Editor's note: After this article was posted on Jan. 10, Dr. Rusty Monhollon announced his resignation and that his final day at the CHE would be Jan. 19. The original wording of this article has been preserved below in the interest of transparency to our stakeholders and constituents.

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education announced today that CHE President and Executive Director Rusty Monhollon, Ph.D., will retire in March.

Monhollon has led the CHE since 2019 – he was instrumental in bringing stability to the organization after several years of short-term interim leadership in the agency and he fostered many positive changes in South Carolina's higher education landscape.

Monhollon expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of South Carolina.

“We’ve accomplished much over the past four and one-half years, and there’s much left to be done,” Monhollon said in a letter to staff on Wednesday. “It has been the great joy of my professional career to work with you and lead this agency. I have so much respect and admiration for the work you do and for your dedication to improving the lives of students in South Carolina.”

Under his leadership, the CHE has had numerous significant achievements to strengthen higher education in the state. These include:

• Development of the Ascend 60x30 strategic plan.
• Leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Convenings with strategic institutional leaders across the state through the Council of Presidents, Council of Board Chairs and Trustees training.
• Formation of a statewide Transfer Task Force, which led to the publication of a Transfer Action Plan which is now the blueprint for improving transfer in the state.
• Ensuring full institutional compliance with the REACH Act.
• The first “College and Career Decision Day”, which is now an annual event that celebrates more than 1,000 high school seniors each May at the State House.
• South Carolina’s inclusion in the Complete College America (CCA) Alliance of States.
• Successful implementation of the SC Bold Nursing Initiative.

“Dr. Monhollon’s retirement from the CHE is a huge loss for higher education in South Carolina. He has done an outstanding job in restoring confidence in the agency. Perhaps his greatest achievement is getting our institutions—public and private—to engage with one another for the greater good. Our work will continue but we will miss his leadership,” CHE Board of Comissioners Chair Wes Hayes said.

“I know there’s more to do and more I want to do, but I think it’s the right time,” Monhollon said. “This is the best job I’ve ever had and has been the culmination of my professional career.”