The fall meeting of the SCICU Board of Trustees will be held on Wednesday, September 24. President Nayef Samhat and the students, faculty, and staff of Wofford College (Spartanburg) look forward to welcoming the trustees to campus.

 

Board Chair Kathy McKinney encourages all trustees to mark their calendars for what serves as the Board's annual meeting. In addition to recognizing retiring trustees and electing new ones, the Board will be presented with committee year-end reports and a proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning September 1. Two students from among the 20 independent colleges and universities represented by SCICU will be honored for their scholarship at the awards luncheon.

 

The business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. with the awards luncheon and program following at noon. The Council of Presidents will meet for a presidents only breakfast at 9:00 a.m. More information will follow.

Late Wednesday evening the Senate Finance Committee voted to send their $24 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 to the Senate floor for consideration.

 

For budget items of interest to the independent higher education community, the Finance Committee tweaked the House's recommendations for the Tuition Grants Commission by moving an increase of $258,784 in recurring state appropriations to lottery funding. Although the source of funds differs, the additional funds will allow the agency to increase the maximum Tuition Grant from $2,900 to $3,000 for academic year beginning this fall.

 

The committee's proposed budget fully funds the state's merit scholarship programs and directs an additional $2.6 million in nonrecurring state appropriations to the need-based grants program at the Commission on Higher Education. The Tuition Grants Commission will receive a proportionate share-approximately $400,000-of the new money allocated to CHE's need-based grants. The House budget also recommends that PASCAL be given #1 priority consideration for up to $1.5 million in excess unclaimed lottery prize money above the $10 million certified level.

 

A spirited Senate debate on spending priorities is expected as early as Tuesday. After the Senate approves its version of the FY 2014-2015 budget, a House-Senate conference committee will hammer out the differences before sending a final recommendation to Governor Haley.

 

The hallmark of South Carolina's private non-profit colleges and universities is their emphasis on individualized learning and student achievement. This can only be accomplished by a faculty of the highest quality working in a supportive environment that encourages and fosters serious inquiry, critical thinking, and a broader understanding of the world in which we live.

  

Each year, SCICU recognizes and celebrates the best of the best with its Excellence in Teaching Awards. A member of the faculty from each of twenty institutions of higher learning is nominated for the award according to rigorous guidelines. The award recipients are honored at a special dinner and awarded a $3000 professional development grant.

  

We are pleased to present the 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award honorees as announced in a ceremony on April 9, 2014. This group of teacher-scholars represents many different academic disciplines and brings a rich diversity of education, experience, and interests to our campuses.

  

There are common threads, however, that weave their way through this distinguished group of academicians. They first and foremost are teachers who come to our liberal arts institutions to work one-on-one with students whom they also serve as advisers, mentors, and friends. They are dedicated and committed professionals who have worked long and hard to be the best in their particular academic discipline in order to instruct and guide future generations as their life's work. They are value-centered, passionate, creative, and caring.

  

SCICU gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors for their support of the Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner for 2014: ABM Solutions, American Student Assistance (ASA), Aramark Higher Education, Bank of America, Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd, P.A., NBSC, TIAA-CREF, Total Comfort Solutions, and Vulcan Materials.

  

SCICU campuses are filled with outstanding professors, and we are pleased and proud to recognize the following individuals with Excellence in Teaching Awards for 2014.

 

Allen University - Kenneth Green  Anderson University - Dr. Charles Andrew Rains, Jr.  Benedict College - Dr. Changyong Qin  Columbia International University - Dr. Glenn Gentry  Claflin University - Dr. John Jasina  Coker College - Dr. I. Jill Banks  Columbia College - Dr. Randolph D. Love  Converse College - Dr. Kevin DeLapp  Charleston Southern University - Dr. Todd Heldreth  Erskine College - Dr. Howard Davis Grier  Furman University - Dr. Alicia Raby Powers  Limestone College - Dr. Gena E. Poovey  Morris College - Ivana Popovic  Newberry College - Matthew Fuller  North Greenville University - Dr. Linwood Hagin  Presbyterian College - Dr. Latha A. Gearheart  Spartanburg Methodist College - Janet Wilson  Southern Wesleyan University - Dr. Debra Eischen  Voorhees College - Dr. Doris J. Ward  Wofford College  - Jenny Bem Johnson

 For individual biographies of recipients, click here.  For photographs of the event, visit our photo gallery. 

