The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie is a public university in South Carolina with campuses in Allendale and Walterboro. It is one of four regional USC campuses which make up Palmetto College. USC Salkehatchie is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as part of the flagship campus (University of South Carolina Columbia). More than 1100 students attend the University at one of its two sites.
History
USC Salkehatchie -
The citizens of Allendale, Bamberg, and Hampton counties led an effort in 1964 to establish a center of higher education for their region of South Carolina. The proposal was warmly received by the General Assembly, and the Western Carolina Higher Education Commission was created to investigate the possibility of a college for the region. House Speaker Solomon Blatt pleaded with the University of South Carolina to build two-year colleges across the state so as to prevent any possible expansion by Clemson. As a result, USC planned a campus for the area, and it was decided that the campus be placed in Allendale because it was the hometown of Lieutenant Governor Robert Evander McNair. Barnwell County joined the commission in 1967 and Colleton County followed in 1984. The campus was therefore named after the Salkehatchie River because it runs through all five counties of the commission. The first classes were held in 1965 at an unused elementary school building in Allendale with an initial enrollment of 76 students. The campus gradually expanded its programs and it began offering extension courses in 1978 at Walterboro. A permanent campus was established at Walterboro in 1982 through the acquisition of the old Walterboro High School building and gymnasium.
Academics
Students enrolled at USC Salkehatchie can complete the requirements for three bachelor's degree programs that are formally awarded by other institutions:
The bachelor's degree in Elementary Education program is conducted in partnership with USC Aiken. The core requirements are completed as USC Salkehatchie courses. Faculty members from USC Aiken teach the upper level education classes on the USC Salkehatchie campus.
The bachelor's degree in Nursing program is conducted in partnership with the College of Nursing at USC Columbia. General-education and lower-level courses (first two years) are completed as USC Salkehatchie courses. Upper-level nursing courses are offered on the USC Salkehatchie campus through USC Columbia with most clinical practice in local hospitals and clinics.
The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program, as other Palmetto Programs, is conducted following a blended delivery method consisting of traditional classroom, two-way video, and online courses taught by faculty members from USC Salkehatchie and the other regional campuses of the University of South Carolina (Lancaster, Sumter, and Union). All courses can be taken at the USC Salkehatchie campus. The degree is awarded by Extended University at USC Columbia.
Students completing the first two years of higher education at USC Salkehatchie can also transfer to other campuses of the University of South Carolina with minimal effort. Within the constraints of program requirements, students completing the first two years of higher education at USC Salkehatchie can transfer credits from courses in which they earned at least a C to practically every university in the United States. For those who cannot pursue further higher education, USC Salkehatchie offers the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science degree to students who have earned 60 hours of credit and have met all program requirements.
Key benefits for attending USC Salkehatchie include:
- They have the lowest tuition rates of any university in the state
- Only needing a 3.0 to obtain the Life Scholarship, or earning a 3.0 after the first year(30 hours)
- Small class room sizes with a maximum of 30 students, but an average of only 15 students per class room
- No minimum GPA or ACT/SAT score requirements for incoming freshman
- Seamless no hassle transition into a 4-year campus
Any student with the goal of achieving a bachelor's degree would benefit by already starting out in the university system and moving up when they are ready to finish their degree.
USC Salkehatchie not only offers an outstanding education, but because you are receiving it at such a low price point you are starting out your college career with the lowest amount of debt, if any at all. Most all of their students receive some sort of financial aid, and over 80% of their students attend the school at no cost out of pocket.
Administration
- Dean of the Campus: Dr. Ann C. Carmichael
- Academic Dean: Dr. C. Bryan Love
- Dean of Students: Ms. Jane Brewer
- Director of Human Resources: Dr. William Sandifer
- Director of Budget and Finance: Ms. Jessica All
- Director of Enrollment Management: Mr. Mike Smith
- Director of Recruiting: Mr. Joey Hughes
- Director of Information Technology: Ms. Gayle Walsh
- Coordinator of B.A. in Education Program: Dr. Kaye Burks
- Coordinator of B.S.N. in Nursing Program: Ms. April Cone
Athletics
The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie sponsors six varsity level teams, known as the Selkies, to compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Selkies field three women's teams in soccer, softball, and volleyball.
Until early 2018 the university's mascot was the Indian, but to forestall controversy over Native American imagery the Indian was retired and the Selkie chosen instead to celebrate the maritime heritage of the Lowcountry.
Softball coach, Kenneth Bellamy is an alumnus of Salkehatchie and former baseball player, where he transferred from after his two years to pitch for and graduate from Paine College. He started coaching at Salkie in 2014.
The men's teams compete in baseball, basketball and soccer.
Charles "Bubba" Dorman is the baseball coach and has held that position since 2005 when he reinstated the baseball program after a 1-year hiatus. Before arriving in Allendale, Coach Dorman coached baseball at Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Newberry College, and Spartanburg Methodist College, among others and is an alumnus and former infielder at Wofford College.
Previous coaches before Coach Dorman:
Jess Dannelly- 1976-1984
Joe Baxter- 1984-2004
Three Salk baseball players were fortunate enough to play under both Coach Dorman (2005-2006 season) and Coach Joe Baxter (2003-2004 season). These three guys were a link from the past era of Coach Baxter to the new era of Coach Dorman.
EJ Deal (Marlboro County High School '03), Kyle Anderson (Silver Bluff High School '03), and Kenneth Bellamy (Silver Bluff High School '03).
The movie Radio was filmed in Walterboro in the fall of 2002. The basketball game scenes in the movie were shot at the Walterboro East campus gymnasium where many of the Salkehatchie students participated in the filming.
References
External links
- University of South Carolina Salkehatchie
- University of South Carolina Salkehatchie Academic Bulletin
- University of South Carolina Salkehatchie Athletics