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SCICU elects Sonoco VP as board chair and taps six new trustees

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SCICU elects Sonoco VP as new board chair and taps six new trustees.

(L-R) Jerry Cheatham, new SCICU Board chair, presents Russell Cook, outgoing chair, with framed artwork of Wofford College’s iconic Main Building. Cook is a 1983 graduate of Wofford College.


COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) is proud to announce the election of Jerry Cheatham, a long-time advocate for education in South Carolina, as its new chair of the board of trustees.

Cheatham succeeds Russell Cook as board chair. Cook, managing director of Comporium Ventures, led SCICU during the leadership transition from retiring President and CEO Mike LeFever to Dr. Jeff Perez as SCICU’s new president and CEO in 2018. Cheatham served as chair of the executive search committee.

Cheatham, SCICU’s new board chair, is staff vice president of finance (Industrial North America) for Sonoco (Hartsville, S.C.). He also is a member of the board of trustees for Coker University, one of the 20 member colleges and universities in SCICU. In addition to his higher education advocacy, Cheatham is substantially invested in K-12 education in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, serving as the president of the Darlington County Education Foundation.

SCICU trustees also elected the following S.C. business and education leaders to the board:

  • Scott Hagler, Midlands market president – Security Federal Bank (Columbia, S.C.)
  • Annie Ham, vice president of marketing – McCall Farms (Florence, S.C.)
  • Spencer Jordan, Ed.D., executive director – S.C. Independent Schools Association (SCISA, Orangeburg, S.C.)
  • Robert McKie, cybersecurity technology consultant – Dominion Energy (Columbia, S.C.)
  • Brent Weaver, vice president for government banking – Wells Fargo (Columbia, S.C.)
  • Sharon Williams, associate director – Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough Center for Professionalism at the USC School of Law (Columbia, S.C.)

The following outgoing trustees are recognized by SCICU for their invaluable advocacy on behalf of S.C.’s leading independent colleges and universities:

  • Henry Barton, vice president of government affairs (retired) – Duke Energy (Greenwood, S.C.)
  • Tushar Chikhliker, attorney / member – Nexsen Pruett (Columbia, S. C.)
  • Jim Reynolds, CEO – Total Comfort Solutions (Columbia, S.C.)
  • Daniel Sanders – president (retired ) – ExxonMobil Chemical Company (Greenville, S.C.)
  • Ed Zeigler – president and CEO – Craig Gaulden Davis (Greenville, S.C.)

As chair of the SCICU Council of Presidents, Krista Newkirk, president of Converse College, will serve as vice chair of SCICU’s board of trustees.

SCICU celebrates two 50-year donors

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Long-term relationships with donors have helped SCICU provide scholarships and financial aid to students at member colleges and universities since its inception in 1953. In 2019, SCICU is honored to recognize 50-year donor relationships with the Alwinell Foundation and the Vulcan Materials Company. Both long-term donors were recognized at SCICU’s board of trustees awards luncheon on October 8th at Coker University.

Alwinell Foundation

SCICU recognizes Alwinell Foundation as a 50-year donor, contributing more than $283,000 to SCICU.

(L-R) Russell Cook, SCICU Board Chair, Alison Heath, Alwinell Foundation, Dr. Jeff Perez, SCICU President and CEO.


The Alwinell Foundation, based in Charlotte, N.C., has supported higher education and the advancement of science, religion, and financial assistance for deserving persons since its inception in 1951. They have contributed more than $283,000 towards SCICU’s financial aid initiatives, including the Discretionary Scholarship Program, which provides financial support to students at SCICU institutions to help them persist through unexpected financial hardships and complete their degrees.

The foundation was started and endowed by Henry Allison and John Erwin, founders of the Alison Erwin Company, a furniture and electronics distribution wholesale enterprise. The company grew from local and regional distribution and expanded its reach internationally before closing its doors in 2010 after 116 years of operation.

Vulcan Materials Company

SCICU recognizes 50-year donor Vulcan Materials Company for contributing more than $213,000 to SCICU financial aid initiatives.

(L-R) Russell Cook, SCICU Board Chair, Jimmy Fleming, Vulcan Materials Company, Jeff Perez, SCICU President and CEO.


Vulcan Materials Company, the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates (primarily crushed stone, sand, and gravel), has contributed more than $213,000 to SCICU and its member colleges and universities. Funds received from Vulcan support SCICU’s Discretionary Scholarship Program, which helps SCICU students persist through financial difficulties and stay in school to complete their degree programs.

