Volume 11 | Issue 1 January 2019
January 2019 News and Notes

January 2019 news highlights include:
  • Education reform top issue for 2019 SC General Assembly session -- SCICU legislative outlook from President and CEO Jeff Perez
  • SCICU students write thousands of letters to SC General Assembly supporting funding of tuition grants and merit scholarships
  • SCICU undergraduate students preparing presentations for Feb. 21 Research Symposium
  • TRUSTEE REMINDER: Register now for four regional trustee appreciation receptions
  • TRUSTEE REMINDER: Jan. 17 (5:00 pm) is the deadline to register for the spring board retreat and to reserve a room at the Boardwalk Inn
  • Member College News
  • Upcoming Events
  • Business Partners
Dr. Jeff Perez
SCICU President and CEO
Education reform top issue for 2019 SC General Assembly session

SCICU legislative outlook from Jeff Perez
Education reform will be at the top of the SC General Assembly’s agenda during the 2019 legislative session, as will how to spend an additional $1 billion. Including independent higher education in these discussions will be a major part of SCICU’s 2019 advocacy efforts.


2018 SC Independent College and University Day Student Advocates
SC State House
SCICU students write thousands of letters to SC General Assembly supporting funding of tuition grants and merit scholarships
One of the most effective advocacy initiatives in Columbia is led by students of SCICU colleges and universities.

During each session of the General Assembly SCICU college and university students send thousands of letters to legislators, sharing the importance of state need-based tuition grants and merit-based scholarships, upon which they rely to complete their degrees.

SCICU undergraduate students preparing presentations for the Feb. 21 Research Symposium
Feb. 2018 Research Symposium Participants
The professional researchers of tomorrow are busy today at SC independent colleges and universities summarizing their project findings and preparing presentations for the February 2019 SCICU Research Symposium.

Undergraduate students at SCICU campuses, supported by their faculty sponsors/mentors, are preparing multimedia presentations related to the research projects completed in mid-December 2018.


TRUSTEE REGISTRATION REMINDER: Four Trustee Appreciation Receptions are scheduled Jan. 17 - Feb. 7 throughout SC
SCICU trustees have told us they would like more opportunities to interact with each other and campus leaders. To that end, we are coordinating four regional Trustee Appreciation Receptions that will be hosted by SCICU’s new president and CEO, Jeff Perez. The receptions will kick off Jan. 17 in Columbia, followed by events in Greenville (Jan. 24), Spartanburg (Jan. 31), and Charleston (Feb. 7).

These special receptions will be an opportunity to chat with Jeff, other SCICU trustees, and campus presidents. We will also invite other prominent community members and supporters of SCICU.

Trustees, presidents, and other higher ed supporters have been sent invitations to the receptions via email. For more information, please call SCICU at 803-799-7122 or email to [email protected].

If you are planning on attending one or more of the receptions and have not already registered online, PLEASE call SCICU at 803-799-7122 and register today .



TRUSTEES: Jan. 17 (5:00 pm) is the REGISTRATION DEADLINE for the spring board retreat AND for reserving your Boardwalk Inn room at special retreat rates.
2019 SCICU Board Retreat
March 7-8, 2019

Wild Dunes Resort
Isle of Palms, SC

Detailed information has already been emailed to trustees regarding event registration and hotel reservations. Additional information is available from SCICU at 803-799-7122 or [email protected].

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:

Claflin University

Converse College

North Greenville University

Spartanburg Methodist College

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 recognizes the following Business Partner for their renewal:


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  |  Church Mutual Insurance Company  |  Coleman Lew + Associates  |  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  |  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.