Dr. William Ross Named Director Of Limestone University's Real Men Lead Program

Dr. William Ross has been named as the Director of Limestone’s Real Men Lead program that will provide intentional and focused services designed to improve outcomes for the University’s Black American male students in all facets of postsecondary education.

Ross is well-known in the local community, having served in the past as a long-time administrator with the Cherokee County School District.

As first announced in November of 2021, Limestone was awarded a $1.25 million grant from the United States Department of Education to enable the institution to strengthen its efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate Black American students.

Limestone is receiving a $250,000 annual grant for the next five years from the U.S. Department of Education's Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Program to fund the new Real Men Lead initiative that will enhance Limestone’s capacity to serve more low- and middle-income Black American students, particularly males. With the grant, Limestone is also expanding those higher education opportunities by encouraging college preparation and student persistence. The PBI grant is also strengthening the financial ability of the institution to serve the academic needs of the students.

As the Director of the Real Men Lead program, Ross will develop, implement, manage, and evaluate all aspects of the University’s PBI grant including educational interventions and support initiatives to promote the academic success and interpersonal growth of program participants. In addition, he will ensure the program complies with all regulations and requirements with the primary focus on increasing the retention and graduation rates of African-American males.

Prior to his position at Limestone, Ross was an assistant professor of Educational Leadership and the founding Director of Call Me MiSTER Program at Charleston Southern University. For more than 10 years, Ross served as an administrator with the Cherokee County School District, including a stint as its Superintendent. He also served as the Director of Extended Regional Studies at the University of Spartanburg Upstate and Executive Director of Piedmont Community Action, a non-profit community action with offices in Spartanburg, Union, and Cherokee counties.

“Real Men Lead is a wonderful addition to the Student Success Division at Limestone and will enable us to significantly enhance how we serve our African American male students by combining student success with holistic academic, mentoring, and cultural activities,” Ross said. “I look forward to working with students, faculty, and staff here at the University as we provide evidence-based services and activities starting later this month as our students get to campus. I want to express my gratitude to Associate Provost of Student Success Stacey Mason and her team for recognizing the needs of the University and that of our students and successfully applying for the PBI grant.”

Ross earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Winston-Salem State University and the Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from the University of South Carolina, and the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of South Carolina.