COLUMBIA, S.C. (courtesy allenuniversity.edu) — Allen University’s Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital capital campaign recently received a boost from Colonial Life with a $100,000 pledge. The gift is payable over a three-year period (2022-2024) and the funds will be used to:

• Support a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) summer camp for high school students ($7,500 annually)
• Support programming within the Boeing Institute on Civility – a national hub for advancing civil discourse in America ($12,500 annually)
• Name a classroom within the Boeing Institute on Civility ($40,000)

“Colonial Life’s support of Allen University through The Boeing Institute on Civility and the summer STEM camp for students is an investment in our future,” said Tim Arnold, president of Colonial Life. “This partnership aligns with our commitments to inclusion and diversity and providing students with equitable access to quality education.”

For Allen University, corporate partners have been instrumental in the tremendous growth and success the university has experienced in recent years. The technology infrastructure has grown exponentially with the deployment of a virtual server (cloud), universal tools for students, and 5G capacity across the campus. Grants and pledges from companies like Colonial Life are important to this continued growth.

“Colonial Life has been an extraordinary corporate citizen in South Carolina via its leadership and community-based programming, as well as its support of higher education,” said Dr. Ernest McNealey, president of Allen University. “We are pleased to have the company as a contributor to the Waverly Hospital Restoration and Expansion Project, and a partner in other ventures that serve the greater good.”

ANDERSON, S.C. (courtesy andersonuniversity.edu) — Devin Allen, a student in the Anderson University College of Health Professions, was awarded a scholarship through the Fullerton Foundation that will help her fulfill the dream of becoming an Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) and someday providing care to patients in an underserved rural area.

The Fullerton Medical Scholarship Program seeks to improve the availability of primary care providers in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina by providing significant tuition assistance to medical students and student nurse practitioners who intend to practice some form of primary care.

The Fullerton Scholarship’s objective is “to support the growth and development of family nurse practitioners who demonstrate the potential for development into a highly capable clinical professional, concern with the total welfare of society of which he/she is an active participant, and intention to practice primary care in Upstate South Carolina or Western North Carolina upon completion of school and training.”

Allen has been a registered nurse for more than seven years. She has worked as a nurse at various hospitals in the Carolinas and was also a traveling nurse in California. Currently working for Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, she learned about Anderson University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program from a friend who graduated from the program. When Allen graduates in December 2022, she says she’ll be one of the first in her immediate family to earn an advanced degree.

Allen appreciates that Anderson University is a Christ-Centered university and also how the faculty and staff helped her transition back into the classroom several years after she earned her bachelor’s degree.

“Everyone has been so incredibly nice and very helpful. Many of my professors say ‘we’re just a phone call away’ and often reassure the students by letting us know ‘we are here and we’re praying for each of you.’ I couldn’t be more grateful for their encouraging words and genuine support,” Allen said. “I’ve not had one unpleasant interaction from anyone at Anderson, which speaks to the integrity of those who call this university home.”

Rural health is a passion close to Allen’s heart. Having grandparents and other family members living in rural Stokes, Scotland, and Rockingham counties in North Carolina, she’s seen firsthand where the needs lie.

“I have a personal connection to rural communities because both of my grandmothers lived in small towns in North Carolina. While visiting, I was able to see firsthand the vast differences in the quality of healthcare within smaller rural areas,” Allen said. “There is a clear need for increased access to specialists and improved healthcare quality overall.”

An experience with one of her grandmothers first sparked in Allen an interest to pursue nursing as a career. When her grandmother was hospitalized and fell into a coma, Allen remembered how the nurses encouraged her and family members to stay by her grandmother’s side, talk with her and play the gospel music she loved to hear, while in the hospital.

“The hope and the light in this very difficult situation were the nurses,” Allen said. “I remember the doctors being very surprised that my mother and I were still coming back to the hospital and that my grandma was continuing to fight. The happy ending for my family was that my grandmother fully awoke from her coma and was able to leave the hospital. She told us, ‘I felt you all there with me, I heard the music.’”

Allen plans to practice within primary care in a rural area in North Carolina or South Carolina and has an interest in advocating for holistic healthcare, seeking natural alternatives for patients who are on multiple medications and not experiencing symptom relief or improved quality of life.