The 2014 Governor's Professors of the Year competition brought recognition to three outstanding faculty from SCICU member institutions. Dr. Margaret T. McGehee, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Southern Studies, Presbyterian College; Dr. Donald Gene Pace, Ph.D., Professor of History and Spanish, Claflin University; and Dr. Melissa Walker, Ph.D., Johnson Professor of History, Converse College were recognized among only nine finalists for the award.

 

Presented by the South Carolina Higher Education Foundation, the Governor's Professors of the Year awards are open to faculty at two and four year public and independent institutions of higher learning. The winner of this year's award for two year colleges was Mr. Christopher J. Hall, M.P.A, Instructor for the Criminal Justice Technology and Academic Program Manager, Central Carolina Technical College. For senior colleges and universities, Dr. Milind N. Kunchur, Ph.D., Professor of Physics, University of South Carolina, was honored.

 

The two award recipients received a check for $5,000 and framed certificates at a news conference with Governor Hayley at the State House.

 

For additional information on the S.C. Governor's Professor of the Year Award, please visit: www.che.sc.gov and click on Professor of the Year.

Student and member college faculty/staff on the steps of the State House. 

 

More than 100 students and staff from SCICU member colleges and universities visited the State House on April 9 to personally thank the members of the General Assembly for their support of the Tuition Grant program. This year, 13,500 resident students are able to attend the private, non-profit college or university of their choice because of over $36 million in financial assistance provided by need-based Tuition Grants. 

 

Prior to the delegation's visit to the State House, Tuition Grant recipients from SCICU's 20 member colleges and universities wrote individual thank you letters to their resident House and Senate members. More than 7100 letters of appreciation-an average of 42 letters per member- were sent to state representatives and senators.

 

In addition to meeting with their hometown representatives and senators, the students heard from Sen. Darrell Jackson of Columbia who was honored as the 2014 SCICU Legislative Champion. Sen. Jackson, a graduate of Benedict College and Columbia International University, explained how his education at two independent institutions of higher learning was essential to his success as a pastor, businessman, and state senator.

 

During his visit with the students, Sen. Jackson presented them with a Concurrent Resolution passed by the Senate and the House which recognizes the outstanding contributions that independent colleges and universities have made to the State of South Carolina and joins Gov. Nikki Hayley in recognizing  the week of April 7-11 as Independent College and University Week and April 9 as Independent College and University Day. Sen. Jackson was the author of the resolution.

 

After a morning of face-to-face meetings, the students gathered on the steps of the State House for the traditional group picture. In a brief ceremony on the steps, SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever presented the students with a Proclamation from Governor Nikki Haley which encourages all South Carolinians during Independent College and University Day/Week to recognize private non-profit colleges and universities for their positive contributions to ensuring our state's continued status a leader in higher education.

 

Pictures from the day's events can be found in our photo gallery. To request full resolution photos, email [email protected].

For more than 20 years, Dr. Doyle Boggs has led a group of Wofford College students to the State House to take part in Independent College and University Day. In the course of organizing these yearly advocacy trips, Doyle has become a valuable adviser to the SCICU staff. His political acumen and organizational skills have helped shape the annual grassroots lobbying event in support of Tuition Grants. He has improved the quality of the program by enlisting the Wofford College staff photographer, Mark Olencki, to document the day's events.

 

This year is the last year that Doyle will make the trip in his current position as associate vice president for marketing and communications. In a brief ceremony on the steps of the capitol, Doyle's accomplishments and contributions were honored and recognized by over 100 students and staff who participated in this year's activities. Doyle's return trips to this annual event will be as the adviser emeritus to SCICU's State House Day. SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever told the group that "Doyle Boggs is a passionate advocate for students and for Tuition Grants who has worked tirelessly for the funding of this valuable program."

 

Doyle will retire from Wofford College later this year after 32 years of service. A Wofford alumnus, Doyle received his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of South Carolina. Doyle is active with the Hub City Writers Project and a past president of the Spartanburg County Historical Society and the South Carolina Confederation of Historical Societies.  He served as editor-in-chief of Wofford: Shining and Untarnished, 1854-2004, a pictorial history celebrating the college's sesquicentennial celebration.

