Volume 15 | Issue 1
January 24, 2023
January 2023 News and Notes
Look at me!
Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez
Jeff Perez, Ph.D.
SCICU President and CEO
What is an "influencer?"





 
Photo journal - Spring semester 2023 sports at SCICU member colleges and universities
Spring semester is here, and sports arenas and fields are hot at SCICU's 21 member colleges and universities! Click on the name of your favorite SCICU college or university to see highlights for basketball, track and field, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, and more!
South Carolina legislative update
  • Congratulations to S.C. Tuition Grants Commission Executive Director Katie Harrison (pictured above) upon giving an excellent testimony to the House Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee meeting.
  • State budget forecast - additional $754 million in recurring funds and $2.7 billion in non-recurring funds.

SCICU launches 2023 Infographics Series for members of the General Assembly
2023 marks SCICU's third annual infographics series for members of the South Carolina General Assembly. This first infographic in the 2023 series reminds existing members of the General Assembly and introduces to the 27 new members of the House the geographic impact of SCICU's 21 member colleges and universities.
SCICU Legislative Spotlight - Sen. Ronnie Cromer
Sen. Ronnie W. Cromer
Senator Ronnie W. Cromer

Republican - District 18 (Lexington, Newberry, and Union)
First elected to the S.C. Senate in 2003

Chair - Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
Chair - Senate Higher Education Budget Subcommittee

1973 graduate of the University of South Carolina

Pharmacist - Cromer Medical Services/LoRex Drugs (Newberry)
We are honored to feature S.C. Senator Ronnie Cromer in this month's SCICU Legislative Spotlight. We asked Sen. Cromer eight questions about himself, his career, and the role higher education played in it.
Federal update
Capitol Dome
  • $1.7 billion omnibus spending bill has good news for students - $500 Pell Grant increase (max. grant $7,395 for academic year 2023-24).
  • SEOG now $910 million ($15 million increase).
  • $20 million increase for Federal Work-Study (now at $1.2 billion)
  • $54 million increase for TRIO (now at $1.2 billion).
  • GEAR UP increased $10 million to $388 million.
Presbyterian College to host SCICU Board of Trustees meeting March 28
Presidents of SCICU's 21 member colleges and universities will join business and community leaders at Presbyterian College on March 28, 2023 for the SCICU Spring Board of Trustees meeting. Presidents will kick off the day with Presbyterian College President Matt vandenBerg at the SCICU Council of College Presidents breakfast, and will join other trustees at the board's business meeting.

More information will be sent to all trustees regarding schedule, campus locations, and more.
School counselors, parents, family members, and friends - It's CRUNCH TIME for college decisions!

The NEW SCICU College Guide is the BEST online tool for making the college decision EASY!

The SCICU College Guide is the best ONE-STOP resource for campus tours, admissions, scholarships, campus life, sports, and more at SCICU's 21 member colleges and universities.

Click here to download your copy of the SCICU College Guide today! Please share it with friends and family, too!
SCICU College/University Campus News 

SCICU presents news from its 21 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

Bob Jones University

Charleston Southern University

Claflin University

Coker University

Columbia College

Columbia International University

Converse University

Erskine College

Furman University

Limestone University

Morris College

Newberry College

North Greenville University

Presbyterian College

Southern Wesleyan University

Spartanburg Methodist College

Voorhees University

Wofford College

Click below to access important information from each of the SCICU member colleges and universities:
Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Unum Group, provides financial protection benefits to America’s workers and their families when the unexpected happens. The company offers workplace benefits, including disability, life, accident, dental, cancer, critical illness and hospital confinement indemnity insurance. 




Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, the UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. The foundation’s philanthropic approach centers on four focus areas: health & humanitarian relief, equity and economic empowerment, local engagement, and planet protection.  
The Virtual Care Group (VCG) provides holistic medical and mental well-being solutions for higher education institutions. We offer UNLIMITED telemedicine (urgent care) and teletherapy (counseling, life coaching and on-demand crisis counseling services). 





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:

Allegiance Industries - Facilities management provider to educational institutions specializing in janitorial, electrical, and security services.

Cantey Tech Consulting - Leading provider of technology planning and support services for educators.

CapinCrouse - National full-service CPA and consulting firm devoted to serving higher education and other nonprofit organizations.

Craig Gaulden Davis - Firm focusing on architecture, planning and interior design for the arts, government, ministry, libraries and education, including work on 35 college and university campuses.

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture - Studio-based, regional architecture, interior design and planning firm with three South Carolina offices that has supported 36 colleges and universities in the southeast.

SeKon Enterprise - Minority woman-owned business that specializes in the areas of cyber security, enterprise solutions, data intelligence, and business consulting.

Sodexo - Dining and facilities management company providing services worldwide, including five SCICU member colleges and universities.

SC Student Loan Corporation - South Carolina's only local, non-profit education loan lender, SCSL is committed to providing financial assistance through private educational loans, financial literacy outreach, and college and career planning.

Transact Campus - We partner with institutions to deliver a mobile-centric, personalized student and family experience both on and off-campus. Our cloud platform and open APIs deliver mission-critical capabilities that support student success.

Virtual Care Group - We partner with campuses to supplement existing health services or to create a virtual wellness center. We offer unlimited telemedicine (urgent care) and teletherapy (counseling, life coaching and on-demand crisis counseling services).

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

Affinity LTC, LLC (Genworth Financial) | Allegiance Industries | Aramark Higher Education | Blackbaud | Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC | Brown Edwards CPA | Brown & Brown South Carolina | Buffkin / Baker | CampusLogic | Cantey Tech Consulting | CapinCrouse LLP | CBIZ | Cengage | Centrica Business Solutions | Charles Schwab | Cherry Bekaert, LLC | CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP |Coleman Lew Canny Brown | Colonial Life | Coursedog | Craig Gaulden Davis | Design Collaborative | Diligence, LLC | Dominion Energy | Duke Energy | Elliott Davis | Enterprise Holdings | Equidox | Find Great People, LLC | First American Education Finance | FORVIS | Gillis Specialty Advertising | Giraffe Web Design | GMK Associates | Granite Government Solutions | Gravity Diagnostics LLC | Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA | Hallmark Management Service | HRP Associates, Inc. | Hypersign, LLC | Immedion LLC | Jenzabar | Kognito | Lower Cost Models Consortium | Lockstep Technology Group | MB Kahn Construction Company, Inc. | McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture | Metz Culinary Management | Mindstream | Nephron Pharmaceuticals | NFP | P2Ops, LLC | Path | Paymerang (fka AP Advantage) | Pharos Resources, LLC Pioneer College Caterers | Pollock Company | Purple Briefcase | PVC Fittings Online | Regions Bank | Resource Financial Services | S2K Group, Inc. | Salesforce | Schneider Electric | Schooley Mitchell | SC Student Loan Corporation | ScholarBuys | Secure Futures Solar | SEGRA (formerly Spirit Communications) | SeKON | Sodexo | Spinx Company | Synergi Partners | Tallo (formerly STEM Premier) | Timely MD | TKC Management Services | Total Comfort Solutions | Transact Campus | UnitedHealthcare Student Resources | UPS Foundation | VEMO Education | Varsity Health | The Virtual Care Group | 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 35 member organizations in 33 states, serves more than 1,000 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 Jeff Perez at jeff@scicu.org or 803-799-7122. Mailing address: PO Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211.