Campuses have come alive across South Carolina as the twenty SCICU member institutions welcome students for the 2012-2013 academic year. While this year's figures are not final, enrollment looks to be very strong throughout the membership and will exceed 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

 

This year SCICU welcomes three new presidents: Ms. Beth Dinndorf at Columbia College, Dr. Claude Lilly at Presbyterian College, and Dr. Maurice Scherrens at Newberry College.

Allie Jo Shipman, a senior at Presbyterian College, is the 2012-2013 J. Lacy McLean Scholarship recipient and the Independent College Student of the Year. The award is presented annually by the South Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities and includes a $2,000 scholarship.

 

Ms. Shipman is a double major in Biology and Music, and a minor in Chemistry with a 3.88 GPA. She is part of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honors Society, the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, secretary of the PC Choir and in 2011 she acted as treasurer for Sigma Sigma Sigma National Sorority- Epsilon Pi chapter at Presbyterian College. Shipman, a North Augusta native, also participates by volunteering at the Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic, as Youth Group Coordinator for Thornwell Home for Children, and as part of the Big Brother/Big Sister Program.

 

She plans to attend graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a Physician's Assistant and one day going on medical missions.  

 

Natasha Rudy, a junior at Wofford College, is the Sterling L. Smith Scholarship recipient for 2012-2013. The award is presented annually by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities to a student who qualifies for a Higher Education Tuition Grant and includes a $1,000 scholarship.

 

Ms. Rudy, with a double major in Biology and Mathematics, has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the three semesters she has attended Wofford College. She serves her community as part of Wofford's Math Academy, a student-run outreach program which gives Wofford students the opportunity to mentor and strengthen the math skills of fourth and fifth graders at a local elementary school. The Greenwood, SC native also serves as Committee Leader on the Leadership Team for Wofford's orientation staff as well as being selected to serve as a Wofford Ambassador.

 

She plans to pursue a masters degree in Genetic Counseling and hopes to help families understand and cope with birth defects and the difficulties of genetic conditions.

 

The J. Lacy McLean Scholarship is named in honor of J. Lacy McLean, who joined SCICU in 1954 and served as the organization's president for 34 years. The Sterling L. Smith Scholarship is named in honor of Sterling L. Smith, who joined SCICU in 1960 as the legislative liaison for the organization's member colleges and universities. Smith was instrumental in crafting the development of the South Carolina Tuition Grant program.

 

The recipients and their families will be honored at a luncheon as part of the October 11 meeting of the SCICU Board of Trustees at Benedict College. The annual award winners are selected by the Center for Scholarship Administration from dozens of applications received from students at SCICU member institutions.

 

SCICU to Host Regional Meeting

September 17, 2012, will mark the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. This is a last-minute reminder for schools to make plans to recognize Constitution Day on your campus.

In 2005, Congress passed legislation mandating that educational institutions receiving federal funds are to hold an educational program on the U.S. Constitution on Sept 17 each year. The federal provision doesn't define "educational program." This means that colleges and universities have a great deal of latitude in exactly how they choose to recognize the day.

The Library of Congress lists a number of resources  for planning activities and recognizing the day. The National Constitution Center site is another rich resource for ideas. In addition to inviting visitors to sign a commemorative edition of the U.S. Constitution, the site lists a number of anniversary-specific activities.

The regulations don't indicate any penalties for failure to comply with the mandate, nor do they require specific activities to be reported. SCICU encourages all members to embrace this opportunity to advance civic education.

SCICU's on-line network of providers offers goods and services to the independent higher education community in South Carolina. The Business Partners program provides a convenient marketplace where SCICU member colleges and universities can preview offerings from some of the top companies in the country.

We proudly recognize and thank the following new company for their support:

We are pleased to announce that the following company has renewed their partnership: