ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WIS) - South Carolina State University terminated several academic programs during its Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday.

A member of the board told WIS that the programs had low enrollment among students. About 8 students would register per year, falling under the requirements set by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE).

The programs include:

• Business Education
• Professional Land Surveying
• Art Education
• Social Studies Education
• Jr. High/Middle School Education
• Mathematics
• Technology Teacher Education (Industrial)
• Mechanical Engineering Technology
• Dramatic Arts Education

In a statement, South Carolina State President Alexander Conyers said:

“The SC State Board of Trustees has approved the administration’s recommendation to delete nine academic programs from the university’s academic portfolio.”

We understand that decisions involving academic programs can create anxiety and uncertainty for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others who care deeply about SC State. These recommendations were not made lightly.”

Conyers also stated the university remains committed to supporting students through the transition.

Students still enrolled in the programs will still be able to complete them or transfer to a new program.

You can read the full statement below:

Dear Bulldog Family,

As South Carolina State University continues to strengthen its academic offerings and prepare for the future, we are taking a careful look at how our programs serve our students and respond to the changing needs of the workforce.

As part of that work, the SC State Board of Trustees has approved the administration’s recommendation to delete nine academic programs from the university’s academic portfolio. We understand that decisions involving academic programs can create anxiety and uncertainty for students, faculty, staff, alumni and others who care deeply about SC State. These recommendations were not made lightly.

They followed a review of program enrollment, graduation rates, state requirements, and the university’s responsibility to ensure that its academic offerings remain responsive to the needs of our students and the changing workforce. The administration’s final recommendation was made after reviewing the Dean’s Council recommendation.

Ultimately, we believe these actions are in the best interests of our students, the university, and the taxpayers of South Carolina. They also will position SC State to invest its resources strategically and develop new academic programs aligned with emerging workforce needs and career opportunities.

Meeting state standards

Eight programs approved for deletion have been out of compliance with the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education standards for enrollment and graduation rates for more than 10 years.

Across South Carolina’s public universities, the average rate of academic programs meeting those standards is 77%. Before the board’s action, only 37% of SC State’s programs met the standards -- the lowest rate in the state. The approved program deletions will increase SC State’s compliance rate to 51%, bringing the university closer to the performance of other public institutions in the state.

Four of the eight programs had previously been submitted to the Commission on Higher Education for deletion, but the process was not completed for reasons that are unclear. None of those four programs currently has students enrolled:

The other four programs that do not meet the state standards have a combined enrollment of 29 students:

The ninth program, Mechanical Engineering Technology, has 82 students currently enrolled. Its phaseout reflects the evolution of SC State’s engineering offerings. The university now offers a full Mechanical Engineering degree, which will better position students for the workforce and provide a pathway toward professional engineering licensure.

Meeting state standards is only part of our responsibility. SC State also must operate more efficiently and make the best possible use of the resources entrusted to us. As part of that work, the university has closed more than 200 course sections in the current semester that had fewer than 10 students enrolled. Consolidating low-enrollment sections allows us to use faculty and financial resources more effectively while continuing to provide the courses students need to progress toward graduation.

We appreciate the hard work of our faculty and staff as we make these adjustments. Their commitment to our students remains essential as we strengthen our academic operations and position the university for continued growth.

Our commitment to current students

Approval to delete a program does not mean that students currently enrolled in these programs will lose the opportunity to complete their degrees. SC State is required by the state to teach out the five programs that have students enrolled, allowing those students an opportunity to graduate in the programs they entered.



We will conduct an informational session for affected students at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28, in the Clyburn Engineering and Computer Science Complex auditorium.

We will work directly with affected students to develop clear paths toward degree completion. We also will work closely with faculty members as the university implements the teach-out plans and determines how faculty expertise can continue to support our academic mission.

It also is important to distinguish between deleting a degree program and eliminating instruction in an academic discipline. Many courses associated with these programs will continue to be taught because they are essential to other degree programs and the university’s core curriculum. Mathematics is a clear example. While the Mathematics degree program is being deleted, SC State cannot stop teaching mathematics. Math courses are essential to our science and engineering programs, as well as to the academic preparation of students in other disciplines. The same principle applies to courses in other areas that remain necessary to support the university’s broader curriculum.

Strengthening SC State’s academic portfolio

This action is part of a larger review of our academic portfolio. Twenty additional programs remain out of compliance with state standards.

Each will be reviewed carefully to determine the appropriate path forward. In some cases, the university will focus on strengthening programs, increasing enrollment, improving graduation rates, or identifying ways to better align curricula with workforce demand. Faculty participation will be an important part of that process.

At the same time, we must look ahead. The needs of South Carolina’s workforce are changing, and SC State must continue to evolve with them. Carefully assessing existing programs allows us to direct faculty expertise and university resources where they can have the greatest impact while creating room for new programs that respond to growing industries, emerging professions and the needs of future generations of Bulldogs.

Academic programs are more than numbers. They represent the work of faculty members, the aspirations of students and, in many cases, decades of SC State history. We understand the significance of these decisions and the concerns they may generate.

Our responsibility is to honor that history while making thoughtful decisions about SC State’s future. We remain committed to supporting our students through these transitions, engaging our faculty in the work ahead and maintaining a strong, relevant academic portfolio that prepares our graduates to compete and succeed.

Thank you to our faculty and staff for your hard work and continued commitment to our students and SC State. These changes require cooperation across the university, and we appreciate the work already being done to strengthen our academic enterprise while keeping student success at the center of our decisions.

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