A senate RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE ENTIRE USC SYSTEM FOR ITS MANY AND SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF OUR CITIZENS AND TO DECLARE Tuesday, FEBRUARY 13, 2024, "CAROLINA DAY" AT THE STATE HOUSE.

Whereas, the South Carolina Senate appreciates the significant impact that the University of South Carolina (USC) and the entire USC system has on the Palmetto State and its citizens, pumping billions of dollars into the state's economy annually and supporting tens of thousands of jobs statewide; and

Whereas, the state's flagship institution and major research university, USC Columbia, combined with the award winning four-year and two-year system institutions of Aiken, Beaufort, Upstate, Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union, reaches every corner of the State through twenty geographical locations and Palmetto College Online; and

Whereas, coupling important state financial aid with the state's lowest tuition for a research university (R1), the USC system is a leader in providing access to an affordable, high-quality education that is not only accessible and affordable, but worldclass, making the dream of a college degree a reality for talented students from across the Palmetto State.  Additionally, USC Columbia's in-state tuition has been frozen for five consecutive years and six years across the rest of the USC system; and

Whereas, the university has created USC Commitment, a new affordability initiative for talented students from across South Carolina who graduate in the top ten percent of their high school class and have a family income of eighty thousand or less.  The university, all the while, has maintained a top credit rating, with creditors who note USC's sound financial management; and

Whereas, this year USC enrolled Columbia's largest freshman class of South Carolinians in USC's 222-year history, and the university has been ranked number one for the nation's best "first-year student experience" for the fifth straight year; and

Whereas, Campus Village (CV) was opened on time and on budget as USC Columbia's newest residential complex which is home to several "living and learning communities" and adds one thousand eight hundred beds to accommodate the continued demand for a USC degree; and

Whereas, USC prepares graduates to succeed in the workforce through a myriad of initiatives, such as the creation of four new certificates available across majors to improve employability, the creation of the "Carolina Internship Program" in partnership with the South Carolina Manufacturer's Alliance and other key industries, and the approval of a new industrial engineering program with transfer students from technical colleges in mind; and

Whereas, USC leads a successful collaborative with commerce known as SC Nexus, which won federal designation as a regional hub focused on the rapidly changing energy sector.  The university has established the state's first Rural Brain Health Center and Network and is finalizing plans for USC's new Health Science Campus (HSC), which will not only revitalize Columbia's Bull Street District, but most importantly, will increase access to healthcare across the Palmetto State; and

Whereas, the Senate of the State of South Carolina values the commitment of the state's flagship university and of the entire USC system and its alumni worldwide to continued academic, educational, and athletic excellence, affordability, and availability to the citizens of our great State.  Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor the University of South Carolina and the entire USC System for its many and significant contributions to the education and culture of our citizens and declare Tuesday, February 13, 2024, as "Carolina Day" at the State House.

----XX----