South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities

A Voice for Independent Higher Education in South Carolina

SCICU Colleges To Be Featured at Four Upcoming College Fairs

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SCICU member colleges and universities will be featured at four upcoming college fairs in South Carolina:

Greenville County College Fair – October 18-19, 2018

All 20 SCICU institutions will participate in the 2018 Greenville County College Fair October 18-19 at the TD Convention Center in Greenville. The annual Greenville County College Fair is one of the largest college fairs in South Carolina and in the southeast. Thousands of college-bound students and their parents will benefit from two days of meeting with college admissions representatives. On October 18, parents and students can participate in seminars regarding financial aid and the college application process. The Greenville County College Fair website offers more information on the two-day event.

Christian College Fairs (3) – October 29-30 and November 1

Six SCICU colleges and universities–Anderson University, Charleston Southern University, Columbia International University, Erskine College, North Greenville University, and Southern Wesleyan University– will participate in the following three (3) Christian College fairs in South Carolina:

October 29 – Charleston Christian College Fair

Faith Christian School
Summerville
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

October 30 – Columbia Area Christian College Fair

Northside Christian Academy
Lexington
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

November 1 – Spartanburg Christian College Fair

Spartanburg Christian Academy
Spartanburg
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Online student registration and additional details are available via the above links for each of the three Christian college fairs.

Coker Receives NSF Funding to Extend STEM Scholars Program

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HARSTVILLE, SC (courtesy coker.edu) — Coker College was recently granted additional funding (approximately $682,000) from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (NSF S-STEM) program to add a second cohort to the college’s STEM Scholars in Biology (SSB) program for high-achieving students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields and who are in need of financial assistance to attend college.

Coker is currently serving as the lead institution on a research project involving three additional colleges, using a five-year $4.4 million dollar grant from the NSF S-STEM program. The grant provides scholarship aid averaging $6,000 per year for each of the recipient’s four years in college. Coker currently has 18 SSB scholars participating in its 2018 (class of 2022) cohort and now with the additional funding, the college will be able to add as many as 18 SSB scholars to a 2019 (class of 2023) cohort.

The project will generate new information about factors contributing to the persistence and success of biology students who need financial assistance. It will contribute new information to the literature specific to low-income students and will ultimately help increase graduation rates of STEM scholars, while increasing their participation in a STEM-related graduate program or field of employment.

Joseph Flaherty, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of undergraduate research at Coker College, is the principal investigator for the project, with Tracy Parkinson, Ph.D., vice president for strategic partnerships at Coker, serving as co-principal investigator. The program is also supported by a number of key faculty personnel and offices across all of the participating institutions. “The enhanced financial aid for students, while important, is not the only feature of the project,” says Flaherty. “The enhanced programmatic elements combined with a robust student-centered focus will certainly strengthen all partnering institutions as we better prepare our students for entry into scientific careers.”

In addition to the four-year scholarships, SSB participants will receive an integrated first-year experience, including a STEM-based first-year seminar, new laptop computers, mentoring by external scientists, intrusive advising from faculty and support from peer mentors, and research or project-based learning experiences. The impact of these activities on enrollment and retention, graduation, and post-graduate placement rates will be examined.

Flaherty says, “Just the idea that we’re carrying out a scientific study to try to figure out the key factors that influence a student’s decision to not only succeed in college, but to persist in their chosen major and use that degree to become a professional in the biological sciences is very exciting and will enhance our understanding of these important contributors to student success.”

All four colleges participating in the 2018 program belong to the Yes We Must Coalition, which strives to increase low-income and underrepresented students’ college-degree attainment at small, independent, nonprofit colleges and universities: Coker College (Hartsville, SC), College of Saint Elizabeth (Morristown, NJ), Ferrum College (Ferrum, VA), and Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, NY).

For more information about Coker’s SSB program, please contact Dr. Joseph Flaherty at jflaherty@coker.edu or 843-383-8079. Students interested in applying for Coker’s SSB 2019 cohort (entering Coker in the fall of 2019 and graduating in 2023) can apply here.

