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2009
August 27
Finance Committee Meeting
9:00 a.m. at SCICU Office
August 31
End of SCICU Fiscal Year
September 2
Business Affairs Officers Meeting
10:30 a.m. at Anderson University
September 10
Executive Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m. at SCICU Office
September 24
Board of Trustees Meeting
10:30 a.m. at Southern Wesleyan University
Central, SC
October 21
Human Resources Network Meeting at Wofford College |
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Campuses Spring Back to Life  Across the state, campuses at South Carolina's independent colleges and universities are rolling out the welcome mat for new and returning students. More than 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students will attend one of SCICU's twenty private colleges this fall.
In spite of the struggling economy, many schools are reporting near record enrollments. An increase in federal Pell Grants, continued funding for state Tuition Grants and merit scholarships, and strong institutional aid programs provide much needed assistance to many students pursuing their dream of a high-quality education.
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SCICU Publishes 2009-2010 College Guide
 The 2009-2010 College Guide has been distributed to high school guidance counselors, parents and students as a resource to help them explore the wonderful educational opportunities available at SCICU institutions. In addition to individual profiles of each SCICU member, the guide discusses the value of a liberal arts education and provides detailed information about financial aid. Copies of the revised and re-designed booklet will soon be available on-line at www.scicu.org. A limited number of printed copies are available at the SCICU office. |
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EPA Audits Enter Second Year
Last summer sixteen SCICU schools entered into an environmental compliance agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Teams of specially trained peer auditors work together to identify potential violations on each campus. The campuses take the corrective or remedial action necessary to address the findings and submit compliance reports for approval to the EPA and DHEC.
During the 2008-2009 academic year, the following schools successfully completed the compliance program: Presbyterian, Wofford, Furman, Benedict, Anderson, Charleston Southern, and Southern Wesleyan. Converse, Erskine, Voorhees, and Allen will stand for their audits this fall. The program is slated to conclude in the summer of 2010 after audits are conducted at Morris, Claflin, Coker, Columbia, and Limestone.
This collaborative approach to a very real and acute challenge has resulted in significant cost savings to the individual institutions, created an internal pool of talented and knowledgeable peer auditors, fostered inter-school cooperation, and improved the health and safety of our campuses for students, faculty, and staff.
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Three SCICU Institutions Involved in Tissue Research
 A $20 million federal grant will launch a collaborative program across South Carolina to fabricate working human tissue for transplants. The grant, the largest competitive National Science Foundation grant ever received in the state, should facilitate the hiring of 22 new faculty members statewide, the construction of a state tissue biofabrication center, and community outreach to share the skills being perfected.
Claflin University, Voorhees College, and Furman University are part of a 10 school alliance that includes the state's 3 research universities and other educational institutions. The computer network that connects the three research universities will be expanded to connect with the other colleges in the program, allowing collaboration across institutions and the sharing of the knowledge being developed with their students.
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SCICU Partners with ScholarBuys
 In a continuing effort to identify programs that can help SCICU members save money, SCICU has partnered with ScholarBuys, a value added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals. ScholarBuys works exclusively with academic consortia to negotiate special agreements with manufacturers leveraging each consortium's economies of scale to get the lowest price possible. Agreements for Microsoft Select and Student Select programs are in place, and work is continuing on a Microsoft Consolidated Campus Agreement. More information can be found at http://www.scholarbuys.com/scicu.
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Administrators Gather for Retirement Plan Workshop
More than 30 human resource, payroll, and finance specialists from 16 SCICU institutions attended a one-day workshop last month sponsored by TIAA/CREF and coordinated by SCICU. Topics covered included asset management, compliance monitoring, improving plan participation, and Form 550 reporting. The workshop was of such value that plans are being made to make this an annual event. Columbia International University was the host facility.
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Still Time to Get Your Name on the List
 SCICU's fiscal year ends on August 31, so there is still time to make a donation in support of independent higher education in South Carolina and have your name added to the list of donors in the 2009 annual report. Please consider sending a donation to Executive Vice President Eddie Shannon c/o the SCICU office.
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Next Trustees Meeting: September 24
Make plans to attend the next meeting of the SCICU Board of Trustees. It will be held on September 24 on the campus of Southern Wesleyan University in Central. SC. Additional information will follow.
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News & Notes is published by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. Please send all comments or questions to SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever at mike@scicu.org or 803-799-7122. Mailing address: P.O. Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211 |
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