FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ahja Glaze

South Carolina State External Affairs and Communications
Phone: (803) 533-3681
Fax: (803) 516-4700

Possible Shut Down of South Carolina State University

(Orangeburg, SC February 11, 2015) The South Carolina House Ways and Means Higher
Education Subcommittee voted Tuesday by a 3-to-1 vote to suspend operations at South Carolina
State University for one year. The University would close for a fiscal year and reopen in the fall
of 2017.
The proposed plan was announced after South Carolina State Universitys financial troubles. The
University would be closed June 1, 2015-16 school year and classes will resume January 2017 at
the earliest. Students with a 2.5 GPA and above will be relocated to schools throughout the state
of South Carolina.
I want to make one thing clear, South Carolina State will not close, President Thomas Elzey of
South Carolina State University stated at a press conference held Tuesday afternoon. The press
conference was filled with more than 200 students, alumni and staff. The crowd shouted, Kill
the bill! Students of the university, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters are asked to remain
calm as this is only one step of many to actually shut down the university.

About South Carolina State University

Founded in 1896 as the state's sole public college for black youth, South Carolina State
University has played a key role in the education of African-Americans in the state and nation.
The University has educated scores of teachers for the public schools. It provided education in
sciences, literature, and history. Today there are nearly 5000 students majoring in a wide range of
programs that include agribusiness, accounting, art, English, and drama as well as fashion
merchandising, physics, psychology, and political science. South Carolina State University is the
only public Historically Black College University in the state of South Carolina.
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