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Anderson University Signs Bridge Program Agreement with Greenville Technical College

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ANDERSON, SC (courtesy andersonuniversity.edu) — Anderson University has formalized a partnership with Greenville Technical College that will allow GTC students to more easily transfer and complete their studies at AU.

Officials from both schools signed an agreement that puts in place the Anderson University Bridge Program, which is intended for Greenville Technical College students who complete an associate degree and who wish to transfer to Anderson to complete a bachelor’s program.

“This agreement represents an incredible opportunity for college students in our region,” said Dr. Evans P. Whitaker, President of Anderson University. “We are so appreciative of our friends at Greenville Technical College, and we look forward to welcoming their students into the AU family.”

Under the agreement, Bridge students enrolled in Greenville Technical College’s Associate of Art, Associate of Science and designated Applied Science degrees will sign an intent to transfer to AU. If they meet the minimum GPA requirement of 2.50 and earn an associate degree, they will be accepted for transfer to AU and will receive advising and academic support that will ensure a successful transition from the two-year college to the four-year university. Merit and transfer scholarships will be available for those who qualify.

Articulation agreements have also been signed for the Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Management programs. The agreements allow graduates of these Greenville Technical College programs earning a 2.50 GPA to transfer 60 -62 credit hours, depending upon the program, of GTC credit to Anderson University in order to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration.

“We are pleased to work more closely with Anderson University in order to improve academic opportunities in the Upstate,” said Dr. Jermaine Whirl, vice president for learning and workforce development at Greenville Technical College. “Together we can provide strong paths to bachelor’s degrees and give students the support they need at both levels to succeed and graduate.”

Furman Chemistry Professor Wins 3 NSF Grants Totalling $750,000

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Furman Associate Professor of Chemistry Karen Buchmueller

GREENVILLE, SC (courtesy furman.edu) — If you’re looking for tips on how to write winning grant proposals, just ask Karen Buchmueller. In the space of a year, the Furman University associate professor of chemistry has served as principal or co-principal investigator for three successful proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The latest NSF award of $253,411 will be housed at Georgia Institute of Technology and will support the national endeavors of the Chemistry Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Leadership Group (LG).

This award is preceded by two other NSF grants: 1) a $340,000 grant to Furman to support faculty and students in the REU program, and 2) a $156,858 grant to Furman for the purchase of a bioimaging system. All told, Buchmueller’s name is associated with about $750,000 from NSF in the last 12 months.

Buchmueller, who is one of three investigators on the most recent grant, has been part of the LG for five years, serving as chair in 2016. Advocating for the greater Chemistry NSF REU community, the LG is comprised of 9 faculty members, most of those hailing from comprehensive, doctoral-granting research institutions.

The group uses platforms like websites, symposia and workshops, which are focused on sharing best practices for REU principle investigators and Site Directors, so that undergraduates—including those at Furman—can have meaningful and productive research experiences.

Part of the LG’s work is also aimed at broadening participation and inclusivity in chemistry as a discipline. To that end, the group is heavily involved in efforts to attract to the field underrepresented minorities (Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Pacific Islanders), veterans, community college students, first-generation college students and persons with disabilities.

Said Furman Associate Provost for Integrative Science John Wheeler, “This achievement once again represents Furman’s long-standing national recognition and contributions as a leader in undergraduate research, including service to those schools in receipt of NSF undergraduate research funding in chemistry spanning two decades.”

About her latest success, Buchmueller won’t take all the credit. “Furman has had a strong presence in the Leadership Group for many years, as Drs. Moses Lee and Tim Hanks both preceded me as members of the LG. I am very proud of the work that I have done as part of this group and what this group has done for the Chemistry REU community. We ultimately are focused on the undergraduate student,” she said.

For more information, contact Karen Buchmueller, Furman University Department of Chemistry, at 864-294-2683, and karen.buchmueller@furman.edu.

