Recent news from South Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities http://scicu.org Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:13:40 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239&Itemid=213 SCICU’s 2010-2011 College Guide has been distributed to members schools and made available to the public. Published annually, the College Guide is designed to assist students and their parents choose the college or university that meets each student’s unique combination of intellectual, personal, and financial needs. It contains general information about South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities, a location map, quick facts about the member institutions, detailed financial aid information, school visitation dates, and in-depth profiles of each of the 20 private colleges in South Carolina. The 2010-2011 College Guide is distributed broadly to high school counselors and teachers, trustees, friends and supporters of SCICU, state legislators, and those interested in learning more about the excellent learning opportunities available at South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities. A complete electronic copy is available in the Publications section at Downloads | College Guide 2010-2011. A limited number of printed books are available from... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=236&Itemid=213 Amber Giles, a rising senior at Presbyterian College, has been named the J. Lacy McLean Independent College Student of the Year. Giles, from Rock Hill, SC, will receive a $2000 scholarship for the 2010-11 academic year in recognition of her academic achievements, leadership skills, and commitment to public affairs. A biology major and chemistry and mathematics minor, Giles has served in leadership roles in Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Pre-Pharmacy Club, Student Union Board, Student Wellness Advisory Team, Honor Council, Panhellenic Council, Beta Beta Beta, and New Student Orientation. She has also volunteered with Special Olympics, Relay for Life, Good Shepherd Free Clinic, and charities benefitting St. Jude's Children's Hospital and bone marrow donors. Plyler Hamilton, also a rising senior at Presbyterian College, has been named the Sterling L. Smith Scholarship recipient. Hamilton, from Greenville, SC, will receive a $1000 scholarship for the 2010-11 academic year in recognition of his academic achievements, leadership... Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=237&Itemid=213 The South Carolina Gubernatorial Appointments Project (SC GAP) is designed to increase the number of women in senior level appointed positions in South Carolina state government.  Co-chaired by the Honorable Candy Waites (D), formerly of Columbia College, and the Honorable Deb Sofield (R), this broad-based, bi-partisan coalition of political, business/professional, academic, government and non-profit groups will utilize its collective resources to reach out to all sectors to locate women who might be considered for senior level positions in state government.  SC GAP is working to assist the candidates for governor by locating qualified women for appointment to positions within their administration and will provide him/her with the names and resumés of these women for consideration after the election. Previous governors have complained that they lacked information about women qualified to lead agencies, and the SC GAP project will alleviate this past problem. For information on positions likely to be available and... Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=229&Itemid=213 Without fail the hottest week of the summer is the week that high school counselors and teachers tour 10 SCICU campuses. The week of June 14-18 was no exception as temperatures consistently reached into the upper 90’s as this year’s group of 34 made their way across the state. In alternating years, 10 of SCICU’s 20 member institutions showcase their campuses and programs in order to create a greater awareness among key educators about the unique and intrinsic value of independent higher education. As part of their Department of Education recertification requirements, the counselors and teachers on the tour will create presentations of their experience to share with students, parents, and other educators. The SCICU colleges and universities on this year’s tour included: Allen University, Anderson University, Coker College, Columbia International University, Converse College, Limestone College, Morris College, Newberry College, Spartanburg Methodist College, and Wofford College. Columbia International University also served as the... Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=215&Itemid=213 For sixteen years, SCICU Career Directors planned and conducted an interview day where seniors at SCICU colleges and universities met face-to-face with recruiters from some of the nation’s top businesses. Two years ago, more than 40 employers and 243 students took part in the annual event. Last year, as unemployment moved steadily upward, only 27 employers participated in the interviews.     