Newberry College senior named SCICU Student of the Year

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Newberry senior Andrea Getz is SCICU's 2019 Student of the Year.

(L-R) Russell Cook, SCICU board chair, Dr. Maurice Scherrens, Newberry College president, Andrea Getz, 2019 SCICU Student of the Year, Dr. Jeff Perez, SCICU president and CEO.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Andrea Getz, an outstanding Newberry College student and accomplished community volunteer, is SCICU’s 2019 Student of the Year. She was recognized at SCICU’s board of trustees awards luncheon on October 8th at Coker University (Hartsville, S.C.).

“The SCICU Student of the Year scholarship means so much to me,” Getz said. “The $3,000 award will help me pay for my senior year at Newberry.”

Getz, a senior majoring in biology, is ranked among the top ten percent of science majors at Newberry. The student athlete plays on the Newberry College women’s basketball team and is a leader of the Newberry Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Her athletic leadership includes serving as assistant coach of the Newberry Academy high school basketball team – all while mentoring girls in science and math and holding weekly devotionals.

“SCICU is proud to honor Andrea with the Student of the Year scholarship,” said Dr. Jeff Perez, SCICU President and CEO. “She sets an excellent example for her classmates and for the Newberry community.”

Outside the classroom, Getz has excelled in her internships and opportunities for interactions with practitioners made possible by her participation in the Future Medical Professionals of America. This invaluable experience will greatly help her in her pursuit of postgraduate study in physical therapy and becoming a pediatric physical therapist.

The SCICU Student of the Year recipient is chosen from rising junior or senior applicants attending SCICU member colleges and universities. All applicants must also be S.C. Tuition Grant recipients. Applications are accepted by the Center for Scholarship Administration in Greenville, and an independent three-person panel annually selects the student who will receive the SCICU Student of the Year scholarship. The scholarship program honors J. Lacy McLean and Sterling L. Smith. McLean advocated for independent higher education in S.C. for over 34 years. Smith was instrumental in the development of the S.C. Tuition Grants program.

SCICU honored with $50,000 Power:Ed grant for student retention scholarships

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) is pleased to announce the receipt of a $50,000 grant from S.C. Student Loan Corporation’s new Power:Ed program. SCICU is honored to be the inaugural award recipient in this program designed to support higher education in South Carolina.

The 20 SCICU member institutions will use the new Power:Ed funding to support rising juniors and seniors at risk of dropping out due to financial difficulties.

“Having worked on college campuses, I know there are successful students who have completed a couple of years who financial aid officers worry may not come back because they have no financial cushion,” said Dr. Jeff Perez, SCICU president and CEO. “The Power:ED grant will provide the support that will help keep these students on track to graduate.”

Power:Ed, formed in June 2019, has three areas of focus:

  • Supporting low income, minority, and first-generation students
  • Improving access to college and degree completion
  • Creating pathways to quality workforce opportunities

“At South Carolina Student Loan, we’ve seen how providing financial aid to students can be the deciding factor in educational success. We believe education is the single greatest investment we can make in our students and our state’s future,” said South Carolina Student Loan CEO Trey Simon. “Power:Ed, working with S.C. Student Loan, wants to help students stay in and complete school.”

SCICU and S.C. Student Loan Corporation (SCSL) have a long partnership in supporting independent higher education in South Carolina. In 2006, SCSL donated $1 million to SCICU. Annual earnings from these funds are used to distribute $2,500 scholarships at each of SCICU’s 20 member colleges and universities.

“These students are bright and hard-working, but they can find themselves – through no fault of their own – on thin financial ice,” said Perez. “The Power:Ed grant greatly increases our ability to help keep these students in school.”

For more information on SCICU, please visit scicu.org.
For more information on Power:Ed education grant opportunities, please visit power-ed.org.

SCICU supports and promotes the values of independent higher education in South Carolina. SCICU seeks to advance higher education through fundraising, scholarships, and research, as well as by facilitating collaborative activities among the member institutions. SCICU also enhances a positive public image and encourages government policies that support independent higher education.

Follow your favorite teams on SCICU school sports websites

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From football and softball to esports and rodeo, SCICU member colleges and universities offer great opportunities for student athletes.

Click on the links below to learn more about sports teams at your favorite SCICU colleges and universities.

