USC System Mission Statement

Approved by the Board of Trustees - October 13, 2023

Approved by SC Commission on Higher Education – December 18, 2023

Next Board of Trustees Scheduled Review - October 2027

The primary mission of the University of South Carolina System is to provide outstanding education, research, creative activity, community engagement, and service that drives community and economic impact for benefit of the state, nation, and world. This public university system serves students from its flagship Columbia campus, three comprehensive universities (Aiken, Beaufort, and Upstate), and four regional Palmetto College campuses (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union).

The University of South Carolina System offers degree programs at the associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. Through classroom and laboratory instruction delivered in a variety of face-to-face and distance learning formats and modalities, degree programs are offered in the following areas:  arts and sciences; business; education; engineering and computing; hospitality, retail, and sport management; information and communications; law; medicine; music; nursing; pharmacy; public health; and social work.

The University of South Carolina System confers nearly 40% of all bachelor’s and graduate degrees awarded at public institutions in South Carolina, giving the system a profound relevance, reach, and impact on the people of the state. Through engagement in nationally and internationally recognized research, scholarship, service, and artistic creation, the University of South Carolina System imbues its students with the hallmarks of the highest-quality education, including the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for success and responsible citizenship in a complex and changing world.

USC Sumter Mission Statement

Approved by the Board of Trustees - October 13, 2023

Approved by SC Commission on Higher Education – December 18, 2023

Next Board of Trustees Scheduled Review - October 2027

The Sumter regional Palmetto College campus is a branch campus of the University of South Carolina Columbia. Sumter has as its mission to provide higher education and intellectual leadership, contributing to the primary mission of the University of South Carolina System so stated as “outstanding education, research, creative activity, community engagement, and service that drives community and economic impact or the benefit of the state, nation, and world.” At the heart of this mission is a teaching faculty of high quality dedicated to excellence in instruction, scholarship, public and professional service, and creative endeavor which enrich the classroom experience. The Sumter regional Palmetto College campus offers a varied curriculum grounded in the liberal arts and focused on preparing students to continue their education in the University of South Carolina System and throughout life.

The Sumter regional Palmetto College campus recruits students prepared to succeed in completing a baccalaureate‐ level education. While the institution does not offer remedial instruction, it is nonetheless able to admit most students who apply due to the close working relationship between students and faculty. The original design of the institution incorporated a flexibility that has allowed changes in institutional capability with increasing educational demands of constituents.

Through classroom and laboratory instruction delivered in a variety of face-to-face and distance learning formats and modalities, the institution awards the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees and provides for the completion of selected bachelor’s degrees on campus through cooperative agreements and delivery structures with other University of South Carolina System institutions. The Sumter regional Palmetto College campus also provides general education and upper division coursework applicable to baccalaureate degree programs offered through colleges and universities nationwide. In addition to academic coursework, the mission of the campus includes noncredit courses, seminars, and workshops made available to the community for cultural enrichment and professional development.

The traditions of cultural diversity and freedom of thought are valued at the Sumter regional Palmetto College campus. In a learning environment that develops respect for racial, geographical, intellectual, and economic diversity and an awareness of individual, societal, and global responsibilities, Sumter promotes courses, activities, and attitudes that instill in students a thirst to continue learning throughout life.

The Sumter regional Palmetto College campus emphasizes the development of the whole person and especially seeks to foster in students the disciplines essential to an educated citizenry.

Core competencies, including the ability to communicate through effective writing and articulate speech; computational and quantitative mastery; creative and critical thinking; and the duties of citizenship are strategically integrated within the curriculum. Classroom experiences, student activities, and physical education programs also provide opportunities for cultural enrichment, leadership development, intellectual growth and interpersonal relationships, all contributing to a sense of self‐reliance and a joy of learning.

Accreditation

The University of South Carolina Columbia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.  The regional Palmetto College campuses (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union) are branch campuses of the University of South Carolina Columbia; the branch campuses’ accreditation is dependent on the continued accreditation of the University of South Carolina Columbia. Questions about the accreditation of the University of South Carolina Columbia may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org). 

