ANDERSON, SC (courtesy andersonuniversity.edu) — A statewide consortium of academic libraries recently honored three Anderson University professors for efforts at integrating affordable course materials into their classes with the Professors for Affordable Learning (PAL) Award.

Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries (PASCAL) celebrated the work of Dr. James Duncan, Dr. Robert Franklin and Dr. Andrew Stowe, professors with the Anderson University College of Arts and Sciences.

The PAL award is presented by South Carolina Affordable Learning (SCALE), an initiative of PASCAL to promote more affordable higher education. The three AU professors were among 10 South Carolina professors honored.

“The Professor for Affordable Learning Award was created to recognize faculty who were already integrating affordable learning resources into their classrooms,” said Amy Trepal, a shared content and licensing librarian for PASCAL. “These affordable course materials can include Open Educational Resources (high-quality teaching materials that are free for people everywhere to use and re-purpose), items freely available on the internet, or library resources.”

“In applying for this award professors submitted and discussed the sources of course material that they used,” said Stowe, a professor of English at Anderson University. “These materials are archived on PASCAL’s website to help provide resources so that even more professors can begin using open educational resources.”

The recognition of the PAL Award is a result of Anderson University’s efforts to integrate affordable learning methods. Anderson University provides many free or low-cost course materials for faculty and students through PASCAL, and they provide Open Educational Resource (OER) training for faculty that includes encouraging professors to create their own content.

“I have had a passion to write a textbook for my statistics class for a long time, and with the support of the Center of Innovation and Digital Learning at Anderson University (CIDL), I was able to make that happen,” Franklin said. “The PAL award is a great honor and recognition because it shows just how this project is making a difference in students’ lives by making quality educational materials free of charge.”

The three Anderson University professors recognized by PASCAL are a part of a wider initiative to cut college costs and create a more customized learning environment.

“In partnership with the library, the Center for Innovation and Digital Learning leads the efforts to support and incentivize faculty seeking to redesign courses around OER, creating tens of thousands of dollars in savings for AU students each year,” said Dr. Joshua Herron, Dean of Online and Continuous Learning at Anderson University.

“I think the cost of going to college keeps going up, and one of the areas it has gone up the most is textbooks,” said Kent Millwood, Director of Library Services at Anderson University. “We are trying to provide an alternative to traditional textbooks to save people the cost of going to college.”

TIGERVILLE, SC (courtesy ngu.edu) — North Greenville University is now expanding its presence in Greer, SC, to open up even more opportunities for adult learners in the city and beyond.

Travelers Rest philanthropist Dr. T. Walter Brashier and his wife, Christine, have gifted the university with the 17,225-square-foot building at 199 Hunt St. in Greer, located adjacent to NGU’s existing Tim Brashier Campus.

“This is an incredible gift from a visionary family,” says NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “We are constantly astonished by the generosity of the Brashiers and forever grateful for their continued support of our mission: to equip transformational leaders for church and society.”

With the addition of this second facility, NGU’s Greer campus will gain new spaces for classes, offices, and meetings to accommodate its growing list of adult learning offerings. Current programs include graduate degrees, including one of the only physician assistant (PA) medicine programs in the state; fully online undergraduate degrees; and even professional development events covering a variety of topics.

Locals may remember that the Hunt Street property — which encompasses two acres of land, the building, and a paved parking lot — previously housed the Ryan’s Corporate Training Center. The structure has lain dormant, for the most part, since 2016.

That was the same year NGU bought its first Greer campus building at 405 Lancaster Ave., relocating from leased space at Fairview Baptist Church. NGU’s Greer campus officially opened during the Spring 2017 semester as the Tim Brashier Campus at Greer, named in memory of the Brashiers’ son, Tim.

The Brashiers have supported NGU for more than five decades. The family’s $1 million donation in 2005 enabled NGU to launch its graduate school, and a second gift of $1 million in 2017 created a graduate school scholarship fund for Upstate residents and NGU alumni.

