The University of South Carolina Lancaster (USCL or USC Lancaster) is a

public college A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

in Lancaster, South Carolina. It is one of the four regional Palmetto Colleges in the

University of South Carolina System The University of South Carolina System is a state university system collection of campuses established in 1957 to expand the educational opportunities of the citizens of South Carolina as well as extend the reach of the University of South Caro ...

. It 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 ...

Commission on Colleges and offers

associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

s and

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s. As of 2017, more than 1,900 students attended the college at its campus in the

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region of

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 = ...

. USC Lancaster is governed by the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. The campus has four local affiliate groups: the Lancaster County Commission for Higher Education, the Educational Foundation of USC Lancaster, the USC Lancaster Board of Visitors, and the Town Gown Advisory Council.

History

The University of South Carolina conducted a program in the 1950s to expand its reach across the state of

. Simultaneously, the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce identified a goal of establishing a college in the county. Chamber members presented their idea to the administration of the university, and within approximately one year the University of South Carolina Lancaster Extension Center opened with 51 students. Four other extension campuses were established. The campus in Lancaster is the center of a six-county region (

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Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...

, Fairfield, Lancaster, Kershaw, and

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

) in the north central piedmont of South Carolina. The college began holding classes in the Williams House in downtown Lancaster in September 1959, but by the mid-1960s growth forced it to find a larger facility. With the support of the local community, the college moved to a tract of land on the northern limits of the City of Lancaster. Ten buildings currently serve as the campus for the college including the downtown Lancaster Native American Studies Center established in October 2012 and an Indian Land Location established in August 2018.

Academics

USC Lancaster offers four associate degree programs (arts, sciences, business, and criminal justice) and three baccalaureate degree programs. Through Palmetto College and the entire USC system, an additional 24 online degree completion programs are offered including business, elementary education, public health, criminal justice, and hospitality.

Athletics

The University of South Carolina Lancaster sponsors four teams, known as the Lancers, to compete in Region X of the NJCAA. The Lancers field a women's soccer team, its inaugural season in 2007, men's soccer, and women's volleyball. The inaugural season for the baseball team was 2008.

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:South Carolina, University of, Lancaster University of South Carolina System

University of South Carolina Lancaster The University of South Carolina Lancaster (USCL or USC Lancaster) is a public college in Lancaster, South Carolina. It is one of the four regional Palmetto Colleges in the University of South Carolina System. It is accredited by the Southern Ass ...

Education in Lancaster County, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Lancaster County, South Carolina NJCAA athletics