Column: Chancellor Jordan is the gift that keeps on giving

Having Dr. Sandra J. Jordan as our Chancellor is a gift to all of us here at USC Aiken.

Beyond the fact that she’s the bomb and an inspiration to all especially to liberal arts majors, she has proudly led our school for eight years doing a job she loves. 

She is both chief executive officer and principal spokesperson for our school. Her current position is the last of many steps in what she considers a fairly traditional path in a 30-year career. 

Jordan expressed that her current occupation is shared commonly by men.

She took the helm at USC Aiken just after the school’s 50 anniversary in 2012 during a time when schools were feeling the effects of an economic recession.

She accepted this challenge with a passion. She’s the school’s fourth chancellor, the first woman chancellor and the only woman chancellor at a four year public university in the state.

Jordan’s background as an art history major that led to her becoming the boss at USCA piqued my interest. 

Jordan’s dad influenced her first choice of college to attend -- his alma mater -- the University of Alabama, where she enjoyed football visits growing up. 

As a graduate student, she took a more mature and measured approach to selecting a school, considering all the options, making a choice and then changing her grad school destination at the last minute.

She did that to follow her mentor in the study of 17th and 18th century Italian Art History, specifically European iconography. 

With little notice, he changed schools from Penn State to the University of Georgia and so did she. 

Her decision was a good one. Doors opened for her in a field she loved. She found her studies including research in Rome, the Vatican, and Venice to be exciting. 

After earning her Masters and PhD degrees, she started her career as the only art historian in her department at public liberal arts university, ”…probably my best job ever. It was lovely,” she said while laughing.  

Like USCA, her first job had a small student-to- faculty ratio where she got to know her students, work with them and loved her work. 

One year later, this junior faculty member was the only woman in her department when the department chair position came open. With requests and encouragement of her colleagues, without having tenure, she applied to fill the opening and got the job in a national search. 

Several years later, the day after she became tenured, she became interim dean. Positions followed as dean, vice-provost, provost, and chancellor and some of those steps were repeated at different institutions. Her last job prior to the USCA Chancellorship was as a Provost (sort of university manager across all disciplines) serving three university presidents, often hand holding them in their new job.

This gave rise to the thought she could do the president’s job herself. 

An opening at USCA was advertised. She visited and found the campus and the community lovely. Her skills and the needs of the school were a good fit.

So “if the skills you have picked up in the last job are a good fit, then it’s a happy marriage,” commented Jordan. 

Jordan believes her studies in the humanities required work across several disciplines, including how to assimilate information, writing, presenting materials, speaking effectively, critical thinking and creative thinking.

All these skills are required to succeed as an administrator. She wasn’t driven by a specific plan. Her career evolved out of her relationships, especially when people around her suggested she take on a job she did not feel ready for.

 Once having the work, she loved it. 

“I’m really proud of this university and what we have done here,” said Jordan. “We have grown the institution. We have diversified the student body tremendously. We have gone online with some key programs, and partnerships.”  

She loves working and being around students as well as with others and presenting opportunities for creative problem solving. 

Jordan expressed excitement thinking about what USCA is doing currently and for a new generation of students. 

She believes the job of Chancellor requires a 24-7 commitment, it’s not a job so much as it is a lifestyle, and she says “after eight years now it probably has been the hardest and most rewarding job I’ve ever had.”