When asked what gives her the biggest sense of accomplishment in her job, Allen said, “Honestly, when my patients say that I have helped to brighten their day during a difficult time and when patients thank me for taking care of them, affirm that I’ve been a great nurse, and ask if I’ll be back again the next day.”

Allen herself feels peace now as she turns to God in prayer over challenges she faces in her daily routines caring for patients.

As for moving from her more urban surroundings to serve patients in a rural area, Allen says, “I’m familiar with smaller towns because of my family, but I am not naïve to the unique challenges I may encounter daily within these communities. If I can assist in improving the quality of life for just one person, this will be all I need to stay the course.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. (courtesy benedict.edu) — Benedict College President and CEO Roslyn Clark Artis has been elected to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Dr. Artis’ three-year term will begin in June 2022. The SACSCOC is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the southern states.

“I am extremely honored to serve as a trustee for an organization that is committed to the quality of higher education,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, Benedict College president and CEO. “I am proud of the noble mission of the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges which assures the educational effectiveness of its member institutions.”

“Dr. Artis was nominated by her colleagues in South Carolina and the SACSCOC Nominating Committee forwarded her nomination to the membership for their approval,” said SACSCOC President Belle Wheelan. “Her exceptional work in higher education speaks for itself. She will bring her vast experience to all of the members of SACSCOC to help them maintain high-quality standards.”

GREENVILLE, S.C. (courtesy bju.edu) — From the Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium stage, Jason Max Ferdinand will assess audience response to selections during the Jan. 27 Jason Max Ferdinand Singers “Experience!” program as part of BJU’s Concert, Opera & Drama Series.

The conductor of the all-star ensemble appreciates applause, of course, but will also be pleased if he spots a teary eye or a head hung in prayer.

Be on guard, BJU Community, because “Experience!” is the key word in the group’s repertoire of stirring gospel standards, traditional Western classical songs and a few surprises that could be described as a musical evangelistic meeting. Tickets are available for the 7:30 p.m. performance.

“We believe in the transformational power of music. One of the big questions I’ve asked myself and my colleagues during this pandemic is are we going to serve the same musical menu we did before the pandemic,” said the group’s namesake and artistic director. “We really need to speak to the mind, yes, but we need to speak to people’s heart as well and try to as performances not dodge from the social maladies.

“We have to address them in our own way, and many of these songs – if not all of these songs – speak to something,” Ferdinand said. “We’re just so glad to present a program that can hopefully cross many of these bridges that need to be crossed.”

“These talented singers breathe life into the works of outstanding composers and audiences have been so receptive. One of the concerts we made a joke saying ‘you guys just need to stand for the whole concert’ because they kept standing with applause after every song.”

A year into this journey that debuted with a performance for “Live From London – Spring!” – an online response to keep the arts alive during the COVID-19 pandemic – Ferdinand has seen his project idea of nearly 20 years “birthed” and steadily reaching maturity.

“It’s always quietly been in the back of my mind, and maybe three years ago I started developing the concept again and started reaching out to a wide range of singers. But when COVID hit, I put it back on the shelf,” he said. “The push and the nudge came in January 2021, and it just seemed like fertile soil to start something.

“We had five and a half weeks to put it together for ‘Live’. We didn’t get to really rehearse until we got together the day of the first recording session. The group has clearly gotten better musically since the debut by virtue of singing more together.”

Jason Max Ferdinand, Ph.D., is chair of the music department and director of choral activities at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. A sizable contact list and trained ear were instrumental in assembling the range of talent on stage from across the country.

“Some of them I met while I was an undergrad at Oakwood University, and some of them I met while I was a graduate student at Morgan State University. Others I taught here at Oakwood and a fraction I had never met before,” said Ferdinand, who received his doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Maryland. “I had seen them on social media or had recommendations from friends and reached out and shared the idea with them.”

Vocal and instrument solos are intermixed in the ensemble’s presentations. Cedric Dent, a 10-time Grammy Award winner with the vocal group TAKE 6 and Gospel Music Hall of Fame member, is the arranger-in-residence and an ensemble member. His arrangement of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and “Precious Lord” – which he’ll perform – are among the songs listed in the program for the BJU concert.