SCICU 2018-19 College Guide Now Available Online

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SCICU’s 2018-19 College Guide is now available online for students and parents to use in making the best decisions regarding the numerous opportunities at South Carolina’s leading independent colleges and universities.

The digital version of the SCICU College Guide is designed for easy viewing and reading on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. The digital guide is designed to flow and turn pages easily. It can also be easily downloaded and shared with family and friends.

The guide includes a wealth of information that can assist students and parents in making the best higher education choices. Admissions contacts, scholarship information, and college visitation schedules for SC’s top independent colleges and universities are included in the digital guide.

SCICU Names Dr. Jeffrey Perez New President & CEO

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SCICU has named Dr. Jeffrey Perez as new president and CEO.

Dr. Jeffrey Perez

COLUMBIA, SC — Dr. Jeffrey Perez, an accomplished higher education leader and public affairs strategist, has been named the seventh president and CEO of South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (SCICU).

Russell Cook, chair of the SCICU Board of Trustees, announced the appointment at SCICU’s Fall Board Meeting hosted by Presbyterian College on September 26, 2018.

Perez will begin his leadership with SCICU on Oct. 29.

“We are looking forward to Jeff joining the SCICU team,” said Cook. “Our twenty member colleges and universities will greatly benefit from his significant experience in public policy, advocacy, and strategic communications.”

Perez succeeds Mike LeFever who retired from SCICU in August 2018 after leading the higher education advocacy organization for more than 10 years.

“It is my honor to have the opportunity of serving SCICU’s twenty member independent colleges and universities and their 33,000+ students in South Carolina, said Perez. “I am dedicated to building upon the many strengths of these institutions and helping them grow throughout South Carolina.”

Prior to accepting the president/CEO position with SCICU, Perez most recently served as vice president for University Relations at Winthrop University. He was Winthrop’s principal institutional spokesperson and representative at the local, state, and federal levels.

Perez’s higher education leadership in South Carolina also includes a five-year appointment as vice president for external affairs at The Citadel. While at The Citadel, Perez developed and implemented communications and marketing strategies that helped the military college achieve record enrollments and the highest annual giving in its history.

Before moving to SC in 2008, Perez served as the executive director for communications and government affairs at Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH).

In his native New York state, Perez held two higher education leadership positions in the State University of New York system, including director of public affairs for the Charter Schools Institute of the State University of New York. As director of communication services at the headquarters of the State University of New York, he served the largest college system in the country with 400,000 students across 64 campuses.

Other previous leadership positions held by Perez include director of research and government relations representative for the New York State School Boards Association.

Perez holds a Phd in American history from the College of William and Mary. He earned a master’s degree from Binghamton University and a Bachelor of Science in foreign service from Georgetown University. In 2013, Perez attended Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.

PC Senior Clay Wright Named SCICU Student of the Year

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(L-R) Dr. Eli Owens, PC Mathematics Professor; Dr. Brian Beasley, PC Physics Professor; Clay Wright, SCICU Student of the Year, Ashli Wright, Mother of Clay Wright; and Bob Staton, President, Presbyterian College.

CLINTON, SC — The 2018 McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year award was presented to Clay Wright, a PC senior, at SCICU’s board meeting on Sept. 26 at Presbyterian College. The award includes a $3,000 scholarship.

Wright was selected for SCICU Student of the Year honors from among nominees submitted by SCICU’s twenty member colleges and universities. The Greenville-based Center for Scholarship Administration independently conducted the nomination process and submitted the name of the award winner to SCICU.

Wright, a Clinton, SC, native, is the son of David and Ashli Wright. He is a physics and applied mathematics double major.

Science and math have fueled Wright’s passion throughout his four years at PC. Wright has conducted research on granular physics in the PC Summer Fellows program as well as with the NASA / SC Space Grant Consortium. He received an Undergraduate Research Award for the work he completed with NASA. This past summer, Wright was selected to participate in the National Science Foundation TNEWS REU program. He researched two-dimensional materials in the Quantum Device Lab at the University of Arkansas. Wright is currently researching the reaction mechanism of gold nanoparticles with PC physical chemistry professor Dr. Latha Gearheart.

