South Carolina State University

South Carolina State University Summary

South Carolina State University (also known as SCSU, State College among the older alumni members, or simply State), is a Historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Its nickname is the Bulldogs with the school colors being garnet and blue, the school’s campus size is 160 acres, with an additional 286 acres at Camp Harry Daniels in Elloree, South Carolina, and its current president is Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr. Under the 1862 Morrill Land Grant Act, the South Carolina General Assembly created the Colored, Normal, Industrial, Agricultural, and Mechanical College of South Carolina on March 4, 1896. The school’s name changed, as well, as the South Carolina General Assembly renamed the school South Carolina State College in 1954. Also, the legislature created a law program for the college, mainly to prevent black students from attending the law school at the then-segregated University of South Carolina. During the tenure of Dr. Smith, the school also gained university status from the South Carolina General Assembly, becoming South Carolina State University in February of 1992. Under SC State’s next president, Dr. 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. Under the leadership of Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr., since 2003, the school is currently constructing a new 771-bed residence hall, which, when completed, will be the largest dormitory in South Carolina. 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), 1976 (shared title with Morgan State University), 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982 (shared title with Florida A&M), 1983, 1994, and in 2004, when it shared the title with Hampton University. South Carolina State is renowned in the black college football world for its loyal and enthuastic fans, and for many of those fans, the most successful and magical season in Bulldog football history was in 1994, when legendary head coach Willie Jeffries led the team to a 10-2 record and defeated Grambling State University and its legendary 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.

Summary content courtesy of Wikipedia.

South Carolina State University History

In 1896, SCSU was founded as South Carolina’s only public university for black youth. Originally it provided an outreach program that sent agents into surrounding counties to disperse knowledge among poor black farm families. Originally, and still today, the University has educated many school teachers. After World War II, the University saw its funding increase significantly in order to make the “separate but equal” policy a reality. Many students and faculty at SCSU participated in the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. In 1968, their dedication to freedom saw three students killed and twenty-seven wounded by state officers.

South Carolina State University Academics

Undergraduate offerings are provided through the College of Business & Applied Professional Sciences; the College of Education, Humanities, & Social Sciences; and the College of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering Technology. These three Colleges house fourteen different departments that offer dozens of different degrees. The Honors program provides growth, distinction, and achievement for the most qualified scholars. The classes are small and challenging, and emphasize critical thinking. Freshman and sophomore classes emphasize content and subject matter, while junior and senior courses focus on application of knowledge within a students’ major.

South Carolina State University Unique Programs

SCSU offers the only undergraduate Nuclear Engineering Program in the State of South Carolina. It is also home to the only Environmental Sciences Field Station in the country. SCSU provides the only MS degree in Transportation and the only Doctor of Education Degree in South Carolina.

South Carolina State University Financial Aid

Students who expect to receive aid must maintain the University’s definition of satisfactory academic progress. Depending on the number of hours earned, students may be expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average that is higher than 1.40 or more. Students with 100 hours or more must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. Students who fail to meet these requirements can be placed on probation or suspended. The Financial Aid Office offers grants and loans, and access to other programs through the National Student Loan Data System and the Department of Education.

South Carolina State University Students

SCSU offers eight residence halls for women and four residence halls for men. Sixty percent of SCSU undergraduates live in residence halls. Students are often assigned to specific halls based on classification. All residences are fully furnished. The SCSU campus provides an on-campus health center, Counseling and Self Development Center, special programs for disabled students, leadership training, and psychometric services.

South Carolina State University Traditions

SCSU has a long and proud history of educating black students for over 100 years. The institution and its constituents were quite active in the civil rights movement, and today they maintain that dedication to civil rights on and off their campus.

South Carolina State University Local Community

Orangeburg was originally settled in 1704 by George Sterling, an Indian trader. Today, Orangeburg offers a variety of entertainment and educational activities to locals and visitors alike, including the Edisto Memorial Gardens, Stanback Planetarium, Orangeburg Part-Time Players, and the beautiful Hillcrest Golf Course.