South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
,
historically black
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. ...
,
land-grant university
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...
in
Orangeburg,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a member-school of the
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is an American non-profit organization that supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), medic ...
, and is accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
(SACS).
History
The university's beginnings were as the South Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical Institute'' in 1872 in compliance with the 1862
Land Grant Act within the institution of Claflin College—now known as
Claflin University
Claflin University is a private historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1869 after the American Civil War by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers bachelor's and master's ...
.
In 1896 the South Carolina General Assembly passed an act of separation and established a separate institution – the Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina, its official name until 1954.
1920s–1940s
Academic programs received more attention as the student population increased, but other programs, such as the university's high school, were forced to close due to the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. The
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
Programs were used to create, among other things, Wilkinson Hall, the university's first separate library building (now home to Admissions and Financial Aid).
1940s–1950s
The college's campus grew, as it purchased over for agricultural learning. After World War II, many students flocked to the college, creating a classroom shortage problem for the school. In 1947, the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
created an
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
detachment, in which all male students were required to enroll until mandatory enrollment ended in 1969.
The school's name changed, as well, as the South Carolina General Assembly renamed the school South Carolina State College in 1954. Because of the "separate but equal" laws in the state, the legislature gave the college large sums of money to build new academic facilities and dormitories, some of which still stand on the campus today, including the Student Union (1954), and Turner Hall (1956). This was done in order to give black students an environment of "equal" education. Also, the legislature created a law program for the college, mainly to prevent black students from attending the
law school
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
at the then-segregated
University of South Carolina. The law program folded in 1966 after the University of South Carolina integrated.
1960s–1980s
During the height of the
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
, many students participated in marches and rallies aimed at ending segregation. The struggle came to a climax on the night on February 8, 1968, when three students were killed and 27 others were wounded by state policemen at the height of a protest that opposed the segregation of a nearby bowling alley. The tragedy, known as the
Orangeburg massacre
The Orangeburg massacre refers to the shooting of protesters by South Carolina Highway Patrol officers in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on the South Carolina State University campus on the evening of February 8, 1968. About 200 protesters had prev ...
, is commemorated by a memorial plaza near the front of the campus.
From the late-1960s to the mid-1980s, under the leadership of M. Maceo Nance, the campus experienced unprecedented growth in the form of new academic buildings, such as Nance Hall (1974) and Belcher Hall (1986), new residence halls, such as
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth (; born Isabella Baumfree; November 26, 1883) was an American abolitionist of New York Dutch heritage and a women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to f ...
Hall (1972), which, at 14 stories, is the tallest building in Orangeburg County, and a new library building (1968), not to mention enlargements and renovations of existing facilities. The school also opened the I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium, which is the only facility of its kind on a historically black university campus in the United States. After Nance's retirement in 1986, Albert Smith assumed the office of the school's president and, among other achievements, created an honors college in 1988.
1990s
During the tenure of Smith, the school also gained university status from the South Carolina General Assembly, becoming South Carolina State University in February 1992. In 1993, Barbara Hatton became the school's first female president and created many improvements for the campus, such as the 1994 renovation of Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium, constructing new suites and a larger press box, as well as increasing its capacity to 22,000. Hatton also spearheaded the creation of a plaza which resides in front of the Student Union and passes by several dorms and buildings in the central portion of the campus. Under SC State's next president, Leroy Davis, South Carolina State University celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996, and the school constructed a Fine Arts Center in 1999, giving the Art and Music departments a new home.
2000–present
![SC State Engineering and Computer Science Complex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/SC_State_Engineering_and_Computer_Science_Complex.JPG)
Under the leadership of
Andrew Hugine Jr., the school constructed a new 771-bed residence hall (Hugine Suites), which is the largest dormitory in South Carolina. The first four buildings in Phase One opened on August 26, 2006, and the last two in the first phase opened on September 10, 2006. With the opening of the new dorms, SC State has closed the following dorms, Bethea (freshmen male), Miller (female), Bradham (female), and Manning (female) Halls. Both Bradham and Manning Halls had been used since the World War I era, Miller Hall is being closed due to fire alarm system malfunctions, and Bethea is being closed after 50 years of service due to numerous building and health problems. Bethea Hall will be torn down to make way for a new $33 million complex for the School of Engineering.
The dining halls, both Washington Dining Hall and "The Pitt", located in the Student Union, received major facelifts, and the dining hall inside Truth Hall has been renovated into a cyber cafe, Pete's Arena. The university is also working to renovate Lowman Hall, which, when refurbished, will be the new administration building. South Carolina State recently broke ground on the new
James E. Clyburn
James Enos Clyburn (born July 21, 1940) is an American politician and retired educator serving as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina. He has served as House Majority Whip since 2019. He is a two-time maj ...
