News and Updates
University of South Carolina, Clemson University launch Higher Education Report Card for legislative accountability
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Jan. 28, 2017 – The University of South Carolina and Clemson University Student Governments have released the state’s first Higher Education Report Card. The students of these universities are stressing the importance of student opinions in the legislative process and holding legislators accountable for supporting higher education.
The report card identifies the bills from the 2015-2016 legislative session that impact students at these universities and features an honor roll of legislators that have been the biggest supporters of higher education.
“The report card will enable us to applaud those legislators who are doing great things for the institutions of higher learning in our state, which is important,” said Joey Wilson, student body president of Clemson University. “But not only that, it will also enable students to be more educated about how what goes on in our state capital affects our experience as students and how important it is for students to be engaged in the political process.”
Higher education makes the state of South Carolina more prosperous, healthier and more vibrant. For every dollar invested in higher education in the state, 25 dollars is returned to the state economy. Per-student funding for South Carolina’s public colleges and universities is 37 percent below 2008 levels, and only three states have cut higher education more than South Carolina.
“Public policy in South Carolina has gradually shifted the burden of paying for college from the state to the students and families of South Carolina,” said Michael Parks, student body president of the University of South Carolina. I’m excited to recognize and celebrate the leaders in our state legislature who are the champions of higher education, and can only hope that such recognition and thanks from our student bodies will inspire other legislators to support our students as well.”
The Higher Education Report Card recognizes how important higher education is in South Carolina and expresses how important the opinions of college students are. It aims to give students more of a voice in the legislative process by informing the public about how legislators vote on issues related to higher education, recognizing the legislature’s biggest supporters of higher education, holding legislators accountable and recommending policies for the future.
“Something like this is much bigger than any rivalry on the field,” Wilson said. “I’m proud of what we’ve started this year, but this is only the beginning of a great partnership that may profoundly impact the future of education in our state.”
“I’m confident that a joint effort between our state’s two most prominent public institutions, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, in producing the first-ever Higher Education Report Card will make an impact on our state's students for years to come,” Parks said.
Honor Roll Senators:
Honor Roll Representatives
Contact:
Natalie Pita, secretary of government relations
University of South Carolina
[email protected]
804-432-5056
Maggie Ambrose, secretary of government affairs
Clemson University
[email protected]
864-382-0025
###
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Jan. 28, 2017 – The University of South Carolina and Clemson University Student Governments have released the state’s first Higher Education Report Card. The students of these universities are stressing the importance of student opinions in the legislative process and holding legislators accountable for supporting higher education.
The report card identifies the bills from the 2015-2016 legislative session that impact students at these universities and features an honor roll of legislators that have been the biggest supporters of higher education.
“The report card will enable us to applaud those legislators who are doing great things for the institutions of higher learning in our state, which is important,” said Joey Wilson, student body president of Clemson University. “But not only that, it will also enable students to be more educated about how what goes on in our state capital affects our experience as students and how important it is for students to be engaged in the political process.”
Higher education makes the state of South Carolina more prosperous, healthier and more vibrant. For every dollar invested in higher education in the state, 25 dollars is returned to the state economy. Per-student funding for South Carolina’s public colleges and universities is 37 percent below 2008 levels, and only three states have cut higher education more than South Carolina.
“Public policy in South Carolina has gradually shifted the burden of paying for college from the state to the students and families of South Carolina,” said Michael Parks, student body president of the University of South Carolina. I’m excited to recognize and celebrate the leaders in our state legislature who are the champions of higher education, and can only hope that such recognition and thanks from our student bodies will inspire other legislators to support our students as well.”
The Higher Education Report Card recognizes how important higher education is in South Carolina and expresses how important the opinions of college students are. It aims to give students more of a voice in the legislative process by informing the public about how legislators vote on issues related to higher education, recognizing the legislature’s biggest supporters of higher education, holding legislators accountable and recommending policies for the future.
“Something like this is much bigger than any rivalry on the field,” Wilson said. “I’m proud of what we’ve started this year, but this is only the beginning of a great partnership that may profoundly impact the future of education in our state.”
“I’m confident that a joint effort between our state’s two most prominent public institutions, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, in producing the first-ever Higher Education Report Card will make an impact on our state's students for years to come,” Parks said.
Honor Roll Senators:
Honor Roll Representatives
Contact:
Natalie Pita, secretary of government relations
University of South Carolina
[email protected]
804-432-5056
Maggie Ambrose, secretary of government affairs
Clemson University
[email protected]
864-382-0025
###
For immediate release
January 9, 2017
Media Advisory
The University of South Carolina and Clemson University Student Governments are uniting to show legislators that higher education issues are important to college students. Their mission is to create transparency between the state government and the students who attend institutions of higher education in South Carolina. Michael Parks, student body president of the University of South Carolina, and Joey Wilson, student body president of Clemson University, will be in attendance, as well as members of the Student Governments of both universities.
What: Press Conference to launch South Carolina’s first Student Higher Education Report and Honor Roll
When: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Russell House University Union Theater
1400 Greene Street
Columbia, South Carolina 2225
Why: To release the Student Higher Education Report and Honor Roll, which identifies the bills from the 2015-2016 legislative session that impact students at these universities and features an Honor Roll of legislators that have been the biggest supporters of higher education
Please notify Natalie Pita at [email protected] or 804-4320-5056 by Monday, January 16 at 5:00 p.m. to reserving a parking spot in advance.
Contact:
Natalie Pita
University of South Carolina, Secretary of Government Relations
[email protected]
Phone: 804-432-5056
Maggie Ambrose
Clemson University, Director of Government Affairs
[email protected]
Phone: 864-382-0025
###
January 9, 2017
Media Advisory
The University of South Carolina and Clemson University Student Governments are uniting to show legislators that higher education issues are important to college students. Their mission is to create transparency between the state government and the students who attend institutions of higher education in South Carolina. Michael Parks, student body president of the University of South Carolina, and Joey Wilson, student body president of Clemson University, will be in attendance, as well as members of the Student Governments of both universities.
What: Press Conference to launch South Carolina’s first Student Higher Education Report and Honor Roll
When: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Russell House University Union Theater
1400 Greene Street
Columbia, South Carolina 2225
Why: To release the Student Higher Education Report and Honor Roll, which identifies the bills from the 2015-2016 legislative session that impact students at these universities and features an Honor Roll of legislators that have been the biggest supporters of higher education
Please notify Natalie Pita at [email protected] or 804-4320-5056 by Monday, January 16 at 5:00 p.m. to reserving a parking spot in advance.
Contact:
Natalie Pita
University of South Carolina, Secretary of Government Relations
[email protected]
Phone: 804-432-5056
Maggie Ambrose
Clemson University, Director of Government Affairs
[email protected]
Phone: 864-382-0025
###