Higher education in America is in a period of turmoil.
Institutions across the country have seen declining enrollment rates and financial shortfalls. Smaller colleges have shut down or merged with larger institutions as a result of these issues. According to The Hechinger Report, at least 30 colleges closed in the first 10 months of 2023.
Many of the larger, public universities are also experiencing a decline in enrollment.
The University of South Carolina, however, is “thriving and building momentum,” said President Michael Amiridis in an interview with the Greenville Journal.
“We’re avoiding the noise,” Amiridis said. “We’re focusing on the core mission. The experience and the success of our students is critical.”
Strong enrollment
Problems with higher education enrollment can be attributed to the decline in high school graduates due to a shrinking birth rate in the U.S. Amiridis said there will be a “demographic cliff in higher education” in two years as a result of the decreased birth rates experienced in 2008.
People moving from one state to another can also impact high school graduation rates. However, this factor has not had a large impact on South Carolina.
According to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, the state has experienced strong population growth in recent years. Amiridis explained that as a result, the number of high school graduates in the state has been increasing.
USC saw a 12% increase in its freshmen enrollment for fall 2023 with 7,344 new students. Amiridis said the school received 47,000 applications last fall and already has 53,000 applications for this year.
“We’re getting a high percentage of South Carolinians coming to the University of South Carolina,” Amiridis said. “We’re becoming the destination of choice, not only for them but also for our out-of-state students.”
Workforce skills
USC strives to enhance the student experience while providing tools to help each student be successful in his or her career after graduation. To help achieve this goal, the university recently launched four new certificates focused on key workforce-development skills.
“We provide a basic, strong professional education for a career,” Amiridis said. “At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with providing some skills for the first job.”
All students, regardless of their major, can earn a certificate in:
- Digital studies
- Data analytics and visualization
- Project leadership and management
- Strategic thinking and communication
Amiridis said there are already 500 students working to earn these certifications. Each certificate requires students to complete four courses.
Internship incentives
While helping educate the next workforce generation, USC also helps encourage students to find jobs in South Carolina. Amiridis said approximately 25% of the university’s out-of-state graduates get their first job in South Carolina.
The university launched a pilot program in spring 2023 to incentivize internships in South Carolina. The program provides $3,000 awards to students with in-state internships and co-ops.
To qualify, a student’s internship must be in a high-demand industry such as manufacturing, aerospace, energy, health and life sciences or financial services. Five hundred students took advantage of this program last summer.
Amiridis said the university recently received $4.5 million from the South Carolina General Assembly for the program. With this state funding, the program will be able to provide 1,500 students with the financial award this upcoming summer.
“We expect that this will become permanent,” Amiridis said. “We extended this to all of our campuses.”
