Roy Jones appointed provost distinguished professor

Dr. Roy Jones has been appointed provost distinguished professor, a special designation awarded by the provost to recognize outstanding scholars who are highly productive and build a national reputation for Clemson University. Jones currently serves as faculty in Clemson’s College of Education as well as director for both Call Me MISTER and the Center for Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Educators (CRe²DE), a South Carolina Center of Excellence.

As a Clemson faculty member since 2003 and lifelong educator, Jones has been a nationally recognized scholar and advocate for minority teachers at all levels of education. Robert H. Jones, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said that by focusing on this great area of need in education, Jones’ impact in the field has gone far beyond the classroom.

“Through scholarship and teacher education, Dr. Jones has served as an advocate for underrepresented and underserved students, families and communities in South Carolina and across the nation,” the provost said. “He is uniquely equipped to make the education landscape more diverse and inclusive in this role as provost distinguished professor.”

Jones’ appointment as provost distinguished professor is effective Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2023. In this role, Jones will be responsible for regular communication with the provost on efforts in research, scholarship and applying best practices in the area of innovative and research-based strategies that will foster diversity and inclusion at all levels of education.

Jones said he is honored by the appointment, and said it is indicative of Clemson’s continued commitment to both educational priorities and issues related to diversity and inclusion. As with all his previous efforts in these areas, Jones hopes this new role allows him to illustrate the positive power of a diverse teacher workforce on all levels of society.

“I hope that through this work with the office of the provost, I can continue to shed light on and give voice to the realities faced by students who can truly benefit from a teacher workforce that is more representative of the communities around them,” Jones said.

Call Me MISTER works to increase the number of available teachers from a broader, more diverse background, especially among the lowest-performing elementary schools. The program has received accolades from a broad spectrum of education associations and regular attention from the national media.

The Center for Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Educators, a South Carolina Center of Excellence, combines multiple experts in the field of education across the state and within the College of Education to research, design and implement the best strategies for minority teacher recruitment and retention.

Jones has successfully implemented and directed numerous programs in higher education throughout his career. He has presented countless workshops, seminars, forums, and panel discussions surrounding racial, class and cultural issues in education.

Previously, Jones served as associate professor in the Division of Education at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Jones served as chair of the division when Claflin became the first historically black private institution in the state to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. From 1990 to 1998, Jones served as director of employment for the Charleston County School District and was responsible for the district’s teacher and classified recruitment programs.

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