University Transportation Center The University Transportation Centers (UTC) program is a federal program to improve transportation research and education in the United States and to strengthen the country's competitiveness in the global transportation industry.
History
The U ...
(UTC), which will be home to the only UTC in South Carolina, one of only three among
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. ...
(HBCUs), and one of only 33 total UTCs in the nation. Currently work is being done to expand Hodge Hall. This science building will be gaining some much needed research and laboratory space.
South Carolina State hosted the first debate of the 2008
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
Presidential Candidate Debate series. This event, which took place on April 26, 2007, at the Martin Luther King Auditorium, was televised nationally on
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
. This debate made SC State the first Historically Black University to host a Presidential Candidate Debate on its campus.
![Leroy Davis Sr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Leroy_Davis_Sr._Hall.JPG)
Hugine's contract was terminated by the SC State Board of Trustees on December 11, 2007, only four days before the Fall Commencement Exercises, by a telephone conference meeting. According to the Board, his reasons for dismissal were a performance review of Hugine for the 2006–2007 school year, and a second education review. Hugine is on administrative leave, and his last day as president was January 4, 2008. The Board decided to conduct a national search for a new president immediately. On December 13, 2007, the Board selected Leonard McIntyre, the Dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences at SC State to serve as Interim President. Hugine was the fourth president to leave SC State since Nance retired in 1986.
George Cooper, formerly with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
, assumed the presidency of S.C. State on July 16, 2008, and was the tenth president to be at SCSU University. The SC State Board of Trustees voted to terminate Cooper's contract on June 15, 2010. John E. Smalls, senior vice president of finance, was appointed to lead the university in the interim. President Cooper was reinstated two weeks later after a change in board membership. His predecessor, Andrew Hugine, Jr., who was also dismissed and sued the university, eventually accepting $60,000 to drop his suit for defamation and breach of contract. Mr. Hugine, now president of
Alabama A&M University
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marsha ...
sought $1-million from South Carolina State and $2-million from the trustees who voted to oust him.
Academics
Colleges, departments, and schools
*College of Graduate and Professional Studies
** Department of Family & Consumer Sciences
** Department of Health Sciences
** Department of Human Services
** Department of Graduate Studies
** Department of Military Sciences
** Department of Nursing
*College of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences
** Department of Education
** Department of English and Modern Languages
** Department of Social Sciences
** Department of Visual and Performing Arts
* College of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technology
** Department of Biological & Physical Sciences
** Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering Technology and Nuclear Engineering
** Department of Industrial & Electrical Engineering Technology
** Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
*
Honors College
Honors colleges and honors programs are special accommodation constituent programs at public and private universities – and also public two-year institutions of higher learning – that include, among other things, supplemental or alternativ ...
* School of Business
** Department of Accounting, Agribusiness, and Economics
** Department of Business Administration
Nuclear engineering program
SCSU is the only university in South Carolina and only HBCU in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in
nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...
. The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of
ABET
The ABET (incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering and engineering ...
. Currently, it operates through a strategic partnership with
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
and
University of Wisconsin-Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
.
Accreditation
South Carolina State is regionally accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
(SACS).
The university was placed on probation in June 2014 for failing to meet the accreditor's standards "concerning governing board conflicts of interest and board/administration structure, as well as financial stability and controls."
In June 2015, the SACS decided to allow the college to retain its accreditation, but kept them on probation for another year.
In June 2016, SACSCOC decided to remove the college from probation and retain full accreditation with no sanctions.
Rankings
''
U.S. News & World Report'' currently has SC State ranked #82 in the Southern Regional Universities category, and #29 among HBCUs nationwide.
Campus
![SCSU Dukes Gym from SW 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/SCSU_Dukes_Gym_from_SW_1.JPG)
The school's campus size is , with an additional at Camp Harry Daniels in
Elloree, South Carolina
Elloree is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 692 at the 2010 census.
History
Trinity Lutheran Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Geography
Elloree is located at (33 ...
. Three buildings,
Lowman Hall,
Hodge Hall
Hodge Hall is a historic academic building located on the campus of South Carolina State University at Orangeburg, Orangeburg County, South Carolina. It was built in 1928 in the Palladian style. It is a two-story, nine nay, brick building with a ...