The Brashiers’ latest gift, the Hunt Street building, is a promise of even greater things to come at NGU’s Greer campus.

“I’m extremely excited about this campus expansion,” says Dr. Tawana Scott (’85, MBA ’08), NGU’s assistant vice president of graduate academic services. “It gives us the opportunity to gain a more substantial presence in Greer by providing broader offerings for professionals in the fields of business, education, and ministry — helping them to become transformational leaders in the areas where they are called to serve.”

Future plans for NGU’s Tim Brashier Campus at Greer include adding not only more degree programs in business, education, and ministry, but also more professional development events.
The campus currently serves nearly 500 students per term — some from as nearby as up the street in Greer, most from somewhere within South Carolina, and others from as far away as California and Texas. But NGU leaders like Scott foresee increasing that reach significantly with the coming expansion.

Learn more about NGU’s adult learning opportunities at ngu.edu/academics.

NEWBERRY, SC (courtesy newberry.edu) — Newberry College has added a bachelor of science in Health Science major to its programs of study. The new major offers a versatile, broad-based program of study without the rigid course progression often required in other science-based majors.

“The B.S. in Health Science curriculum is intentionally broader in scope,” said Dr. Bret Clark, chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics and professor of Biology. “It is designed to prepare students for certification exams in various health-related fields and will satisfy the majority of prerequisite courses for graduate studies in most Allied Health professions.”

The new Health Science major includes 60-62-credit-hours of coursework in public health and wellness, science, anatomy and physiology, mathematics and applied learning through research and internship experiences selected to expand on the student’s individual interests.

“The course offerings in the Health Science curriculum have been carefully selected to equip students with a fundamental knowledge base universal to all health-related fields while providing the flexibility for students to tailor the program to their specific interest areas,” Clark said.

While some career paths require additional certification exams or coursework, Health Science majors will have the preparation they need to pursue career options, such as audiology, chiropractic care, dental care, physical therapy, pharmaceutical sales and a wide variety of other health-related fields.

GAFFNEY, SC (courtesy limestone.edu) — Limestone College has landed the state’s top elected official as its guest speaker for this spring’s graduation ceremonies.

South Carolina Govenor Henry McMaster will take the podium at Limestone’s upcoming commencements on Friday, May 10.

The Governor’s appearance comes on the heels of United States Congressman Ralph Norman serving as the College’s graduation speaker in December of last year.

McMaster is scheduled to speak at both Limestone graduation ceremonies inside Fullerton Auditorium, one starting at 10:45 a.m. and the other beginning at 2:45 p.m.

He became the 117th Governor of South Carolina in January of 2017 and was elected to his first full term in November of 2018.

The Governor’s late mother-in-law, Mary Rogers McAbee (nee Anderson), was a Limestone College graduate, along with her three sisters. She went on to teach school in Cherokee and Spartanburg Counties. Her daughter, South Carolina’s First Lady Peggy McMaster, and the Governor have been married for over 38 years.

Governor McMaster’s sister-in-law, Mary Claire McAbee, is also a Limestone graduate.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have South Carolina’s head of state speak to our graduates in May,” said Limestone College President Dr. Darrell Parker. “Not only is it an honor to have the Governor on our campus, but it’s that much more special knowing that he is well-aware of our institution because of the number of Limestone graduates in his family. We have made a deliberate attempt to bring in top-notch commecement speakers, and that is certainly the case once again with the Governor’s upcoming visit.”

It was Governor McMaster, after the College made a request to Senator Harvey Peeler, who approved the Limestone flag to fly atop the State House for a day following the Saints’ 2017 National Championship victory in Men’s Lacrosse.

The son of former state representative John Gregg McMaster and Ida Dargan McMaster, Governor McMaster is a lifelong servant of the State of South Carolina. He previously served two years as Lieutenant Governor, eight years as Attorney General, and four years as a United States attorney.

