SC Independent Colleges & Universities

COVID-19 Resources

March 27, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

If you need help now —

What are the symptoms of COVID-19 infection? – Centers for Disease Control resources.

Are you sick and think you might have the symptoms of COVID-19? FREE 24/7 virtual COVID-19 screenings are available to everyone in South Carolina. Log in to Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)’s virtual care provider network and use code COVID19.

What should you do if you are diagnosed with COVID-19? – Centers for Disease Control resources.

Do you have questions regarding COVID-19? SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) can help. Call the SCDHEC Care Line 1-855-472-3432. Available 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

South Carolina resources for COVID-19

College/University-specific information regarding COVID-19

Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Resources

Our colleges and universities respond boldly and courageously to the COVID-19 pandemic

March 27, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

Jeff Perez, Ph.D.
SCICU President and CEO

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

Imagine a major hurricane that covers the entire state and lasts for weeks, if not months. That is the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on South Carolina.

The bold and courageous manner in which SCICU member institutions are responding to the unprecedented threat of COVID-19 proves the capacity and will of our campuses to innovate on behalf of their students and communities.

We’ve all heard the criticisms of higher education: Colleges and universities are old-fashioned; they’re slow to adapt to new circumstances; they’re incapable of being nimble.

I am here to tell you none of those are true. Throughout my career I have observed how a crisis reveals the true nature of individuals and organizations. Some crumble. Others focus on laying blame. Still others make bad decisions. All put those in their charge at great risk.

We can all be so very proud of the rock-solid and knowledgeable leadership of our SCICU member institutions. In less than two weeks our presidents and their teams have gone from business as usual, to making profound changes to their operations, while respecting their unique campus cultures and traditions. In this extraordinary effort they have been supported by dedicated faculties and staffs who have remained focused on the needs of their students.

I’m not sure when this COVID-19 storm will pass, but I’m utterly confident that our SCICU member colleges and universities will emerge as strong as ever.

SCICU colleges and universities change operations due to COVID-19 pandemic

March 27, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SCICU colleges and universities are changing campus operations to protect students, faculty, staff, and their surrounding communities. Please click on the colleges and universities below to access updated information regarding campus operations:

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

Federal update

March 27, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

The big news — $2 trillion big -– is the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.” President Trump signed the emergency spending bill into law March 27th.

Thanks to a national advocacy effort of institutions and associations, independent higher education was included in the stimulus package, which provides $14 billion for higher education, to be distributed by the Secretary of Education based on enrollment. Of that $14 billion, $1 billion will be directed to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. Another $300 million is designated for smaller institutions.

There is also a “Maintenance of Effort” provision that requires states must maintain support for higher education and state need-based grant aid at an average of the previous 3 years.

The $14 billion more than doubles the $6 billion in last week’s Senate bill.

Again, I want to thank everyone who spoke on behalf of our colleges and universities.

South Carolina General Assembly update

March 27, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

As with everything else, state government has been impacted by COVID-19.

The General Assembly passed and the governor signed into law emergency funding legislation allocating an additional $45 million to DHEC for responding to COVID-19.

Following the vote House Speaker Jay Lucas announced that the House would not be in session for two weeks, and perhaps longer. President of the Senate Harvey Peeler announced the Senate would not be in session last week and did not return this week.

Also passed was a continuing resolution directing the state government to continue operating under the FY 2019-20 budget during the upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year, should the General Assembly be unable to pass a FY 2020-21 budget by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

Looking down a dark road, we have yet to see any projections how the many shutdowns during COVID-19 will affect state revenue. The worst case (though not out of the realm of possibility) scenario is similar to FY 2008-09 when the Board of Economic Advisors projected reductions in revenue and thus automatic comparable cuts to state agency budgets. That would include the Tuition Grants Commission.

For his part Governor McMaster has issued numerous Executive Orders including declaring a state of emergency, closing on-campus operations at K-12 schools, closing public universities and colleges until the end of April, directing state employees to work from home, prohibiting restaurants and bars from offering table service (they can provide takeout for food and alcohol), and ordering law enforcement officers to disperse at their discretion gatherings of three or more people.