USC System Officers

Michael Amiridis, President
Mary Ann Fitzpatrick, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Ed Walton, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Anna Edwards, Chief of Staff
Tiffany Foxworth, Interim Vice President for Marketing
Jeff Stensland, Associate Vice President for University Communications
Michelle Dodenhoff, Vice President for Development
Julian R. Williams, Vice President for Access, Civil Rights and Community Engagement 
John Bible Jr., Vice President for Information Technology and CIO
Caroline Agardy, Vice President for Human Resources
Julius Fridriksson, Vice President for Research
J. Rex Tolliver, Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support
Scott Verzyl, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
Stephen J. Cutler, Vice President for Economic Development
Walter “Terry” Parham, General Counsel and Executive Director of Compliance Programs
Jeremiah Donati, Director of Athletics

Mid-Carolina Commission for Higher Education

Kay Oldhouser Davis, PhD - Chair
John M. Brabham - Vice-Chair
Robert B. “Bob” Smith - Treasurer
Michael M. Baker - Member/Sumter
Grady A. Brown - Member/Lee
Isaac M. Carr - Member/Sumter
Allen D. Kirby - Member/Clarendon
Angus McDuffie - Member/Sumter
Melissa W. “Boo” Robards - Member/Sumter

Partnership of the USC Educational Foundation

David W. Durham, President
Whitney M. Brown, Vice-President
Paul E. Robbins, Treasurer
Robert N. “Tripp” Boykin III
Quinetta M. Buterbaugh
William D. “Chip” Chase
Jeanie S. Crotts
Susan D. Gaymon
Joyce H. Hodge
Charles W. “Chuck” Overby Jr
Damien K. Picarello, PhD, Faculty Representative
C. Talmadge Tobias
Harold "Hal" Turner, Jr.
S. Anne Walker
Walter S “Chuck” Wilson
Scott J Zobrist
Eric M. Reisenauer, PhD, Palmetto College Interim Campus Dean, USC Sumter, and Director of Sumter Partnership of the USC Educational Foundation, ex officio
C. Robin Miles, Secretary/Assistant Treasurer, ex officio
Kay Oldhouser Davis, Ph.D., Chairman, Mid-Carolina Commission for Higher Education, ex officio

USC Sumter Administration

Office of the Dean

Eric M. Reisenauer, PhD, Palmetto College Campus Dean
Stacy Nance, Executive Assistant to the Dean

Academic and Student Affairs

Ray McManus, PhD, Interim Executive Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
Lamonda Garrett, Administrative Assistant

Academic Affairs

Eric M. Reisenauer, Ph.D., Executive Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
Carol J. Reynolds, Administrative Assistant

Enrollment Management and Student Success

Twaina Harris, EdD, Assistant Dean for Student Success and Enrollment Management

Admissions Services

Keith E. Britton, Director
Darren Witt, Admissions Counselor/Recruiter
Carrie Oxendine, Admissions Counselor/Recruiter
Carolyn June, Admissions Processor
Renee Cocklin, Admissions Processor
Aretha Tomlin, Admissions Processor

Educational Partnerships

Lara Richardson, Director of Educational Partnerships and Continuing Education
Damien Picariello, PhD, Director of Faculty, Curricula, and Courses for Dual Enrollment Programs
Tanya Ricks, Program Assistant for Dual Enrollment

Athletic Department

Adrienne N. Cataldo, PhD, Director of Athletics
Timothy D. Medlin, Assistant Director of Athletics
Will Thompson, Head Baseball Coach
Nick Petit, Assistant Baseball Coach
Jackson Price, Assistant Baseball Coach
Andrew Bartelmo, Head Coach - Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Danny Hodge - Head Coach - Men's and Women's Golf
Miguel Justiniano, Head Softball Coach
JJ Lott, Assistant Softball Coach
TBD, Head Men's Soccer Coach
Jayson Stewart, Head Coach Women's Soccer
Heath Griffin, Volleyball Head Coach

Bookstore

Cynthia Reza, Manager
Makayla Newell, Bookstore Assistant

Business Office

Wendell D. Prescott, Business Office Manager
Laura L. Curtis, Accounting Technician

Computer Services

Bradley Rogers, Information Technology Director

Division of Arts & Letters and Division of Humanities, Social Sciences, & Education

