Top 10 of 2022: New president setting goals for SCSU

South Carolina State University’s 13th president has his eyes on increasing enrollment. He is focusing on providing up-to-date facilities and a “holistic student experience” to help him do that.

“It’s my goal in the new year, number one, to continue to grow enrollment. We know that students and parents are still very interested in an education from South Carolina State University. So it’s our intent to continue to grow enrollment and maintain that enrollment, more importantly,” President Alexander Conyers said.

Conyers, a retired U.S. Army colonel, was named vice president for strategic alliances and initiatives at S.C. State in April 2021.

He became acting president in July 2021 after former president James Clark was removed. Conyers was named interim president in August 2021.

Conyers was named the 13th president of the university in April 2022 and was formally inaugurated on Oct. 1, 2022. Conyers’ appointment ranks sixth among The T&D’s Top 10 stories of 2022.

He said the coronavirus pandemic has forced the university to play catch up, but S.C. State is up to the challenge.

“We’re taking a new look at how we engage the students from the beginning in a very holistic way to get that student to graduation,” he said.

Students will be given the resources they need, such as financial counselors or additional academic advisors, he said.

“By the beginning of the year, we hope to have hired an executive director for first-year experience and create a holistic student experience,” Conyers said.

He said the university must address its aging facilities.

A historic influx of state funding will allow South Carolina State University to expand its student center, renovate the tallest building on campus and complete other much-needed projects to the tune of $33 million.

The state also funded more than $6.6 million in initiatives for S.C. State’s 1890 Research & Extension, including youth cabins at Camp Harry E. Daniels, a limnology research center and the expansion of agribusiness programs.

“We know that in order to grow and maintain enrollment, we must have up-to-date facilities. Our number one challenge is still facilities. All things being equal with academic programs, we know that students and families will then choose the university with the better facilities,” Conyers said.

The university is asking lawmakers for a share of the state’s projected $1 billion in surplus money so S.C. State can, among other things, add a new library and fully rehabilitate Truth Hall.

The university is asking for a total capital request of $148,022,160, including money for the construction of a replacement building for Turner Hall ($54.7 million), which is the university’s primary general education facility and is also one of its oldest buildings. Turner Hall A, for example, was built in 1928.

There is also $23.3 million requested for a building to replace the 55-year-old Miller F. Whittaker Library; $45 million for an “Acadome” to replace the 54-year-old Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center; $5 million for a new communication and learning technology infrastructure platform; and $20 million for a college of agriculture, family and consumer sciences building.

The university’s total $158 million request from the state includes not just its capital request but a total recurring budget request of $4.2 million to increase academic scholarships in areas including education and engineering, along with a total non-recurring budget request of $6.7 million.

“Also, we will continue to market the university and improve our branding not just in South Carolina, but across the country. As we look at continuing to grow our enrollment, we know that we must effectively recruit outside of South Carolina,” Conyers said.

“Just because of the size of our state, the number of four-year institutions and community colleges in South Carolina, in addition to the number of HBCUs, the pool of interested students in South Carolina is small compared to what’s out there globally.

“So we’re looking to increase our out-of-state students, as well as our international population. Currently, our out-of-state population is around 15 percent, which is pretty low for a public school. So we’re hoping to increase that,” he said.

Conyers is also grateful for the partnerships the university has made, including with the city and county of Orangeburg, the state General Assembly, the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation and “our sister institutions in Claflin University and OCtech.”

“It’s been a great year because we know that when either of those entities win, we all win. So I look forward to increasing collaboration with our local community, our faith community, as well as our partners in higher education, and especially with our General Assembly and our local legislative delegation,” he said, noting that he’s also thankful for the support of the university’s alumni.

“The South Carolina State alumni have really stepped up and really assisted us in moving our university onward and upward. In March of 2023, we will induct the largest group ever of Miller Society inductees,” the president said.

The Miller Society is the university’s elite giving society. Named in honor of Thomas E. Miller, the first president of South Carolina State University, the Miller Society recognizes the cumulative philanthropy of individuals, couples, organizations, associations, corporations and foundations who demonstrate their commitment to the university and higher education. The society honors donors who have contributed $100,000 or more to the university.