 

Doyle and his wife Sara Neil will enjoy their retirement in Spartanburg and additional time with their 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren.

A Columbia College community service project involved with diversity, gender, and social justice has been awarded the 2013 Service Learning Award presented by the SC Commission on Higher Education. President Beth Dinndorf, Provost Laurie Hopkins, and Columbia College professor Dr. Christine Hait accepted the award at the Commission's monthly meeting on May 1, 2014.

 

Columbia College won the independent college category while Coastal Carolina University won the 4-year public college division and Williamsburg Technical College won the two-year public college division.

 

Pictured above left to right: General John Finan, CHE Chairman, Dr. Laurie Hopkins, Columbia College Provost, Beth Dinndorf, Columbia College President, Dr. Christine Hait, Columbia College Professor, Hood Temple, CHE Commissioner, and Eddie Shannon. SCICU Executive Vice President.

Many "thanks" to Eric Seymore and Elliott Botcis from Vulcan Materials Company who visited SCICU on April 30 to bring their annual unrestricted gift to SCICU. 

 

Vulcan Materials Company is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, primarily crushed stone, sand, and gravel, that are used to build, maintain, and repair our nation's infrastructure. Vulcan Materials has been a long-time, loyal donor to SCICU for forty-five years and we are very appreciative of their support.

Allen University presented SCICU President and CEO Mike LeFever with the Richard Allen Award as part of its Ninth Annual Richard Allen Awards Gala. The Gala, benefiting the United Negro College Fund, was held at the Greater Columbia Convention Center on April 4. More than 600 alumni and friends of Allen University celebrated the institution's 143 year legacy and showed their financial support for UNCF's scholarship programs that provide educational opportunities to over 60,000 students attending one of its 37 member colleges and universities.

 

In addition to LeFever, Allen University honored several others including former astronaut and NASA administrator Retired Major General Charles Bolden, entertainer J. Anthony Brown, NBA Hall of Famer Alex English, artist Jonathan Green, State Rep. Leon Howard, and jazz musician Skip Pearson. Interim President Dr. Lady June Cole presented the awards on behalf of Board Chairman Bishop Richard Franklin Norris and the Allen University Board of Trustees.

 

Located in Columbia, SC, Allen University is a Historically Black College and University founded in 1870 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Richard Allen Award is named for Right Reverend Richard Allen, the first consecrated Bishop and acknowledged founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Nine SCICU member colleges and universities pooled their resources to sponsor a Teacher Recruitment Fair on the campus of Presbyterian College on April 8. Recruiters representing 40 school districts spent the day interviewing some of the more than 100 education majors who came dressed for success and ready to go to work. Lynn Downie, assistant director of career programs at PC, reported that there were a number of bona fide job offers made on the spot with lots of call backs promised.

 

This was the first time in many years that the SCICU schools sponsored a separate event for teachers. Most recently, teacher recruitment was part of the greater SCICU Career Fair and Interview Day held during January in Columbia. With the demand for teachers growing steadily, early January conflicts with practice teaching schedules, and the fact that districts wanted to interview later in the year when they have a better idea about their employment needs, the SCICU Career Services Directors decided to have a separate event in the spring just for education. Responses from both employers and students have encouraged the organizers to plan another event for next year.

 

This year's event was held during Independent College and University Week and was part of a series of events celebrating the many contributions of private non-profit colleges and universities to their students and to the larger world outside their campuses. Graduates from SCICU member institutions are valued for their imagination, creativity, critical thinking, communications, and strong sense of purpose and moral integrity.

 

To see photos of the event, visit the album in our gallery. 

We love to post accomplishments of our members on our Member College News section of our website and feature a few of the outstanding links in our monthly newsletter.

 

Here are some of the articles we featured this month:

Let us share your news and celebrate your successes. Send your releases to Stephenie Bergen at [email protected].  

 

To see all of our Member College News, please click here. 

SCICU's on-line network of providers offers goods and services to the independent higher education community in South Carolina. The Business Partners program provides a convenient marketplace where SCICU member colleges and universities can preview offerings from some of the top companies in the country.