Henry Barton & Walter Shealy

Seven Trustees with 40 years of combined service completed their terms of office at the end of the fiscal year on August 31, 2011. The Trustees were recognized by their peers for their commitment and contributions to SCICU and independent higher education. The Trustees honored at the Board's annual meeting include:

Henry Barton (2005-2011) Columbia

Mike Brenan (2004-2011) Columbia

Tommy Johnson (2005-2011) Greer

Tom O'Hanlan (2005-2011) Liberty

Walter Shealy (2005-2011) Newberry

Stewart Spinks (2005-2011) Greenville

Vicki Arthur (2008-2011) Hartsville

Minor Mickel Shaw

Because of their distinguished service to SCICU, independent higher education, and the State of South Carolina, Minor Mickel Shaw and Hugh C. Lane, Jr. were recognized as Life Trustees by the SCICU Board of Trustees.

Minor Mickel Shaw has spent a lifetime in service to many of South Carolina's prominent education and non-profit organizations. She is a Greenville resident, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and currently serves as president of Micco, LLC, a private investment firm.

Minor has served independent higher education as the chair of the Wofford College Board of Trustees, chair of the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, and as a member of the advisory boards of both The Riley Institute of Furman University and the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy. Furman University and Wofford College have awarded her Honorary Doctor of Humanities degrees.

Minor served 14 years on the SCICU Board of Trustees, including Board chair from 1995 through 1997. The Daniel/Mickel Foundation, now chaired by Minor Mickel Shaw, has supported SCICU for 45 years. The foundation's contributions have been particularly important to SCICU's Student/Faculty Research Program.

Hugh C. Lane, Jr.

Hugh C. Lane, Jr., a fourth generation banker, is a native of Charleston and president of The Bank of South Carolina. He earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Among his many activities and honors, Hugh's commitment to independent higher education stands out.

He is a past chairman of the Wofford College Board of Trustees and past chairman of the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, one of SCICU's research partners. In 1997, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Wofford College National Alumni Council. Hugh has been awarded Honorary Doctor of Humanities degrees from Charleston Southern University and The Citadel.

A member of the SCICU Board of Trustees for 23 years, Lane served as Board chair from 1989 through1993. Hugh and the Mills B. Lane Memorial Foundation have been consistent contributors to SCICU scholarship programs for more than 30 years.

Since coming to the college in 2001, Dr. Whitson has been an energetic advocate for women's education and for improving the status of women in South Carolina.

In announcing her retirement on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chairman Lex Knox said, "Columbia College has been very fortunate and blessed to have someone of Dr. Whitson's character and talent to lead us for the past decade. She has been an outstanding leader through challenging times, and has steered the college through needed changes. While disappointed at the news, we respect her decision and certainly wish her well."

Dr. Whitson said, "I am well aware that the successes the college has enjoyed during my time here are a direct result of the work of a talented, committed faculty and staff and the support of an engaged Board of Trustees. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with and learn from them."

As president, Dr. Whitson championed the establishment of the college's 4Cs. The unique leadership model combines academic and co-curricular programming to support students in the development of the Courage, Commitment, Confidence, and Competence to lead for change. She guided the expansion of the college's Leadership Institute, which serves both girls and professional women. Dr. Whitson founded the Alliance for Women, a partnership between Columbia College and the Governor's Commission on Women, when the commission was targeted for closure in 2004. The Alliance has supported entrepreneurship for women, including bringing both the Women President's Organization and Make Mine a Million to South Carolina.

While ScholarBuys already provides SCICU institutions with tremendous discounts on software, hardware, and computer accessories, this Microsoft EES Agreement allows for even greater benefits that could otherwise not be obtained. Mike LeFever, President and CEO of SCICU, said, "SCICU's partnership with ScholarBuys has allowed our small liberal arts colleges to receive premium pricing and technical support through the Microsoft EES agreement that they could never qualify for individually. ScholarBuys has worked diligently on behalf of our members providing excellent service and contract administration."

These 13 institutions for higher education will benefit from Level B Pricing, something typically reserved for schools with 3,000 or more full-time equivalent employees.  They also benefit from the ability to offer Office 365 to students at no cost, and a Microsoft-managed account including a local Account Manager, Consortia Account Manager, Technical Specialist, and complete Virtual Team.

ScholarBuys also provides discounted software through their brand VarsityBuys.com.  Personalized V-Stores on this site allow students, faculty, and staff at any SCICU institution to purchase software for personal use at a highly discounted rate.

ScholarBuys has partnered with other notable academic consortia in the nation, including Georgia Independent College Association, Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, and the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to bring similar cost-effective software benefits to the academic market.