In spite of an intensive recruiting effort by the Career Directors and SCICU staff, there was not sufficient interest from the business community to justify the expense associated with sponsoring the event in 2010. Employers cited a lack of employment opportunities, a surplus of qualified applicants, and a need to reduce travel expenses as reasons for not coming to Columbia for in-person interviews. Adapting to the changing economy, the Career Directors transformed the 17th Annual SCICU Interview Day into a “virtual job fair.” The Career Directors recruited employers to submit employment or... Wed, 12 May 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=213&Itemid=213 COLUMBIA, S.C.: CIU President Bill Jones (center) leads staff members in prayer outside of the library with fire hoses underfoot. Books damaged by the fire. The G. Allen Fleece Library at Columbia International University was heavily damaged by an intense early morning fire May 8. The Columbia Fire Department was called to the scene about 6 a.m. after a student noticed smoke coming from the building and alerted a security guard who called 911. The library was closed at the time and there were no injuries, but there was heavy fire damage to both floors at the rear of the two-story library, and heavy smoke damage throughout the library. The library is part of the larger Ridderhof Building that also houses Hoke Auditorium, classrooms, offices, a computer lab and WMHK Radio. While the fire did not go beyond the library, smoke could be smelled throughout the building. A fire restoration company was working... Mon, 10 May 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=209&Itemid=213 A bill that would have improved campus security at South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities was vetoed by Governor Sanford on March 31. Sanford said that the legislation would have significantly expanded the jurisdiction of the police officers. Efforts to override the Governor’s veto failed in the Senate. It is expected that another attempt at amending the law will be made during the legislative session that begins in January 2011. Senate Bill 19 was introduced by Sen. Mike Fair (Greenville) at the beginning of the 2009 session. The purpose of the bill was to address specific gaps in the jurisdiction of campus police officers at private colleges. As proposed in the legislation, the authority of campus police officers would have been extended to specific off-campus activities such as accompanying a school employee to make a bank deposit, patrolling off-campus property owned or leased by a college, travelling with an athletic team, or at... Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=204&Itemid=213 Higher Education Tuition Grants and Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE and Tuition Assistance scholarships survived another round of budget cuts as the Senate Finance Committee reduced the House version of the FY 2010-2011 state budget by $126 million. The latest shortfall was caused by two separate accounting and reporting errors. The committee wrapped up their deliberations late Thursday night less than 36 hours after being visited by independent college students during SCICU State House Day. In order to bring the state budget into balance, the Finance Committee reduced appropriations to a number of program areas including $10.1 million in higher education. To avoid reducing the merit-based scholarships, the Finance Committee shifted $7.7 million in general fund appropriations to excess unclaimed lottery prize funds as a first priority. PASCAL, which was designated to receive $1.0 million in excess unclaimed prize funds as a second priority in the House budget, was moved down to the... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=203&Itemid=213 Governor Mark Sanford and the South Carolina General Assembly recognized the week of April 12- 16 as Independent College and University Week. The independent college community celebrated the week in several ways. Recognizing a Legacy of Teaching and Learning On April 13, faculty from each of SCICU’s 20 institutions of higher learning were honored at the 5th Annual Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner held in Columbia. Selected for their ability to teach and inspire, these outstanding faculty were recognized with a certificate and a $3000 stipend for professional development. According to Sara Fisher, chair of the SCICU Board of Trustees, “this year’s award recipients demonstrated a remarkable blend of scholarship, passion, commitment, and the ability to motivate students to new heights, hallmarks of a liberal arts education.” [See attached list of Award Recipients below]  State House Day April 14 was also declared Independent College and University Day. In honor of the event, 90 students... Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0100 http://scicu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=200&Itemid=213 Realizing that students at small, liberal arts schools do not always have an opportunity to engage in individual research projects, the SCICU Board of Trustees in 1996 initiated the Student/Faculty Research Program. In the past 15 years, SCICU has awarded more than $1.1 million to almost 400 students. Each year SCICU issues a call for proposals to students and faculty at our member institutions. A multi-disciplinary panel of academicians evaluates the proposals and awards one year stipends to selected students and their faculty research advisors. The field of study ranges from the sciences to the liberal arts. In addition to documenting their findings and preparing a final financial statement, the students make a capstone presentation at the annual SCICU Research Symposium. For 2010, more than $85, 000 was awarded to 27 students at 9 SCICU institutions. These students will present their findings at the 2011 Research Symposium. Generous contributions from friends and sponsors... Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0100