Wright serves as a member and president of the math honor society, Pi Mu Epsilon. He is also a member of the Society of Physics Students and the physics honor society, Sigma Pi Sigma.

In addition to his work in science and math, Wright is a member of Bluefish, a student ministry at PC. He has served as a tutor at the South Carolina Empowerment Center and Clinton High School, and is a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He served as president of the fraternity in 2017.

Daniel Professor of Mathematics Dr. Brian Beasley and Assistant Professor of Physics Dr. Eli Owens recommended Wright for the 2018 McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year Award. Wright plans to attend a Ph.D. program in materials science and engineering after earning his degree from PC in 2019.

Wright’s award acceptance remarks at SCICU’s Sept. 26 Awards Luncheon may be read here.

About the McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year Award

In 2016, the SCICU Board of Trustees elected to combine the J. Lacy McLean and the Sterling L. Smith Scholarships into the McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year Award. J. Lacy McLean advocated for independent higher education in South Carolina for over 34 years. Sterling L. Smith was instrumental in the development of the SC Tuition Grants Program. The award seeks to recognize students who perform well academically and who demonstrate commitments to public affairs, community service, and leadership.

Full-time rising seniors attending SCICU member colleges and universities are eligible to be nominated for the combined scholarship award. The recipient must be a South Carolina resident and a SC Tuition Grant recipient. Rising sophomores at SCICU two-year institutions are also eligible for the award.

SCICU Names Nine SC Business Leaders to Board of Trustees

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COLUMBIA, SC –- Nine new trustees – 4 Upstate business leaders and 5 Columbia-area leaders – were named to the SC Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (SCICU) Board at the advocacy organization’s Sept. 26 meeting hosted by Presbyterian College.

These trustees will serve a three-year term (through August 31, 2021), and will participate in advocacy efforts that support the 33,000+ students at SCICU’s twenty (20) member colleges and universities.

The Class of 2021 SCICU Trustees (see their profiles here) include the following business leaders:

Cynthia M. Bennett
VP – Education and Workforce Development
SC Chamber of Commerce
Columbia

David Charpia
Market President for Upstate SC
Ameris Bank
Greenville

John Garrison
VP, Chief Compliance Officer
Unum Group
Columbia

Joe Gillis
President / CEO / Founder
Gillis Advertising
Blythewood

Steve Hall
VP – Development
FGP International (Find Great People)
Greenville

Brandolyn Pinkston
Retired Administrator
SC Department of Consumer Affairs
Columbia

Ben Porter
Market President
BB&T
Spartanburg

Leigh Ann Puryear
Public Relations Associate
Duke Energy Carolinas
Greenville

David (Trey) Simon
President & CEO
SC Student Loan Corporation
Columbia

A complete roster of the SCICU Board of Trustees may be viewed at https://www.scicu.org/about-scicu/board-of-trustees/.

Order of the Palmetto Awarded to Mike LeFever, Former SCICU President & CEO

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Mike LeFever, former SCICU President & CEO, has been awarded the Order of the Palmetto.

(L-R) Virginia Crocker, Mike LeFever

COLUMBIA, SC – The Order of the Palmetto was presented to Mike LeFever, former president & CEO of SC Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (SCICU), at the advocacy organization’s board meeting hosted by Presbyterian College on Sept. 26.

Virginia Crocker, former SC Representative and former SCICU trustee, presented LeFever with South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. The award recognizes lifetime achievements and contributions to the state and citizens of South Carolina.

LeFever was joined in the awards ceremony by his wife Malissa Burnette and daughter Grant LeFever (Presbyterian College Class of 2013).

The location for the presentation also held great significance to LeFever, as he is a 1969 cum laude graduate of Presbyterian College.

