Volume 12 | Issue 6 - August 2020
August 2020 News and Notes
News highlights include:

  • Uncharted waters - Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez
  • S. C. General Assembly update - S.C. Board of Economic Advisors upcoming report, state budget, and GEER funds
  • Federal update - CARES Act follow-up and Title IX new regulations
  • Return to campus preparations for SCICU colleges and universities
  • Columbia College names Dr. Tom Bogart as its 20th president; Dr. Peter Mitchell thanked for his interim presidency
  • SCICU college/university campus news
  • 2020 upcoming SCICU events
  • Business partners
SCICU COVID-19 resources - updated August 12

Click here for a curated list of COVID-19 advisories for colleges and universities, including updates and resources for South Carolina and the United States.
Uncharted waters
Message from Jeff Perez
Jeff Perez, Ph.D.
SCICU President and CEO
I cannot recall a more challenging year to be working at a college or university. Campuses that completely adapted their academics to online learning in the spring have spent the summer conducting a top-down review of all campus operations in order to be prepared for a fall semester like no other.

Our campuses are entering uncharted waters with few reliable markers to guide them.
S.C. General Assembly Update
Like everything else, COVID-19 casts a long shadow over state government.
  • Aug. 23 - S.C. Board of Economic Advisors report on COVID-19 impact
  • The state budget
  • Governor's Emergency Education Relief fund (GEER).
Federal Update

Aug. 13 - No deal on next round of CARES Act money

Aug. 14 - New Title IX regulations in force
Students are returning now to SCICU colleges and universities throughout South Carolina.
Columbia College names Tom Bogart as its 20th president; Peter Mitchell thanked for his interim presidency
Columbia College has named William T. (Tom) Bogart as its 20th president. Dr. Bogart will begin his leadership at Columbia College on Oct. 1, 2020.

Dr. William T. (Tom) Bogart, an accomplished leader at multiple independent colleges and universities, has been named by the Columbia College Board of Trustees as the college’s twentieth president, effective October 1, 2020.

Bogart’s career has focused on independent colleges and universities, both as a senior campus leader and professor. Most recently he served for 10 years as president of Maryville College (TN) and was a board member with Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities.

SCICU College/University Campus 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 news from SCICU campuses:

Allen University

Anderson University

Benedict College

Charleston Southern University

Claflin University

Coker University

Columbia College

Columbia International University

Converse College

Erskine College

Furman University

Limestone University

Morris College

Newberry College

North Greenville University

Presbyterian College

Southern Wesleyan University

Spartanburg Methodist College

Voorhees College

Wofford College

Click below to access important information from each of the SCICU member colleges and universities:
2020 Upcoming Events

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 welcomes the following new Business Partners:


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 | Affinity LTC, LLC (Genworth Financial) | Aramark Higher Education | Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC | CampusLogic | Cantey Tech Consulting | CapinCrouse LLP | Cherry Bekaert, LLC | Coleman Lew Canny Brown | Colonial Life | Craig Gaulden Davis | Diligence, LLC | Dominion Energy | Duke Energy | Elliott Davis | Enterprise Holdings | Find Great People, LLC | First American Education Finance | Gillis Specialty Advertising | Giraffe Web Design | GMK Associates | Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA | Hallmark Management Service | HRP Associates, Inc. | Hypersign, LLC | Immedion LLC | Jenzabar | Lockstep Technology Group | MB Kahn Construction Company, Inc. | McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture | Metz Culinary Management | Nephron Pharmaceuticals | P2Ops, LLC | Paymerang (fka AP Advantage) | Pioneer College Caterers | Pollock Company | Purple Briefcase | PVC Fittings Online | Regions Bank | Resource Financial Services | S2K Group, Inc. | SC Student Loan Corporation | ScholarBuys | SEGRA (formerly Spirit Communications | Sodexo | Spinx Company | Tallo (formerly STEM Premier) | Timely MD | Total Comfort Solutions | UnitedHealthcare Student Resources | VEMO Education | Victor Shoreline | Vulcan Materials Company | Walsh Consulting Group LLC | Williams & Fudge | Wyche, PA | 


SCICU is a member of the Coalition for College Cost Savings (CCCS). This organization, comprised of 33 member organizations in 32 states, serves close to 900 higher education institutions and 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 Jeff Perez at jeff@scicu.org or 803-799-7122. Mailing address: PO Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211.