Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

In just a few weeks we’ll be welcoming back students for the fall semester. They will be resuming their studies, reconnecting with friends and participating once again in campus activities.

However, there are students who will not be returning, some for good reasons, and others deeply regrettable.

We’re happy that our recent graduates will not be returning. They’re busy applying what they learned to become leaders in their professions and communities.

Other students have internships that take them off campus. This real-world experience will complement their classwork, providing practical context for what they’ve been learning.

Still others will be studying abroad. They will be challenged to move out of their comfort zones by adapting to circumstances and cultures that can be quite different from what they’re familiar with. As students acclimate to their new surroundings they develop a global perspective that is essential for success. According to the state Chamber of Commerce there are 1,200 international companies doing business right here in South Carolina.

Sadly, there are students not returning this fall who would very much like to be. We’re all familiar with students for whom the pressure of adapting to college life created a stress from which they needed relief, while others required time off to address a personal or family tragedy.

Perhaps the largest number not returning confronted unexpected financial problems. That is certainly not to say they were on their own. SCICU institutions are deeply committed to providing the opportunity to all students who aspire to a college education, regardless of their background. In higher education, access is often measured by the percentage of students who qualify for need-based Federal Pell grants. SCICU research indicates fully half of undergraduate students attending SCICU colleges and universities during the 2016-17 academic year were Pell-eligible.

Our campuses do an incredible job of supporting their students. The largest form of student aid is not from the federal or state governments, but from SCICU institutions themselves, who awarded an amazing $297 million to students in the form of scholarships and grants – this is aid that does not need to be paid back.

Despite our best efforts many students tread on financially thin ice. Sadly, just a few hundred dollars may be too great an obstacle to great for these students to overcome.

At SCICU we are very proud to offer our campuses support through the Discretionary Scholarship Program which targets our most economically vulnerable students. Our campuses use the SCICU Discretionary Scholarship Program to help their students address an unexpected financial emergency so they can continue to benefit from an independent college education. With this program, campuses don’t need to hold back funding for emergencies that could be used in the financial aid packages of their students.

In the coming year SCICU will remain dedicated to supporting our member institutions through the Discretionary Scholarship Program and other initiatives so they can remain focused on student success.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (courtesy claflin.edu) — The Claflin University Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack as the ninth president of the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in South Carolina, effective August 1, 2019. He succeeds Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, who is retiring after 25 years of transformational leadership at the Orangeburg, S.C., institution founded in 1869.

“Dr. Warmack was unanimously chosen to lead Claflin University from a pool of highly qualified applicants,” said James K. Lehman, Chair of the Board. “We believe he will continue Claflin’s upward trajectory, keeping the university among the nation’s leading institutions of higher education. He brings a brand of leadership that is inclusive, transparent and inspires teamwork.”

He inherits the leadership of an institution experiencing unprecedented growth and achievements in enrollment, fundraising, annual alumni giving rate and ranked as one of the top ten (#7) Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

“I am honored to lead one of the nation’s premier historically black college and universities that has a tradition of producing visionary leaders and a proven track record devoted to student success,” Warmack said. “My aspiration is to honor President Tisdale’s amazing legacy, by continuing the Claflin standard as a beacon of excellence in higher education for future generations to come. I am humbled by the opportunity afforded me to carry the torch and to continue the growth and development of Claflin University as a dynamic and powerful center of scholarship, research and education.”

Dr. Warmack will assume the mantle of leadership at Claflin after serving the last five years as President of Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri. He brings more than 20 years of progressive administrative experience in higher education at five distinct higher education institutions.

Under Dr. Warmack’s exemplary leadership, Harris-Stowe witnessed an institutional transformation, which is unparalleled in its 162-year history. He has shepherded more than $24 million in external funding to the institution, including a $5 million STEM grant, the largest in the school’s history. He cultivated more than 16 partnerships and collaborations with Fortune 500 companies, regional organizations and other higher education institutions to strengthen Harris-Stowe’s infrastructure.

Equally impressive, in the past five years under Dr. Warmack’s leadership, Harris-Stowe State University became the fastest growing public university in the state of Missouri and has been recognized as a leader in graduating African Americans and other underrepresented groups with baccalaureate degrees. In addition, Harris-Stowe has witnessed a 34% increase in headcount; applications to attend HSSU soared to more than 7,000 in 2019 compared to 667 in 2013. The Harris-Stowe student profile has grown stronger-representing 37 states and 17 countries. Additionally, as part of the institution’s strategic plan that he spearheaded, the University embarked on an ambitious goal of expanding its academic offerings. As a result, degrees, minors, and certificate programs have increased from 14 to more than 50 offered. These include expanding the liberal arts, business degrees and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines (STEM).