Damien Picariello, PhD, Interim Division Chair, Professor, Political Science
Emily McCrea, Administrative Assistant
Mary Ellen Bellanca, PhD, Professor, English
Andrew J Kunka, PhD, Professor, English
Hayes Hampton, PhD, Professor, English
Ray McManus, PhD, Professor, English
Damien Picariello, PhD, Professor, Political Science
Kristina Grob, PhD, Associate Professor, Philosophy
Wanda Fenimore, PhD, Associate Professor, Speech Communications
David F. Decker, PhD, Associate Professor, History
Blane DaSilva, PhD, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Irena Tedrick, PhD, Assistant Professor, Spanish
Jessie Freyermuth, PhD, Assistant Professor, Music
Richard “Randy” Hourigan, PhD, Assistant Professor, History
Christopher Defossez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Brittany Paige Wallace, PhD, Assistant Professor, English
Erin Baribeau, PhD, Senior Instructor, Political Science
Margaret “Laura” Hughes, MA, Senior Instructor, Art
Daniel Stanforth, PhD, Instructor, Spanish
Tyler Boulware, PhD, Instructor, History
Eric Bultman, MFA, Instructor, Theater
Sunshine Howell, PhD, Instructor, English
Vincent Frontero, MFA, Instructor, English
Jennifer Weed, MA, Instructor, English

Division of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering and Division of Business Administration and Economics

Kristina Grob, PhD, Division Chair, Associate Professor, Philosophy
Aurora Hoey, Lab Manager
Hendrikus van Bulck, PhD, Professor, Business Administration,
Kajal Ghoshroy, PhD, Professor, Biology
Pearl Fernandes, PhD, Professor, Biology
Rebecca A. Hillman, PhD, Professor, Mathematics
Sher B. Chhetri, PhD, Associate Professor, Mathematics
Soumyadip “Dip” Acharyya, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Sami Varjosaari, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Mohammad Rahman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Tania Hazra, PhD, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
R. Austin Jenkins, Jr., PhD, Senior Instructor, Biology
Daniel A. Kiernan, PhD, Senior Instructor, Biology
Mark Roberts, MS, Senior Instructor, Biology
Elizabeth Costello, MS, Senior Instructor, Mathematics
Bruce McFarling, PhD, Instructor, Economics
Margaret Smith, MS, Instructor, Economics
Susan Goebel, MS, Instructor, Biology
Gowoon Choi, MS, Instructor, Physics

Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Veteran Affairs

Jernitha Smith, Director of Financial Aid
Latrice Petty, Financial Aid Counselor
Savannah Williams, Veterans Affairs Counselor & Disability Services Coordinator

Fire Ant Cafe

Windy Brown, Manager

Human Resources

Marchetta L. Williams, Human Resources Officer

Institutional Research

Charles W. Wright, Institutional Research Analyst

Library

Sharon H. Chapman, Head Librarian/Tutoring Center Director
Connie M. Pender, Library Manager
Lora Brown, Library Technical Assistant

Maintenance Services

Sam Avins, Director of Facilities
Cynthia White, Building/Grounds Specialist
Cedric Mack, Building/Grounds Maintenance Technician
John Walker, Building/Grounds Maintenance Technician

Opportunity Scholars Program

Lisa Rosdail, Director
Frenche Brewer, Program Coordinator
Erika Canty, Administrative Assistant
Margaret Ezell, Advisor
Harry Friday, Advisor
Suzette Britton, Administrative Assistant
Emerald McElveny, Outreach Specialist
Monique McCause, Administrative Assistant

Public Relations

Alethia Hummel, Director

Records and Registration

Alex Floyd, Registrar
Hayes Hampton, Coordinator for Advising

Shaw Air Force Base Office

Ricky L. Boyd, Director, Shaw AFB Program
Natalie Breaux, Shaw AFB Representative
Jaleah Singleton, Shaw AFB Representative

Student Life

Kristopher E. Weissmann, Director of Student Life
Westley Simpson, Student Life Assistant

University Advancement

Robin Miles, Director of Development and Alumni Coordinator

Upward Bound Program

Lisa Rosdail, Director
Jodi Robbins, Administrative Assistant
Steve Evans, Outreach Specialist
Arianna Wade, Academic Advisor

Carolinian Creed

The community of scholars at the University of South Carolina is dedicated to personal and academic excellence.
Choosing to join the community obligates each member to a code of civilized behavior.

As a Carolinian…

I will practice personal and academic integrity;
I will respect the dignity of all persons;
I will respect the rights and property of others;
I will discourage bigotry, while striving to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions;
I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for conditions which support their work and development.

