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Calendar of Events
2013-2014
April 5
Chief Academic Officers Meeting at Southern Wesleyan
11am -1:30pm
April 8
Retirement Plans Consortium
Hammond School, Columbia
10:30am - 2:30pm
April 16
Excellence in Teaching Dinner
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center 6pm-9pm
April 17
SCICU State House Day
Meet at Trinity/State House 8:30am - 1pm
June 11
Public Policy Committee Meeting, SCICU
10am - 11am
June 13
Library Director's Meeting
SCICU, 1pm - 4pm
June 17-20
SCICU College Campus Tour
(View Event Details)
October 1
Fall Board of Trustees Meeting
Anderson University
10:30am - 2pm
To view more info about these meetings and events, click here.
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Business Partners:
ABM Building Services, LLC
Adirondack Solutions
Affinity LTC, LLC
Aon
Aramark
AT&T
Benefit Controls of the Carolinas
Blackbaud
CapinCrouse LLP
Carroll Campus Development
Catastrophe Services, Inc.
CMD Outsourcing Solutions
Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc.
CSI Leasing, Inc.
Daniels Group - Greenville SC Office
Elliott Davis, LLC
Expense Reduction Analysts
First American Education Finance (FAEF)
Frank A. Casagrande Consulting, LLC
Genworth Financial
Gillis Specialty Advertising
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd
HRP Associates
Learning House
Live2Create Interactive, Inc.
MXN Corporation
Myers McRae
Palmetto Electronics, Inc.
Pollock Company
Pope Zeigler, LLC
Provista
Sallie Mae
ScholarBuys
Sodexo
TD Bank, N.A.
The Payments Company
Total Comfort Solutions
UnitedHealthcare Student Solu.
Vulcan Materials
Wyche Law Firm
Click here to view a full listing of SCICU Business partners... |
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Private College Purchasing Coalition:
The Coalition for College Cost Savings is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping SCICU members reduce and contain costs through collaboration. |
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South Carolina Celebrates, Recognizes Independent Colleges and Universities
 The week of April 15-19 has been declared Independent College and University Week throughout the state of South Carolina, and April 17 has been designated as Independent College and University Day by a proclamation from Governor Nikki Haley and a concurrent resolution by the General Assembly.
Gov. Haley's proclamation recognizes South Carolina's private, non-profit colleges and universities for their unparalleled record of excellence in teaching and nurturing students and for their common commitment to promoting critical thinking and creativity by preparing students for full lives, productive careers, and active citizenship.
Introduced by Rep. Garry R. Smith (R-Simpsonville) and supported by many  others, the concurrent resolution expresses deep appreciation to South Carolina's independent institutions of higher learning for their role in providing an outstanding, values-based education to students from all walks of life and for their positive contributions in ensuring South Carolina's continued status as a leader in higher education.
Both documents recognize SCICU for its 60 years of leadership and for serving as "A Voice for Independent Higher Education in South Carolina."
SCICU's member colleges and universities will celebrate the week by honoring an outstanding faculty from each of their campuses at the annual Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner on April 16. Faculty of the highest quality will be recognized during the evening ceremony and presented with professional development grants of $3,000.
On April 17, Independent College and University Day, students from around the state will gather in Columbia to celebrate independent higher education and thank their elected Senate and House members for funding the Tuition Grants and merit scholarships such as the Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE, and Tuition Assistance.
Rep. Chandra Dillard (D-Greenville) will receive the 2013 SCICU Legislative Champion Award at a noon ceremony on the south steps of the State House. Deputy Chief of Staff Ted Pitts will present the students with a copy of the Governor's proclamation, and Rep. Garry Smith will provide remarks and present the concurrent resolution.
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CHE Selects Executive Director
 The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education(CHE)on Thursday selected Richard C. Sutton to become its new executive director. Sutton is expected to assume his responsibilities at the Commission beginning May 1, 2013. He succeeds Ms. Julie Carullo, who has served as acting executive director for the past thirteen months.
Dr.Sutton has been engaged in higher education administration and academia for over three decades. He has held leadership positions at statewide governing boards in Wisconsin,Iowa, and Georgia. Most recently, Dr. Sutton was Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Programs & Senior Advisor for Academic Affairs,University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Trained as a Russian historian, he earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his graduate degrees from Indiana University.