“I’m so surprised that Cedric is in the group,” Ferdinand said of his colleague, who is a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University. “I was talking to Cedric about his arrangement of ‘He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands’ and he said, ‘This sounds exciting. I want to sing. I haven’t sung in choirs since high school.’ I said, ‘What? You want to join us?’

“He’s so much fun to be around. He’s taking it all in like the rest of us and believes in what we’re doing.”

Most of the musical numbers in the program will be familiar. Clapping along is encouraged.

“Part of the repertoire (is what) we rolled out initially, and we have a few new things that we’ll roll out for the Bob Jones concert, so that will be a surprise,” Ferdinand said. “From a larger picture, a lot of the songs speak to us about what’s been happening in the world the last two years and we just want to be true to that message. Songs like ‘Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen’ – everyone can attest to that in some form or fashion these last few months.

“It’s just been one thing after the next, but we continue to be hopeful and remain positive. Hopefully, these songs will reach someone in the audience and speak to their situation.”

CHARLESTON, S.C. (courtesy charlestonsouthern.edu) — CSU’s new Bachelor of Arts in applied computing pairs a related discipline such as business, cybersecurity, or graphic arts with traditional computer science skills such as software development and computational problem-solving. Students gain a strong foundation in computer science and how to apply it in a particular field.

Dr. Sean Hayes, associate professor and chair of computer science, said, “Computer technology is essential in almost every discipline. The applied computing major is for students who want to apply their love of technology to their other areas of interest.”

The applied computing major is highly flexible, allowing students to not only develop programming and problem-solving experiences for a general discipline but also to tailor their coursework to meet their unique career goals, skill sets, and passions.

Graduates of this program can enter the workforce as software developers for desktop, mobile or web apps, IT Analysis, or network specialists. The major also prepares students for computer-related professions in almost any field including business, the visual and musical arts, religious service, public service, or health care.

“Students who enroll in this major can complete school with course schedules that meet their already busy lives,” said Hayes. The cybersecurity and business concentrations may be taken completely online or in-person. The graphic arts concentration may only be completed in-person at this time, but students are able to take most courses online.

Hayes said, “Almost all businesses operate online with unique hardware and software requirements. Companies are struggling to respond to the ever-changing threat landscape. With a concentration in cybersecurity, graduates will have a very attractive skillset that stands out above other computer professionals.”

This major sets students up for success to meet the demands of the future job market and opportunities for additional education. Some students in the major choose to pursue a Master of Business Administration after completing applied computing.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (courtesy claflin.edu) — As we prepare for the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester, we have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 virus and the Omicron variant. We strongly recommend that if you are eligible for the booster shot, that you take advantage of this additional opportunity to protect yourself against this ever-evolving virus.

In careful coordination with our emergency management team and health professionals, we have decided to adjust the Spring 2022 semester calendar. The university will delay the start of the semester. Please see below the following adjusted dates/events:

• Spring Move-in Day – January 16, 2022
• All Classes Begin – January 18, 2022
• Last Day to Add/Drop Classes – January 28, 2022
• The COVID-19 protocols announced in the fall will remain: face coverings; social distancing; mandatory vaccine for in-person classes and for residential students.
  Students who have been pre-approved to move back on campus will receive additional information from the Department of Housing and Residential Life. This communication will include move-in protocols.

Additional information on other changes to the spring calendar is forthcoming.

Thank you for your continuous commitment to our illustrious and historic university. I look forward to students attending classes and to see smiling faces across campus. Elevation and Transformation is our goal!

HARTSVILLE, S.C. (courtesy coker.edu and WBTW.com) — With the U.S. Department of Education recently extending the pause of repaying student loans until the spring of 2022, a recent WBTW-TV feature on the federal policy included an official from Coker University advising students on what the deferral means for recent Cobra graduates.

The Biden administration’s extension of a pause on student-loan payments until May 1 should not be viewed as a “get-out-of-loan-free card,” according to one Pee Dee college administrator.

The administration announced the three-month extension on Wednesday, but Patrick Riccards, vice president of college experience at Coker University in Hartsville, said students should not bank on their debt being eliminated entirely.

“This is a wonderful gift, particularly to those that have been struggling for the last few years, but this should not be seen as a get-out-of-loan-free card,” said Riccards, who oversees the university’s financial aid office.

Please click here to read the entire WBTW piece.