Allegiance to these ideals requires each Carolinian to refrain from and discourage behaviors which threaten the freedom and respect every individual deserves.

History and Facilities

History

The citizens of Sumter and adjacent counties saw a need to provide higher-education opportunities at an affordable price. In 1965, by an act of the state legislature, the Sumter County Commission for Higher Education was created and granted authority to establish in Sumter County facilities to offer standard freshman and sophomore courses and such other courses as were deemed desirable. To fulfill this purpose and objective, the commission entered into a long-term contract with Clemson University for the purpose of operating the new educational facilities.

A local bond issue was passed, and with federal assistance a physical plant, with capacity for 550 to 600 students, was erected on an attractive 35-acre tract of land located in the Palmetto Park area, made available jointly by the city and county of Sumter.

In August 1966 Clemson University at Sumter opened its doors to its first class, and in December 1968 the campus was officially accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The campus has retained its accreditation since that time.

On July 23, 1973, after negotiations between the Sumter County Commission for Higher Education and officials of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, operations of the Sumter campus were transferred to the University of South Carolina. This change was recognized by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, and after evaluating a self-study and visiting the campus in 1975, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools officially accepted the change. In 1996 the Sumter County Commission for Higher Education was restructured as the Mid-Carolina Commission for Higher Education.

In the fall of 1978, USC Sumter developed a new evening program of courses designed to meet the needs of adult students. This evening program consists of two eight-week sessions per semester and one eight-week summer session, thus enabling students to carry a full-time load solely with evening hours. An identical program is also offered primarily for military personnel at Shaw Air Force Base, but with an emphasis on upper-level courses not regularly taught at USC Sumter.

Facilities

The University of South Carolina Sumter is situated on 50 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, with eight modern and attractive administrative and academic buildings.

The Wiiliams-Brice Edwards Administration Building houses the offices of the dean; associate dean for academic and student affairs; assistant dean for administrative and financial services; assistant dean for enrollment management and student success; director of marketing and public relations; director of admissions, services, and recruitment; admissions; financial aid and veteran’s affairs; records and advisement; business; educational partnerships, university advancement, and others. It also has conference rooms and a faculty lounge.

The Business Administration Building contains classrooms and a computer instructional lab. It also houses the Opportunity Scholars Program.

The Science Building has two lecture rooms and five fully equipped laboratory facilities for astronomy, chemistry, physics, botany, and zoology. Also in the Science Building are offices for the science faculty and a lobby with tables for group study.

The Anderson Library of the Sumter campus provides a pleasant setting for faculty and students to read and study. The 90,000-volume collection is especially selected to assist students in their undergraduate studies. Recreational reading is also provided. The library houses resources in many formats, including books, periodicals on microfilm, cassette lectures, microfilm readers, and a microfiche viewer. Services offered by the library include photocopying, microfilm copying, online indexes, databases, full-text journals, the online catalog, and bibliographic instruction for groups or individuals.

The Anderson Library also contains Palmetto College AI Innovation Lab and a computer instructional classroom. The Computer Services Division is also located in the library. Art displays can be seen in the University Gallery located off the main lobby. The Anderson Library also has private study rooms for students, a conference room, and a lounge area. The rear of the building contains six large classrooms and lobby space for studying.

The Student Union Building features the campus bookstore, a food court, and an open commons area with an adjacent outdoor terrace, as well as meeting rooms for student organizations. The commons area and terrace offer students a place where they may gather to eat, talk, or study. This commons area can also be used for dances and other recreational programs. The building also contains a lounge area for relaxation, reading, and viewing television.

The Schwartz Building houses the Division of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education. It contains technologically enhanced classrooms, faculty offices, and two conference rooms.

The Nettles Building contains the campus recreation and physical education department facilities, which include a wellness center, three racquetball/handball courts, a multiprogram gym, a first-aid facility, and a 500-seat auditorium.

The Arts and Letters building is the home of the Division of Arts and Letters. The building also contains a lecture hall/conference center with small break-out rooms, a banquet hall, and faculty offices, technologically enhances classrooms, and studio art labs.

Dormitory facilities are not available at the Sumter campus. Students whose homes are not in the Sumter area may find rooms in private homes or apartments.

A limited number of classrooms are also provided by the United States Air Force for USC Sumter's use on Shaw AFB, as well as office facilities for the Shaw coordinator.