McMaster was the first U.S. attorney appointed by President Ronald Reagan and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.

As Lieutenant Governor, McMaster served as president of the South Carolina State Senate and headed the Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging, which aids older adults with social, economic, and health needs.

McMaster has served on the South Carolina Ports Authority Board of Directors, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, the Palmetto Health Foundation Board, and the South Carolina Policy Council (as chairman). He is a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in the state, and was named “Public Servant of the Year” by the Sierra Club and “National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” by The Humane Society of the United States.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1969 from the University of South Carolina and his Juris Doctor degree in 1973 from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served on the South Carolina Law Review. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1969 to 1975.

McMaster and his wife have two children, Henry D. McMaster, Jr. and Mary Rogers McMaster. They are members of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia.

“Limestone is one of our state’s oldest colleges and serves as a pillar of South Carolina’s educational community,” Governor McMaster said in a written statement at the time of Dr. Parker’s Presidential Inauguration in 2018. “Its students enjoy the inheritance of a rich and storied history. Limestone College has touched the lives of many South Carolinians.”

On May 10, Limestone will first hold a graduation ceremony for its Arts & Humanities Division and Education & Behavioral Sciences Division. That will be followed by a commencement for its Natural/Health Sciences Division and Business & Professional Studies Division.

COLUMBIA, SC (courtesy ciu.edu) — A major step toward improving the gateway to Columbia International University came with the demolition of a former club that the sheriff had considered a “nuisance.”

The restaurant and bar is one of seven properties purchased by CIU along Monticello Road in an effort to clean up the community and spur economic development.

Several community leaders are praying and discussing ways to upgrade the Monticello Road corridor. Leading the sessions are The Rev. Andre Melvin, the pastor of Temple Zion Baptist Church, and Special Assistant to the CIU President Dr. Andre Rogers, a CIU professor of Church Ministry.

As the team met and prayed, God began helping them secure the properties.

“We envision a vibrant Monticello Road that will be attractive from the I-20 interchange to the CIU campus which will provide badly needed services for the area,” said CIU President Dr. Mark Smith. “We’re here to invest in this community. This is about loving and lifting our neighbors.”

CIU is particularly concerned about reducing crime and increasing safety. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department has been discussing the location of additional resources to the area and has indicated that a major reduction in crime should occur with the cleanup of these properties.

“We could not be more excited to see the closing of this community nuisance,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott at the news of the demolition of the bar. “For years, this club has been a source of complaints and crime. Knocking it down will breathe new life into the area and the community.”

CIU is also poised to meet business and IT needs with the new William H. Jones Global Business & IT Center scheduled for completion this fall. One of the purposes of the Center is to provide a corporate training room for Columbia area business professionals to act as a catalyst for business development especially along the Monticello Road corridor. It will also provide an opportunity for CIU students to advance their “revitalizing” skills in business in the United States or in international missions work. The building alone will add a beautiful corporate touch to Monticello Road.

“We have a strong core value at CIU that we are to give back to our local community,” Smith said. “As we take Christ to the nations, we must first start here at home. As president I commit to invest locally and be a part of our community.”

Columbia International University ranks #1 among colleges and universities in South Carolina by BestColleges.com. Excitement is growing on campus with the new $20 million William H. Jones Global Business & IT Center and CIU’s first baseball program. Request information on enrollment or call (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.

HARTSVILLE, SC (courtesy coker.edu) — Coker College will begin operating as Coker University on July 1, 2019, giving the institution a name that adequately reflects its growth as a graduate degree-granting institution, an innovator in online learning, and a viable higher education option for international students.

“Change of any kind always takes some getting used to, particularly for an institution that’s been around for more than a century, but change has become increasingly more necessary in the field of higher education,” says Robert Wyatt, president of Coker. “The name Coker University is going to showcase the breadth of our academic offerings, from undergraduate degrees to graduate degrees to online degrees, as well as the growing number of students we’re seeing from around the country and the world. It’s an exciting time for Coker and for our community.”

