PC names Rhonda Mingo Dean of Students

Presbyterian College has named Rhonda L. Mingo its new dean of students, bringing to Clinton nearly three decades of experience helping college students find their place, develop as leaders and succeed inside and outside the classroom.

Mingo comes to PC from Converse University in Spartanburg, where she most recently served as assistant vice president for student engagement and dean of students. Her career in student affairs has included leadership in residential life, student activities, student conduct, crisis response, student retention, and leadership development.

PC president Dr. Anita Gustafson said Mingo’s breadth of experience, collaborative approach and commitment to students make her an ideal fit for the college.

“We are delighted to welcome Rhonda to the Presbyterian College community,” Gustafson said. “She understands that the college experience extends far beyond the classroom and that students thrive when they know they are supported, challenged and truly known. Ms. Mingo has spent her career building those kinds of communities. Her experience, her collaborative leadership style and, most importantly, her genuine commitment to students align beautifully with who we are at PC and with the kind of experience we want every Blue Hose student to have.”

A Student-Centered Career

Mingo’s appointment brings an experienced student affairs administrator to a position that touches virtually every aspect of student life at PC.

At Converse, Mingo provided strategic direction for student programming and residential living while managing budgets for student programming, residential life, the Campus Activities Board and Student Government Association. She also served on the university’s leadership council and strategic planning teams and helped coordinate multidisciplinary efforts to identify and support students of concern.

But Mingo’s connection with Converse stretches back much further.

Before assuming her most recent position in 2025, she spent 10 years as Converse’s dean of community life and dean of students. In that role, Mingo served on the President’s Cabinet and Provost’s Council and supervised a broad portfolio that included residential life, student conduct, student activities, leadership and orientation, first-generation programs, civic engagement, health services, and counseling and wellness.

“I’m thrilled to join Presbyterian College and lead a dedicated team with a proven history of exceptional student service,” Mingo said. “I look forward to immersing myself in PC’s rich traditions and gaining first hand insight into our students’ everyday lives and campus experiences.”

Her experience also includes chairing Converse Cares, the university’s behavioral intervention committee, and serving as a leader on its Student Success Committee. She participated in emergency response efforts, helped oversee residence hall modernization projects and taught a first-year Student Success Seminar.

Earlier at Converse, Mingo served as assistant dean of students for engagement and learning and as the college’s chief housing officer, overseeing residence hall operations and long-range facilities planning while supervising staff responsible for housing, student activities, first-year programs and major events.

Leadership Through Relationships

Throughout her career, Mingo has emphasized an approach to student affairs that connects campus programming with the broader educational mission of a college.

In her application to PC, Mingo described herself as highly collaborative and emphasized the importance of integrating students’ curricular and co-curricular experiences. She also stressed the value of maintaining a direct connection with students even while serving in senior administrative roles.

That philosophy has extended beyond administrative offices.

Mingo has taught a Student Success Seminar at Converse since 2007 and has spent years training student government and student activities leaders. She is also a trained StrengthsQuest educator.

Her professional leadership includes service as president of the South Carolina College Personnel Association from 2009-10 after previously serving as president-elect. She has also held numerous other leadership positions with the organization.

Mingo continues to work with student leaders nationally through the National Association for Campus Activities. She served as a lead presenter and trainer for the organization’s Programming Institute in 2025 and Student Government Institute in 2026.

Learning to Lead From the Ground Up 

One of the more unusual chapters in Mingo’s career took place not in an office or residence hall, but several feet off the ground.

For more than a decade, Mingo worked as a contract lead ropes course facilitator for Furman University’s Peak Performance Ropes Course. From 2000-13, she facilitated group dynamics and leadership training activities, led outdoor corporate training exercises and provided technical and lead climbing leadership.

The experience reflected themes that would continue throughout her career — teamwork, trust, communication and learning how individuals function as part of a larger group.

South Carolina Roots

Mingo earned a Master of Education in student personnel services from the University of South Carolina in 1997 and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, with an emphasis in marketing and speech communications, from the University of South Carolina Aiken in 1995.

Before joining Converse, she served as director of student activities at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee, where she advised Student Government Association, managed student activities programming and helped lead student orientation and leadership training.

Her professional development also includes being selected as a Peabody Fellow at Vanderbilt University’s Higher Education Management Institute in 2008 and participating in the NASPA Region III/SACSA Mid-Manager’s Institute.

Mingo has also served as a foster parent and advocate for South Carolina foster parents’ organizations and the work of state advocacy centers.