Allen University Yellow Jackets

Anderson University Trojans

Benedict College Tigers

Charleston Southern University Buccaneers

Claflin University Panthers

Coker University Cobras

Columbia College Koalas

Columbia International University Rams

Converse College Valkyries

Erskine College Fleet

Furman University Paladins

Limestone College Saints

Morris College Hornets

Newberry College Wolves

North Greenville University Crusaders

Presbyterian College Blue Hose

Southern Wesleyan University

Spartanburg Methodist University Pioneers

Voorhees College Tigers

Wofford College Terriers

20 for 20

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SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez

Jeff Perez, Ph.D.
SCICU President and CEO



Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –


I am very proud to report that in my first year as president & CEO of SCICU I have visited the campuses of all 20 SCICU member institutions. I had the opportunity to get a campus tour and sit down with our presidents to hear their experiences and perspectives on the future.

Let me share my top three takeaways from these visits.

Each campus is unique.

Our campuses offer prospective students a rich array of options. They each offer their own palette of academic programming and activities from which their students paint their individual collegiate experience. Students can find the setting in which they’re most comfortable, and thus most likely to succeed.

Of course, one experience we do not offer is the “big campus.” Our institutions are smaller, and that is their great strength. Our students aren’t lost in the crowd. SCICU colleges and universities have the advantage of offering a sense of community from which students draw strength.

All SCICU colleges and universities are deeply committed to their students.

I particularly enjoyed getting campus tours from students. They were all very open about why they chose to come to their particular college or university and conveyed in deeply personal terms how the school was having an impact on them. Each one of them felt special and were deeply appreciative they had the chance to attend their institution of choice. I was amazed how many other students they knew and said hello to as we walked across campus. The presidents, provosts, faculty and staff I met all stressed that the educational, personal, and spiritual development of each and every student is their paramount concern.

This focus on education is certainly not to say that research isn’t important. Faculty members conduct research in their fields that illuminates their teaching. And I was impressed by how often the presidents related to me the extent to which undergraduate students are given the chance to participate in research, often doing work students at other institutions don’t have access to until graduate school. SCICU is proud to support these efforts through our Undergraduate Student/Faculty Research Program, which culminates each year with our annual Research Symposium.

Our campuses are moving forward.

All the presidents stressed to me that they’re not standing still. Not once did I hear, “We’re satisfied and not doing anything different.” Presidents recognize the challenges they face in a rapidly changing higher education environment, and they’re leading change in a manner that reflects the particular values, cultures, and traditions of their respective institutions. They are pursuing new programs to meet student needs, and that includes adult students who are seeking to start or complete a degree or graduate studies. For them, as well as our full-time undergraduates, online courses help them achieve their academic goals. You might think online students are far afield, and, indeed, some never see campus. But many online students are regional to the campus – they prefer a hybrid approach which includes classroom instruction – they want to be able to sit down with a professor should they need to.

Our campuses are also offering new facilities that complement their educational goals. I visited impressive science and arts complexes, as well as new student centers and residences. They all have the goal of supporting students so that they will maximize their college experience.

My campus tours left me humbled by the dedication to the 33,000 students attending SCICU institutions. Everyone associated with them sets a standard I can only hope to meet as we at SCICU work to support their missions.

Welcoming the new year at SCICU campuses

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SCICU’s 20 campuses commemorated the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year in 20 different ways. Read the posts listed below to learn more about the celebrations at your favorite college or university.

Allen University
Buzzing for student success

Anderson University
A look back at Welcome Week 2019

Benedict College
Freshman Experience seminar highlights

Charleston Southern University
Move-in weekend photos

Claflin University
Claflin’s new president welcomes Class of 2023

Coker University
Coker welcomes students to campus for fall semester

Columbia College
Highlight photos from the first day of classes

Columbia International University
CIU celebrates increased enrollment

Converse College
Converse welcomes the Class of 2023

Erskine College
Erskine’s largest entering class swells crowd at formal opening

Furman University
Convocation 2019 – Welcome to the Class of 2023

Limestone College
Limestone hosts annual Presidential Convocation and Campus Cookout

Morris College
Morris hosts Annual Fall Convocation

Newberry College
President Scherrens’ Opening Convocation message – Fall 2019

North Greenville University
NGU welcomes the Class of 2023

Presbyterian College
PC begins 2019-2020 academic year

Southern Wesleyan University
Highlights and photos from Opening Convocation

Spartanburg Methodist College
SMC welcomes largest freshman class in college history for third consecutive year

Voorhees College
President Evans’ welcome message

Wofford College
Photos from Opening Convocation