The Commission on Higher Education serves as the state's coordinating board for South Carolina's thirty-three public institutions of higher learning.Its mission is to promote quality and efficiency in the state system of higher education with the goal of fostering economic growth and human development in South Carolina. Independent colleges and universities are an ex-officio member of the commission and are represented by President Rod Smolla of Furman University.
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SCICU Launches Newest Consortium
 Seven SCICU colleges and universities and 14 independent secondary schools from South Carolina and North Carolina have joined together to engage CBIZ Retirement Plan Services to provide investment advice and consulting for 403(b) retirement plans. CBIZ also will serve as a co-fiduciary to the plans.
Major changes to the tax code brought many 403(b) retirement plans under the purview of the Department of Labor's Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). New regulations increased significantly the fiduciary responsibilities of plan sponsors (college, university, or school) and their boards of directors. Each plan sponsor must ensure that the terms of their plan are being followed, that the investment options available to plan participants are prudent and reasonably priced, and that all decisions are made in the best interest of the plan participants and beneficiaries.
Plan sponsors of modest size often lack the staff and expertise needed to perform the due diligence required under the expanded regulations, so they have turned to qualified consultants to provide structure, guidance, financial analysis, and advice. Because they have minimal assets and participants, sponsors of small plans, like the ones represented by the consortium, found contracting for professional services prohibitively expensive.
By joining forces, the members of the consortium were able to reduce their costs for professional services by 80% or more. Each plan sponsor will have an individual contract with CBIZ, and there will be no liability or legal obligation among and between the members or the consortium. The consortium will serve as a non-incorporated coordinating committee to the plan sponsors.
In addition to SCICU, the independent colleges and universities participating in the consortium include Charleston Southern University, Claflin University, Columbia College, Converse College, Erskine College, and Limestone College.
For more information, contact Mike LeFever at mike@scicu.org. |
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Senate Finance Committee Contemplates Budget
 Subcommittees of the Senate Finance Committee are meeting with agency heads to assess state funding needs for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013. The Higher Education Subcommittee met with Earl Mayo, executive director of the Tuition Grants Commission, on March 19 to consider the Commission's request for an additional $1.6 million in funding. The recommendation of the Finance Committee is expected during the week of April 30 with Senate floor debate beginning on the week of May 14.
The South Carolina House of Representatives approved the FY 2013-14 state spending plan in March. Consistent with earlier recommendations from Gov. Haley and the Ways and Means Committee, the House approved an additional $1.6 million in recurring state appropriations for the Tuition Grants Commission. The budget adopted by the House also fully funds the Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE, and Tuition Assistance scholarship programs. PASCAL, the Partnership Among South Carolina's Academic Libraries, is first in line to receive $1.5 million if there is a sufficient excess of unclaimed lottery prize money at the end of the year. Last year, PASCAL received $1.25 million from the same funding source.
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SCICU Posts Financial Documents
In a move towards greater transparency, SCICU published its annual audit and IRS Form 990 on its website following the Board's approval of both documents at the February meeting.
The 2011 IRS Form 990 is a public document that was filed with the Internal Revenue Service on January 11, 2011. It is a concise statement of the organization's revenues, expenses, governance, and business and charitable activities for the fiscal year September 1, 2011 to August 31, 2012.
SCICU's annual audit, prepared by Elliott Davis LLC, covers the fiscal year September 1, 2011 to August 31, 2012. It includes a statement of revenues, expenses, and changes in net assets along with information about investments, contributions, gifts, and awards.
The publications section also includes SCICU's 2012 Annual Report, 2012 College Guide, Legislative Strategic Plan, Legislative Priorities and Quick Facts, and News & Notes.
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Member College News of the Month
SCICU features some of its member colleges and universities' news on our website each month. Here are some of the articles we featured this month: To have your school featured in the "Member College News" section, please send your press releases to Stephenie Bergen at stephenie@scicu.org.
To see all of our Member College News, please click here. |
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SCICU Business Partners
We are pleased to announce that the following companies have joined as new business partners: |
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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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