- First Woman President in University's History -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – MIAMI GARDENS, FL (February 4, 2014) – The Board of Trustees of Florida Memorial University (FMU) has announced the appointment of Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis as the University’s 13th President, effective immediately. This historic appointment is unprecedented and Dr. Artis has made history by becoming the first woman President of the 135-year-old higher education institution.

After serving as Interim President since July 15, 2013, Dr. Artis has performed admirably during her six months in the position and has been embraced throughout the student body, the faculty and staff and the entire south Florida community.

“I am impressed with her adept administrative and people skills,” says Charles George, Chairman of the FMU Board of Trustees. “She has hit the ground running and brings superb qualifications and leadership skills to FMU.”

Dr. Artis is a Trustee Scholar graduate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she earned her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown, West Virginia, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from West Virginia State College Institute in West Virginia.

Dr. Artis is delighted to be in her new role, and shared that "I am honored to have been chosen by the Board of Trustees to lead Florida Memorial University at such a critical point in its history. This University has been a key component of Florida's educational system for 135 years. The University has provided access to a quality education for generations of students, many of whom would not have had the opportunity were it not for FMU. Its history is indeed rich and its future is bright. I am confident that the best is yet to come!"

Since arriving to FMU, Dr. Artis has provided immeasurable leadership and direction to the University family at all levels. She has become well-acclimated to the South Florida community, and has been appointed to multiple community and corporate boards and associations increasing involvement and exposure of the University.

On campus, Dr. Artis has spearheaded a series of new and innovative programs for students and is diligently striving to improve corporate and community relations and endowment initiatives for the institution. "We have assembled a knowledgeable, experienced and highly competent administrative team to work with our strong faculty and committed staff to create an environment that prepares our special young people with a well-rounded, holistic, educational experience. Florida Memorial University is well positioned for the future," says Dr. Artis.

Throughout her career, Dr. Artis’ extensive academic experience and accomplishments have been widely accepted and highly successful. For nearly a decade, she served in numerous roles at Mountain State University; including faculty member, Senior Academic Officer, Vice President for Advancement, Chief Academic Officer, and the University’s Provost. Her interests have included student retention, particularly as it relates to adult and non-traditional students, academic and co-curricular support structures in alternative learning modalities, strategic planning, institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes assessment.

In addition, she has also served as a partner at Assessment by Design, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in the development and implementation of comprehensive assessment strategies for academic and co-curricular programs in higher education; an attorney at the Wooton Law Firm, an adjunct professor at The College of West Virginia, and an associate attorney at Brown & Levicoff PLLC, among other notable positions.

“Dr. Artis has completed or made significant progress on the goals the board set for her,” states Chairman George. “She is an asset to our students, faculty and administration and the South Florida communities.”

About Florida Memorial University
Located in the City of Miami Gardens, Florida Memorial University is a private, historically Black institution offering 41 undergraduate degree programs and four graduate degree programs to a culturally diverse student body. Since its inception in 1879, the University has upheld a commitment to providing a solid foundation for thousands of young people and opening doors to educational opportunities that may have otherwise been closed to them. As South Florida’s only Historically Black College or University (HBCU), it is widely recognized for being the birthplace of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and the home of Barrington Irving, Jr., the first and youngest pilot of African descent to fly solo around the world. Florida Memorial University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). For more information about FMU, visit www.fmuniv.edu.

For more information on the appointment of Dr. Artis, contact Bernadette Morris of Sonshine Communications at (305) 948-8063, ext. 201.