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News & Notes 
Information for South Carolina's Independent Colleges & Universities 

Volume 2 Issue 10                                                                            November 4, 2009
In This Issue...
SCICU.ORG Makeover
Campus Legislative Coordinators to Meet
Interview Day Victim to Economy
Trustees Meet Feb. 24
Coker Inauguration
Calendar of Events
 
2009
November 19
Public Policy Meeting
10:00 a.m. at SCICU Office
 
December 2
Development Committee
10:30 a.m. at SCICU Office
 
December 4
Career Services Directors Meeting
10:30 a.m. at SCICU Office
 
2010 
January 27
Finance Committee
9:30 a.m. at SCICU Office
 
February 10
Executive Committee
10:30 a.m. at SCICU Office

February 18 
SCICU Undergraduate Student/Faculty Research Symposium
BMW Zentrum Visitors Center in Greer, SC
 
February 24
Board of Trustees
10:30 a.m. at Spartanburg Methodist College

February 26
Institutional Research Directors Meeting
12:00 p.m. at Columbia International University
 
March 11
Chief Finance Officers
10:30 a.m. at Erskine College
 
April 12 - 16
South Carolina Independent College and University Week       
 
April 13
Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner
6:00 p.m. at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center             
 
April 14
South Carolina Independent College and University Day
9:30 a.m. at the State House
  
June 14-18
SCICU Guidance Counselor Campus Tour
August 26
Finance Committee
9:30 a.m. at SCICU Office
Our Colleges:
 
 
Quick Links...
 

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SCICU.ORG Recieves a Makeover
SCICU's web site, www.scicu.org, is being completely redesigned in order to expand content, improve functionality, and respond to the growing demands of our constituencies.
 
The new site will feature a more prominent section for prospective students and parents and provide information about the value and benefit of pursuing postsecondary education at an independent college or university in South Carolina, an extensive discussion of student financial assistance, and links to additional resources. Access to the web site of each SCICU college or university will be improved significantly with the addition of individualized profiles.
 
A slide show on the site's home page will highlight the 20 SCICU members, and a more robust news feature will allow schools to post campus-specific news of general interest. On-line features such as event registration, electronic payments, and an interactive calendar also will be added.
 
The web site will go live by December 1. Members and partners sections will follow after the first of the year. The members section will include detailed information about the growing number of cost-saving collaborative purchasing agreements available to members and serve as a common site for the various professional interest groups. A directory of SCICU business partners will be developed to provide members with an on-line listing of reputable service providers who specialize in the field of higher education.
Campus Legislative Coordinators to Meet
StatehouseCampus legislative coordinators will meet in Columbia on December 9 to plan for the 2010 session of the General Assembly. The coordinators assist with SCICU's advocacy efforts by organizing student letter writing campaigns and student participation in Independent College and University Day at the State House. Last year under the guidance of the legislative coordinators, students receiving tuition grants wrote more than 1400 personal letters to legislators thanking them for their continued support of the tuition grant program. See the Calendar of Events for meeting details.
Interview Day Falls Victim to the Economy
Global EconomyAfter 16 very successful years, the SCICU Annual Interview Day will take a one year hiatus while the economy recovers. The annual event matches SCICU college seniors and employers together for face-to-face interviews.
 
Two years ago, more than 40 employers and 243 students participated in the event. As the economy began to slow, only 27 companies were represented at the February 2009 event. In spite of an intensive recruiting effort by SCICU staff and school career services directors, there was not sufficient interest from the business community to justify the expense associated with sponsoring the event. Employers generally cited a lack of employment opportunities or a surplus of qualified applicants as reasons for not registering for the 2010 event.
 
SCICU plans to sponsor a Virtual Interview Day for college seniors early next semester. Details will be announced later.
Trustees to Meet February 24
The SCICU Board of Trustees will meet at Spartanburg Methodist College on February 24, 2010 at 10:30 am. SMC is the only two year independent college in South Carolina.

The Board's Executive Committee will meet on February 10 at 10:30 am in Columbia. Each of the three standing committees will meet prior to the Executive Committee meeting. Check the Calendar of Events for details.
 
Dates are set for several of SCICU's major events as well as South Carolina Independent College and University Week. A complete listing is available on the Calendar of Events.

Coker College Announces Inauguration
New Coker PresidentDr. Robert L. Wyatt will be inaugurated as the sixteenth president of Coker College on March 26, 2010 in Hartsville. President Wyatt has been at Coker since July 1. He previously served as Dean of the Breech School of Business Administration at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.
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