Volume 11 | Issue 4 April 2019
April 2019 News and Notes
April 2019 news highlights include:
  • What a great week! Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez
  • Photo galleries from 2019 Excellence In Teaching Dinner and Independent Colleges and Universities Day
  • Highlights from Independent Colleges and Universities Week (April 8-12)
  • SC General Assembly members receive 9,000 thank-you letters from SCICU students
  • SC General Assembly update
  • Federal update
  • Congratulations to Dr. Leroy Staggers upon his inauguration as the tenth president of Morris College
  • Save the date - SCICU Board of Trustees Fall Meeting - October 3 at Coker University
  • Member college news
  • Business partners
What a great week!

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez
Jeff Perez
SCICU President and CEO
In my short tenure as President & CEO of SCICU, I can say with all confidence last week was one of the very high points, showcasing the finest our campuses have to offer – our students and those who teach them.

The week started with sharing good news with the SC Legislative Black Caucus. Then we celebrated and recognized leading professors at SCICU's 20 member colleges and universities at the 14th annual Excellence In Teaching Awards Dinner.

The next day SCICU students had their opportunity to shine at the 2019 State House Day. We celebrated the 9,000 letters they wrote to their state senators and representatives.

SC Independent Colleges and Universities Week
Photo Galleries
Highlights from South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Week celebrated April 8-12
Highlighting superior teaching, dynamic student advocacy, and visionary legislative leadership, South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Week demonstrated some of the finest qualities of independent higher education.

(L-R) Jeff Perez, SCICU President and CEO; Sen. Vince Sheheen, 2019 SCICU Legislative Champion
SCICU students say "Thank You" 9,000 times to SC General Assembly members
Members of the General Assembly once again felt the immense power of grassroots advocacy in receiving more than 9,000 thank-you letters from SCICU students during this year’s legislative session.

The 9,000 letters easily eclipsed the old record of 8,200.

During the warm-up rally, Sen. Vince Sheheen, SCICU's 2019 Legislative Champion, thanked students for their letters and underscored the importance of their communication with their senators and representatives.

SC General Assembly Update
In recent days, the state budget and the crossover deadline had the attention of legislators in the SC General Assembly.

The state budget is being debated in the Senate this week – the House, having already passed its version of the budget, is on furlough this week. The version which passed the Senate Finance Committee and sent to the Senate floor included the $1.6 million increase in funding for the Tuition Grants Program. It also includes additional funding for public universities, on the grounds that they keep mandatory tuition and fees flat next year. This arrangement does not cover non-mandatory fees, which are not paid by all students, nor room and board.

Federal Update - Surprise Agreement on Title IV
We have received positive news from our friends at NAICU.

While there had been little optimism for progress on new regulations for Title IV student financial aid programs, the negotiated rulemaking committee created by the U.S. Department of Education was able to reach consensus after four months of deliberations.


Congratulations to Dr. Leroy Staggers upon his inauguration as the tenth president of Morris College

SUMTER, SC -- On April 12, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of Morris College celebrated the new leadership of the college with the official Presidential Investiture of Dr. Leroy Staggers.

Delegates representing higher education (including SCICU college and university presidents) as well as professional and political associations welcomed the elected president with a purpose, invocation, scripture reading, musical selections, and greetings.


SCICU presidents congratulate Dr. Leroy Staggers
Five SCICU college and university presidents joined SCICU President Jeff Perez as delegates at the inauguration of Dr. Leroy Staggers as the tenth president of Morris College. Dr. Henry Tisdale, not shown in the photo above, was a distinguished guest and speaker at the inauguration.

Shown above, left to right, is Dr. Ernest McNealey, president of Allen University; Dr. Roslyn Artis, president of Benedict College; Dr. Jeff Perez, SCICU president; Dr. W. Franklin Evans, president of Voorhees College; and Dr. Dondi Costin, president of Charleston Southern University.
Save the date!
SCICU Fall Board Meeting
Coker University
October 3, 2019

Watch your email for more details...

Member College News  

SCICU curates news from its twenty member colleges and universities. Click  here  to read college news in the Newsroom on the SCICU website.

The following is a sampling of recent member college / university news:

Allen University

Anderson University

Claflin University

Coker College

Furman University

Presbyterian College

Southern Wesleyan University

Wofford College


Click below to access important information from each of the SCICU member colleges and universities:


The SCICU Business Partners program provides a convenient marketplace in which SCICU member colleges and universities can preview offerings tailored to the needs of the higher education community in South Carolina.

SCICU thanks the following Business Partners for their renewals:



Directory - Click   here   for a complete list of Business Partners, or access information on individual Business Partners via the links shown below.

ABM Building Solutions, LLC  |  Acumen IT, LLC  |  Affinity LTC, LLC (Genworth Financial)  |  Aramark Higher Education  |  Argent Financial Group | Blackboard   |  Cantey Tech Consulting  |  CapinCrouse LLP  | Cherry Bekaert, LLC |  Church Mutual Insurance Company  |  Coleman Lew Canny Brown  |  Collegiate Financial Services (IOA)  |  Craig Gaulden Davis  |  CSI Leasing, Inc.  |  Dominion Energy |  Elliott Davis  |  Find Great People, LLC  |  First American Education Finance  | Gillis Specialty Adverstising  |  Giraffe Web Design  |  Harper Corporation General Contractors  |  Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA  |  HillSouth iT Solutions  |  Howard Technology Solutions  |  HRP Associates, Inc.  |  Hypersign, LLC  | Immedion LLC  |   The LearningHouse, Inc.  |  MB Kahn Construction Company, Inc.  |  McAllister & Quinn  |   McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture  | Met@data IT LLC  |  Metz Culinary Management  |  Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting  |  National Management Resources Corporation  | P2Ops, LLC  |  Paymerang (fka AP Advantage)  |  Pioneer College Caterers |  Pollock Company  |  Purple Briefcase  |  PVC Fittings Online | Regions Bank | S2K Group, Inc.  |  SC Student Loan Corporation  |  ScholarBuys  |  Sodexo  |  Spirit Communications  |  STEM Premier |  Stroz Friedberg  |  Thompson & Little  |  Total Comfort Solutions  | UnitedHealthcare Student Resources  |  USI Insurance Services, LLC | VEMO Education | Vulcan Materials Company  |  Walsh Consulting Group LLC  |   Wyche, PA  | 


SCICU is a member of the Coalition for College Cost Savings (CCCS). This organization, comprised of 33 member organizations in 30 states, serves more than 900 higher education institutions and over 3 million students across the United States. The organization and staff are dedicated to helping private higher education institutions improve processes and reduce costs through collaboration. 

All SCICU member colleges and universities have access to CCCS's national contracts and services. More information on this important benefit may be found here .
News & Notes is published by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. Please send all comments or questions to SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever at [email protected] or 803-799-7122. Mailing address: PO Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211.