As a result of Dr. Warmack’s leadership in transforming the curricular and co-curricular enterprises at Harris-Stowe, the institution has been ranked regionally and nationally in various publications and online journals with U.S. News and World Report ranking Harris-Stowe as one of the best HBCUs and Midwest universities in the United States. His success at Harris-Stowe captured national acclaim cumulating with a front-page article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, features in the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press and appearances on CNN, Al Jazeera America, C-SPAN and NPR.

Prior to his appointment as President of Harris-Stowe, he served as the Senior Vice President, Administration and Student Services at Bethune-Cookman University. Prior to that appointment, he was the Associate Dean of Students at Rhodes College in Memphis, where he had oversight over Student Affairs and Administration including Judicial Affairs, Student Activities, Greek life, New Student and Parent Orientation and Multicultural Affairs. Dr. Warmack also has held positions at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., and Delta State University.

He provides a brand of leadership that is characterized by an unqualified insistence on data driven decision-making and a commitment to higher education’s current best practices. Considered to be a servant leader and visionary with a unique understanding and appreciation for today’s Millennial and Generation Y students, he is committed to the academic integration and holistic development of students.

Dr. Warmack is committed to developing programs that promote diversity, pluralism and cultural competency. Throughout his career, he has championed inclusion, academic excellence and the retention of underrepresented students. Over the years, he has presented more than 120 diversity and leadership presentations and workshops to an array of individuals and groups. He was recently selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, a highly selective and worldwide competitive fellowship.

Dr. Warmack earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Master’s degree in Sociology from Delta State University. He earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Higher Education from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He completed post-doctoral work in Educational Leadership at Harvard University School of Education. Dr. Warmack is married to LaKisha Warmack and they have one daughter, Morgan.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez —

From my years on college campuses, I know how bittersweet graduation is. We’re happy that our students are opening the next chapters of their lives, confident they are equipped to take on the world. But we’ve spent much time with these extraordinary young people and it’s tough to say goodbye.

I think that special relationship is captured in the word “inspiration.”

Interestingly, the Latin origin of the word “inspiration” means both “blow into” and “breathe in.” Those two meanings capture our experience with our students.

First, our faculty and staff are an inspiration for our students. They are role models who, every day, show our students what’s possible in terms of personal achievement. They are mentors and guides who help students navigate the challenges of college, and demonstrate the sense of duty and service we expect our students to embody.

Second, they inspire students to do their best. They exhort them, they push them, they demand of them, more than students thought themselves possible. Many first-generation college students attend our institutions precisely because they know they will be held to the standard of their abilities, regardless of circumstances. They choose the path that may be more challenging, but offers the greatest reward. And students are secure knowing their mentors will be there to guide them along the way.

Because of the mentorship and encouragement students receive, they are empowered to experience the fulfillment that comes from personal inspiration – a revelation that had eluded them. In a moment of clarity, a concept that had seemed incomprehensible, is suddenly understood, almost simple. But that moment is hard-earned – students put in hours of reading, research, discussion and hard thinking.

These inspirations do not occur solely in the classroom or the lab, but during students’ many experiences at our colleges. By exploring new interests and confronting unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations, they discover things about themselves they didn’t know. These inspirations may reinforce their thinking or take them in entirely new directions. Passions are ignited that become lifelong pursuits.

Now, at graduation, after having served as an inspiration, and driving them to new inspirations, our student will go on to become leaders in their professions, fields of study, and communities. Where once they had breathed in, they will now go on to inspire others.

 

SCICU congratulates the thousands of students at South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities whose many accomplishments culminated in earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in 2019.

Please click on your favorite college or university below to read about their 2019 commencement events:

 
 

Allen University – Graduate highlight – Robinson: “I never wanted to give up”

Anderson University – Spring commencement sees 571 new alumni

Benedict College – Benedict honorary degree celebrates friendship of two beloved pastors

Charleston Southern University – CSU celebrates largest graduating class

Claflin University – President Tisdale tells graduates “The world is calling on you” in sesquicentennial commencement message

Coker College – Coker College celebrates 111th spring commencement

Columbia College – Photo highlights available from May 4 commencement

Columbia International University – Former congresswoman Michele Bachmann fires up CIU graduates: “You are God’s handiwork“

Converse College – Converse College celebrates the Class of 2019

Erskine College – Erskine welcomes Andrew Brunson, pastor formerly imprisoned in Turkey, as commencement speaker

Furman University – Furman says goodbye to the Class of 2019

Limestone College – Limestone graduation photo gallery available on Flickr

Morris College – Morris holds 108th graduation

Newberry College – Newberry celebrates graduating class of 2019

North Greenville Unversity – Pereyo tells spring graduates to make God their priority

Presbyterian College – Class of 2019 takes the stage at 136th commencement

Southern Wesleyan University – SWU graduates Class of 2019 in two ceremonies

Spartanburg Methodist College – Photo highlights available from SMC’s 2019 graduation ceremony

Voorhees College – Voorhees Class of 2019 receives powerful message from Rev. Al Sharpton

Wofford College – Wofford holds 165th Commencement Exercises