University status is a reflection of the tremendous growth Coker has experienced in recent years, including the addition of five graduate programs and four online bachelor’s degrees. Coker regularly recruits international students, many of whom come from areas where the term “college” is used most frequently to describe a high school education. By becoming Coker University, the value of a Coker degree will be more clearly indicated to both international and domestic audiences, and the breadth of opportunities available to Coker students will be implied in the institution’s name.

Despite all of the change Coker has experienced in its 111 years, including becoming co-ed in 1969, its mission has, and always will, remain the same. The wellbeing and success of our students remains our top priority, and the crux of a Coker education still centers around personalized, discussion-based learning and the values of the institution’s student covenant: integrity, respect, scholarship, sustainability, service, and contribution.

“Changing the full name of Coker will not change the experience of alumni because that experience lives in our memories of campus, classes and friendships,” says Heather McConnell Buckelew (’95), president of the Coker Alumni Association. “I am proud to be a Coker alumnae and am excited about what the future holds as we become Coker University.”

“The evolution from college to university is absolutely a natural next step for the school,” says Howard Coker, senior vice president of global paper/industrial converted products at Sonoco Products Company and the great, great, great grandson of the college’s founder, Major James Lide Coker. “We’re pulling from 11 different countries now, 30 different states. [With] the number of graduate degrees we have in place, it’s absolutely appropriate at this time in the cycle of the history of the college to recognize ourselves as we are, which is a university.”
For more information about Coker’s transition to Coker University, please visit coker.edu.

About Coker College

Coker College is a student-focused, comprehensive college with a strong liberal arts core located in Hartsville, South Carolina. Coker combines round table, discussion-based learning with hands-on experiences to encourage active participation in and out of the classroom. A supportive, close-knit community prepares Coker students with the confidence and practical life skills they need to reach their personal best, in college and beyond.

Founded in 1908, Coker is a bachelor’s and master’s degree-granting institution and competes in 24 NCAA Division II sports. Coker is included among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review, and by Washington Monthly as a “Best Bang for Your Buck” college in the southeast.

ORANGEBURG, SC (courtesy claflin.edu) — Claflin University is one of five historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs) that will receive $10,000 for student scholarships from the Toyota Financial Services and Toyota Motor North American. The Tom Joyner Foundation was also awarded $10,000 from Toyota’s total contribution of $60,000 that will be used to help boost college retention and graduation rates for African-American students. Toyota’s support is consistent with the company’s deep commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“We greatly appreciate Toyota’s support for scholarships at Claflin University,” said Reverend Dr. Whittaker V. Middleton, vice president of institutional advancement. “We are also grateful to the Tom Joyner Foundation which named Claflin its “School of the Month” for January. All donations to Claflin in January will be used to support our FOCUS 100 which provides financial support for students who experience an unexpected crisis which could prevent them from completing their degree requirements at Claflin.”

Toyota launched its support of HBCUs five years ago to honor the life and vision of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Dr. King believed all young people should be given an opportunity to receive the best education possible, and yet, I have personally witnessed promising, young students forced to withdraw from school as a result of financial burdens,” said John Ridgeway, general manager of Toyota Financial Services’ Customer Service Center in Maryland. “Through its contributions, Toyota hopes to help ensure students achieve their dreams of higher education, while also contributing to sustaining these HBCUs and their ability to address retention issues.”

Toyota has been named a DiversityInc Top 50 company for the past 10 years, and has been consistently recognized by Black Enterprise, Hispanic Business, and the Human Rights Campaign as a Best Company for Diversity and one of the Best Places to Work. Toyota has provided millions of dollars in scholarships to deserving students across the nation; its executives actively support and sponsor the company’s many diversity and inclusion initiatives, and its team members volunteer tens of thousands of hours of their time and provide their talents to national- and community-based programs across the United States.