News & Notes

A front page slide show featuring each of our 20 members and individual school profiles that link directly to the independent college or university selected (see Colleges section)
A prominent section on the Home page for Prospective Students and their parents that promotes the value of a liberal arts education at one of South Carolina's independent colleges and universities and provides extensive financial assistance information and a quick link to the current SCICU College Guide and other helpful web sites
A Newsroom that features news releases from SCICU and includes a new section that allows member colleges to post news releases of general interest
A calendar of events and meetings to include on-line registration and payment for events such as the Guidance Counselor Campus Tour
An expanded Advocacy section now allows visitors to track Bills of Interest in addition to locating members of the General Assembly
Additional facts and figures added to the About SCICU section
A prominent Make A Gift button on the Home page that allows friends and supporters of independent higher education to donate to SCICU on-line using a credit card
A Friends and Partners section (coming early next year) that will feature a marketplace for companies and individuals who provide goods and services to SCICU and its members

Unlike the old site, SCICU staff can alter about 90% of the content directly, so we will be able to keep the site fresh and updated. Please feel free to offer your suggestions on what we can do to make the new site more responsive and attractive to our many visitors.

Legislative Coordinators Gear Up

Campus legislative coordinators will meet in Columbia on December 9 to begin work on the 2010 student letter writing campaign and to make plans for additional legislative advocacy at the local level. Each year students who receive Tuition Grants are encouraged to write their House and Senate members to thank them for their support and to urge them to continue their commitment to independent higher education.

Personal letters from students are a very effective advocacy tool. With the help of the campus coordinators, more than 1400 letters were sent to legislators last year. The letter writing campaign concludes with a State House rally in April.

For more information, contact Eddie Shannon at 803.799.7122 or eddie@scicu.org.

AT&T is Recognized for 50 Years of Support

SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever recently presented AT&T with a 50-year Donor Recognition Award. Pamela P. Lackey (right), AT&T President-South Carolina, and Henri E. Baskins (left), AT&T Regional Director, accepted the award. Ms. Baskins is chair-elect of the SCICU Board of Trustees. This past year AT&T and The C.F. Sauer Company of Richmond, VA, joined a growing list of donors who have supported independent higher education in South Carolina for over 50 years.

EPA Peer Audits: Next Steps Forward

In 2008, sixteen SCICU colleges and universities signed agreements with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control to participate in a voluntary program to identify and remedy environmental hazards on their campuses. Seven schools have successfully completed audits and submitted final compliance reports, four schools have completed the audit phase and are working on full compliance, and five schools will undergo audits early next year.

The master agreement with the EPA requires that each participating college be re-audited or have an approved Environmental Management System in place 24 months after the initial audit. Because of the success of the original agreement, the EPA Peer Audit coordinators will meet in Columbia on February 5, 2010, to discuss how the schools can continue to work together to satisfy the on-going commitments to both the EPA and DHEC.

For more information contact Mike LeFever at 803.799.7122 or mike@scicu.org.

Zais to Depart Newberry

Dr. Mick Zais will leave his position as president of Newberry College in June after 10 years of service. A retired Army brigadier general, President Zais has led Newberry through a remarkable decade of growth and has been an outspoken advocate for independent higher education. Last month Dr. Zais announced that he is seeking the Republican nomination for state superintendent of education in 2010.

Earlier this year Dr. Randy Ruble of Erskine College announced that he is retiring as president on June 30, 2010.

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