Student activism surrounding the possible closure of South Carolina State University has ramped up in the last week, including Hirut Kollech’s enlistment of celebrities to support the beleaguered school.
We believe that student and alumni support will help the school, but it can only go so far. If SC State is to recover from its woes, drastic changes are needed.
The proposal for the state to take control of the school’s finances is a reasonable alternative to closure, massive cuts or another state loan.
The university has been behind on its food service and maintenance bills. The former chairman of the school’s board of trustees was convicted for public corruption. The school has been accused of withholding financial information from the legislature and overspending budgets. They are on probation for their accreditation due to financial woes. All of these point to a systemic problem with financial affairs at SC State.
And poor financial management isn't the only thing plaguing SC State. Dwindling enrollment, less state funding and a crumbling Orangeburg have hastened the university’s downfall. But throwing money at the problem, whether from state funding or alumni donations, without fixing this major underlying issue will be like putting a Band-Aid on a critically ill patient.
Some have argued that students would be taken care of in the event of closure with the proposal to allow them to transfer to other state universities. However, it’s an open question whether credits would transfer or additional financial aid would be granted. Plus, no student wants to see his chosen school collapse and no alumnus wants his degree devalued.
We hope SC State can recover. But in order for that to happen, we believe the state must take major steps to put the school’s finances in order before it’s too late.