted more than 50,000 students to the institution, which has grown to become South Carolina’s largest private university and one of its more academically selective.
“It’s hard to imagine Anderson University without Pam Ross at the helm of admissions, but she has more than earned her retirement,” said Anderson University President Evans Whitaker. “Anderson is blessed with many extraordinary people, but I don’t know of anyone who has contributed more to the lifeblood of our university in the form of matching able students to Anderson’s rigorous educational mission. It’s been my honor to work with Pam for 23 years. She’s simply the best in the business.”
Under Ross’s leadership, Anderson University’s enrollment surged from 1,600 to nearly 5,000 students, effectively tripling the university’s size. Simultaneously, admission selectivity dramatically increased, with an almost 200-point rise in average SAT scores.
Bill Fahrner, President of Credo … Powered by Carnegie, a leading higher education consulting firm that has advised Anderson in retention and other initiatives, lauds Ross’s accomplishments.
“What Anderson has done — tripling enrollment while significantly increasing selectivity in a highly competitive landscape — is a best-in-class example of extraordinary institutional success. Ross has done all of that while building strategic partnerships across the student experience so that enrollment momentum is fueled by incredible retention and graduation rates for more than a decade,” Fahrner stated.
In recognition of her unprecedented contributions, President Whitaker personally selected Ross as the commencement speaker for the May 2023 outdoor ceremony on oak-adorned, six-acre Alumni Lawn. Following her address, she was surprised with the announcement that the iconic brick walkway bisecting Alumni Lawn would be permanently named the “Pam Bryant Ross Pathway to the Future.” A granite marker in the shape of an acorn, symbolizing potential, now is embedded at a place of honor at the walkway’s entrance.
“The marker and the pathway are cherished and powerful symbols of Anderson University. It is fitting that they are named for a such a special alumna who dedicated her professional life to the advancement of this place she loves so dearly,” President Whitaker said.
Reflecting on her journey, Ross attributes her strategic and professional opportunities to the many people at Anderson who have supported her and believed in her over the years. “It has been the privilege of my life to be part of the Trojan Family for the last 42 years. I said it in my commencement speech, and I will say it again, ‘If I have seen great heights, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants,'” Ross commented.
Margaret Wooten, retired professor of English and current Board of Trust member, observed, “As Pam Ross’s retirement nears, I find it hard to imagine Anderson University without her. I am glad that she lives nearby and thus will be able to attend games and other events and to share her expertise in special projects. Always giving God the credit for her successes and those of the university, Pam has been an integral part of AU for decades.
“With keen insight and wisdom, she embraced change and provided extraordinary leadership to a team of like-minded staff and student ambassadors who found prospective students, told them about the university, and led them to come for a life-changing experience. She truly believes in the mission of Christian higher education,” Wooten said. “That she chose to spend her entire professional career at AU is a tremendous gift to the university and to all of us who know and love her.”
In announcing her retirement, Ross said, “What a wonderful four decades it has been. Ending my career with a seat at the table with senior leaders is humbling, and I will cherish it forever. I walk into the next chapter of my life with immense gratitude for every person at Anderson I have met along the way. I leave with nothing but appreciation and optimism, expressing complete support and belief in Dr. Monts and Mr. Sapienza. As individuals and as a team, they will serve future generations of Trojans with passion and excellence.”
Ross is married to Anderson alumnus Louie Ross and is the mother of two Anderson alumni, Callie Tallman Stayanoff of Anderson and Jessie Stratton Boudreau of Jeffersonville, Vt.
— Andrew J. Beckner is executive director of public relations at Anderson University.