Volume 12 | Issue 2 - February 2020
February 2020 News and Notes
News highlights include:

  • Celebrating Black History Month - The story of an indomitable young woman - Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez
  • S. C. General Assembly update - House Ways & Means Committee very supportive of independent higher education
  • Federal update - Executive Budget, NAICU Conference and Advocacy Day, Freedom of Speech proposals, and more
  • Columbia College and Converse College to implement co-ed options in 2021
  • SCICU president selected to become Riley Fellow
  • Upcoming special events at SCICU colleges and universities
  • SCICU College Guide - Best ONE-STOP resource for college admissions, scholarships, financial aid, and more
  • SCICU Spring Board meeting Feb. 25, 2020 at Columbia International University
  • SCICU college/university campus news
  • 2020 upcoming SCICU events
  • Business partners
Celebrating Black History Month

The story of an indomitable young woman
Jeff Perez, Ph.D.
SCICU President and CEO
I am going to tell you the story of an indomitable young woman. She refused to be contained by the many obstacles she encountered in her efforts to found a school, succumbing only to the limitations her own body imposed.*

Throughout her life her determination and faith would be rewarded in the most unexpected, and most fortunate, ways.



S.C. General Assembly Update
We have some good news from the General Assembly — the House version of the state budget was approved by the Ways and Means Committee and is very supportive of independent higher education.


Federal Update
There's lot of news from Washington, including:

  • Executive Budget
  • NAICU Conference and Advocacy Day
  • Freedom of Speech proposals
  • Faith and Opportunity Initiative
Columbia College and Converse College add co-ed undergraduate options
SCICU’s two single-gender member institutions, Columbia College and Converse College, will make history in fall semester 2021 with the addition of co-ed residential undergraduate program options.

SCICU president selected to become Riley Fellow
South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) is pleased to announce the selection of President L. Jeffrey Perez, Ph.D., for the 13th class of the Riley Institute at Furman University’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI).

Need to beat the winter doldrums?

Click on the College Guide cover for your ONE STOP best source for admissions, scholarships, and financial aid information for South Carolina's independent colleges and universities!
SCICU Spring Board Meeting
Columbia International University
February 25, 2020

Dr. Mark Smith, CIU president, will welcome SCICU at-large trustees and college and university presidents at the new William H. Jones Global Business and IT Center for the 2020 Spring Board Meeting.

Trustees - It's not too late to join us for the board meeting! If you have not already registered for the meeting and would like to attend the Feb. 25 meeting, please call the SCICU offices at 803-799-7122 .

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 College

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 | 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 | 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 | 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 [email protected] or 803-799-7122. Mailing address: PO Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211.