, and
Dukes Gymnasium
Dukes Gymnasium is a historic gymnasium located on the campus of South Carolina State University at Orangeburg, Orangeburg County, South Carolina. It was built in 1931, and is a two-story, brick building with a full basement and a gable on hip roo ...
are included in the
South Carolina State College Historic District
South Carolina State College Historic District is a national historic district located on the campus of South Carolina State University at Orangeburg, Orangeburg County, South Carolina. The district encompasses 10 contributing buildings, 1 con ...
, and separately listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
The library is the Miller F. Whittaker Library. The library was allocated $1 million from the
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...
in 1967 for its construction, and the library was dedicated in 1969.
[About the Library](_blank)
South Carolina State University. The library is named in honor of the university's third president.
Originally two levels, a third level (the
mezzanine
A mezzanine (; or in Italian language, Italian, a ''mezzanino'') is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft ...
) was added in a 1979 expansion.
Athletics
![Game Flag of Sc State University](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Game_Flag_of_Sc_State_University.jpg)
South Carolina State is a charter member of the
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National C ...
(MEAC) and participates in
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I (
FCS for college football). The school sponsors basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball,
cross country, track and field, and tennis for women, and basketball, tennis, track and field, cross country, and football for men. The athletic teams compete as the Bulldogs or Lady Bulldogs and the school colors are garnet and navy blue.
![OliverCDawsonStadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/OliverCDawsonStadium.JPG)
The school's football team has won more conference championships than any other school in the MEAC, with wins in 1974, 1975 (shared title with
North Carolina A&T
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...
), 1976 (shared title with
Morgan State University
Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known ...
), 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982 (shared title with
Florida A&M
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the U ...
), 1983, 1994, 2004, when it shared the title with
Hampton University
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
, 2008, 2009, and 2010 (shared title with
Bethune–Cookman and Florida A&M), 2013 (shared title with Bethune–Cookman), and 2014 (shared title with
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from b ...
, North Carolina A&T, Morgan State, and Bethune–Cookman). The team also has four Black College Football National Championship titles, with the most recent title won in 2009.
In 1994, head coach
Willie Jeffries
Willie E. Jeffries (born January 4, 1937) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at South Carolina State University for 19 seasons in two stints, five seasons at Wichita State University, and five sea ...
led the team to a 10–2 record and defeated
Grambling State University
Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage ...
and coach
Eddie Robinson in the Heritage Bowl by a score of 31–27, which crowned South Carolina State the 1994
Black College Football National Champions
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...
.
Student life
There are over 50 registered student organizations on campus.
Greek letter organizations
![Beta Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Beta_Delta_Chapter_of_Alpha_Phi_Alpha_Fraternity_Inc..jpg)
The university currently has chapters for all nine of the
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative umbrella council composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). The NPHC was formed as a permanent ...
organizations
![NIMC of SC State University (SCSU)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/NIMC_of_SC_State_University_%28SCSU%29.jpg)
Other National Organizations include:
![Marching 101 Band](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Marching_101_Band.jpg)
Marching band
The university's marching band is known as
The Marching 101. The band are regular performers at football games throughout the southeast, nationally televised professional football games, and has performed in The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Rose Bowl Parade. The band was organized in 1918 as a "regimental band" performing military drills as well as assisting with music in the college Sunday school and other occasions. From 1924 on, a succession of band directors influenced the growth of the band as it became part of the Department of Music program. The nickname "Marching 101" came about when the band started with 100 members and 1 majorette. Today, the band has over 150 members and is accompanied by a majorette team named "Champagne". In 2011,2012,2014 and 2016 the Marching 101 was voted to perform at the annual
Honda Battle of the Bands The Honda Battle of the Bands (sometimes abbreviated The Honda or HBOB) is an annual marching band exhibition in the United States which features performances by bands from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Sponsored by the Ameri ...
held in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Notable alumni
Academia and research
Business
Education
Arts and media
Politics, law, and government
Military
Sports
See also
*
Orangeburg massacre
The Orangeburg massacre refers to the shooting of protesters by South Carolina Highway Patrol officers in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on the South Carolina State University campus on the evening of February 8, 1968. About 200 protesters had prev ...
Footnotes
Further reading
* Shuler, Jack. ''Blood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town''. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 2012.
—Account of 1968 campus shooting.
External links
*
SCSU Athletics website
{{authority control
Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
Land-grant universities and colleges
Educational institutions established in 1896
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
African-American history of South Carolina
Education in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
Buildings and structures in Orangeburg County, South Carolina
1896 establishments in South Carolina
Public universities and colleges in South Carolina