The most recent achievement cited in the presentation of the Order of the Palmetto involved LeFever’s 10+ years as president & CEO of SC Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (SCICU). LeFever advocated extensively on behalf of independent colleges and universities in the South Carolina General Assembly and the United States Congress. He retired from SCICU in August 2018.

As SCICU president & CEO, LeFever led the charge for supporting more than $83 million combined annually in SC need-based grants and SC merit scholarships, including Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, and HOPE scholarships, and another $73 million annually in federal grants. Through his leadership, SCICU sourced more than $5 million in student scholarships, student research project support, and faculty/teaching awards for its twenty member colleges and universities.

LeFever was instrumental in establishing a student transfer agreement between the SC Technical College System and seventeen (17) of SCICU’s twenty (20) member colleges and universities. The transfer agreement is just one of numerous collaborations that LeFever fostered and developed during his tenure as president & CEO of SCICU.

Prior to joining SCICU, LeFever served as director of four different state agencies and as deputy chief of staff for executive office programs and cabinet affairs for Governor Jim Hodges. His 30+ years of state government service included 13 years as the director of the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

After LeFever announced his retirement in early 2018, he was honored by a number of organizations. The South Carolina Senate recognized LeFever with a special presentation of a framed resolution on the Senate floor in April. Wofford College awarded LeFever an honorary doctorate in May.

A Final Word from Mike LeFever

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Mike LeFever retired as SCICU President and CEO on Aug. 31, 2018.

Mike LeFever

After leading SCICU for more than 10 years, Mike LeFever retired as President and CEO on August 31, 2018.

Colleagues and Friends:

Because of SCICU’s extensive statewide network of members, I have not been able to visit each campus this summer to personally say goodbye and thank everyone for their support and their commitment to independent higher education. Regretfully, I have not been able to visit each of our 42 community trustees to thank them for their support, advice and guidance.

As a graduate of one South Carolina’s independent colleges, it has been my honor and privilege to have worked with SCICU and our 20 distinct and diverse institutions of higher learning for almost 11 years. I believe strongly in the liberal arts and the transformative nature of a comprehensive education at a private non-profit college.

The challenges for higher education are many, but that has always been the case, as we generally focus on the threats at hand at the expense of our many accomplishments. I will cede a full-throated defense of our higher education sector for another time, but remind all of us that our members have survived wars going back to 1861. They have weathered the Great Depression and most recently, the Great Recession. They have adjusted and adapted to various political, cultural, and societal upheavals. Through it all, our independent colleges and universities have been true and faithful to their missions.

There is no reason to think that the resiliency shown over the past 150, 100, or 50 years will not see our members through decades to come. The elements for success—strength of purpose, institutional resolve, supportive, generous alumni and friends, loyal, committed faculty and staff, and an abiding faith in the importance and constancy of teaching and learning—have not waivered since the founding day of each and every SCICU member college and university.

I have been blessed with a wonderfully strong, caring, and supportive family, both at home and at the office. And I will always cherish the many friends that I have made from all who have been involved with SCICU for even a minute.

Thank you for allowing me to cap a 40 year career in public policy and public service doing something to which I was fully committed and equally convinced that we were providing greater opportunities for educational access and success for the generations of students that follow.

Mike LeFever
August 31, 2018

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South Carolina‘s Independent Colleges and Universities are asking for your help in conveying our gratitude for state supported scholarships and grants for higher education.

Without scholarships and grants, many students could not afford the cost of higher education. South Carolina’s Independent Colleges and Universities would like you to join us in showing our grateful appreciation to members of the General Assembly for their support of merit-based scholarships and need-based grants.

who-is-my-legislatorWe encourage you to write a personal letter to your state legislators and thank them for their support. Encourage them to invest in the future of South Carolina by funding to the fullest extent possible scholarships like Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE, and Higher Education Tuition Grants. Regular increases to these programs are needed to keep current with the rising costs of higher education.

COLLEGE GUIDE
2018 – 2019


 

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