Columbia College appoints Dr. Peter Mitchell interim president; Dr. Carol Moore retires

March 27, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dr. Peter T. Mitchell, president of Columbia College from 1988 to 1997, is returning to the institution as its interim president upon Dr. Carol Moore’s retirement announcement, effective immediately.

Dr. Moore served as president of Columbia College for four years and guided the school through significant transitions, including the recent announcement of coeducational day programs beginning fall 2021.

“The Columbia College family thanks President Moore for her tireless effort to make our school a special place for so many. She has taken on repositioning Columbia College with leadership and strength,” Board of Trustees Chair Toby Goodlett said. “Since her arrival in September 2016, Dr. Moore has been invaluable to our mission. We respect her decision to step away at this time to care for her family and her health and we want to express our appreciation for her unwavering dedication to our school and mission,” Goodlett added.

“SCICU is grateful for Dr. Moore’s leadership at Columbia College and with SCICU’s board of trustees,” said Jeff Perez, SCICU President and CEO. “We wish her much happiness in her retirement.”

The challenges associated with transitioning to coeducational programs, combined with the need to provide a comprehensive response to COVID-19, convinced Columbia College trustees to select a familiar voice for their interim president.

Dr. Mitchell served as Columbia College’s fourteenth president, leading the institution for nearly 10 years. Under Dr. Mitchell’s leadership, Columbia College created the Women’s Leadership Institute, built the Johnnie Cordell Breed Leadership Center, and helped secure funding for the Barbara Bush Center for Science and Technology.

In addition to his previous leadership at Columbia College, Dr. Mitchell has significant experience as president at three other independent colleges located in three different geographic regions. Before joining Columbia College, Mitchell was president of Lasell College in Newton, Mass. from 1983 to 1988. After his leadership at Columbia College, Mitchell went on to serve as president at his alma mater Albion College, a Michigan liberal arts college.

After retiring from Albion College, Dr. Mitchell founded Proactive Transition Management, LLC, a consultancy specializing in strategic planning, enrollment management, fundraising, and executive searches for independent colleges and universities.

Mitchell holds an Ed.D. in higher education leadership from Northeastern University. He earned an Ed.S. in information systems technology at Indiana University, an M.A. in English language at the University of Michigan, and a B.A in English and religion from Albion College.

PC School of Pharmacy donates PPE to SCDHEC

March 25, 2020 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

CLINTON, S.C. (courtesy presby.edu) — Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy responded quickly when the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued an urgent request to academic institutions for personal protective equipment on Friday, March 20.

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, a top concern for those in the healthcare field is access to protective equipment.

The demand exceeds the supply

“The demand for personal protective equipment is currently greater than the available supply,” said Dr. Kurt Wargo, dean of the School of Pharmacy.

When he heard the request from DHEC, Wargo approved the donation of many of the supplies in the School’s hospital simulation lab.

“We are facing an unprecedented time in our world’s history,” Wargo said. “We need to do our part to help fight this viral pandemic. Helping those in need is what pharmacists are known for, and it’s simply the right thing to do in this case.”

The School of Pharmacy donated more than 1,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, including medical gowns, eye protection, gloves, alcohol pads, hand sanitizer, and hand soap.

Dr. Tiffaney Threatt, associate professor of pharmacy and director of the PCSP Wellness Center, helped gather the supplies to send to DHEC. The state agency then then distributed the items to first responders, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Serving healthcare workers

“Many healthcare workers are serving at full capacity during this time and risking their own safety,” Wargo said. “In this national and global response, healthcare workers are serving on the frontline and must be protected as a valuable yet vulnerable resource. Providing adequate equipment is the first step.”

“Hopefully, the manufacturing supply of personal protective equipment will soon catch up with the demand,” Wargo added. Until then, DHEC will continue to collect supplies and distribute them to facilities and healthcare workers in need.

During the pandemic, Wargo and others at the PC School of Pharmacy have also worked with Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic in Laurens to provide emergency supplies of medications to patients in need.

“‘While we live, we serve’ is more than a campus motto for Presbyterian College,” Wargo said. “They’re words that students, alumni, faculty and staff truly live by. In uncertain times such as these, there is even more reason to serve others.”