FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2016

Budget Cuts Target Higher Education

Most recent cuts cost Central College $600,000 in state funding

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina State Legislature voted to reduce state funding for higher

education. The first round of budget cuts reduced Central College’s administrative budgets by over
$600,000. Additional cuts could have more severe consequences.

The first round of budget cuts impacted the staffing levels for several of the college’s community
initiatives and additional cuts will likely result in reduced hours for the public athletic facilities and
library. Cuts will also hinder Central College’s fundraising capabilities.

“Not only do these cuts have negative consequences for Central College and our students and faculty, but

these cuts will also affect our community,” said Central College President Leon DeWitt. “We bring in new
talent and new business, stimulate the economy, and support South Carolina through our 21 community
initiatives. Budget cuts to higher education will hinder our ability to do so.”

Central College receives 40 percent of its funding through subsidies and grants provided by the state.
Central College uses the money to fundraise, organize studies, develop new curriculum, support
community programs, and recruit.

“South Carolina has fallen on hard times and difficult decisions must be made,” said DeWitt. “But higher
education is good for the community and the economy. Continuing to target higher education will only
have a more negative impact.”

Colleges and universities offer many economic benefits to their communities. In terms of direct impacts,
colleges are estimated to generate $152 million for the state economy on average. Colleges also create
jobs, hire locals, and raise the skills of the local workforce, increasing the state’s “human capital,”
according to a study by Drs. Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz of Liberty Street Economics.
“Central College has an important impact on students, but it also has a profound impact on the local

community and the entire state,” said DeWitt. “We cannot allow more budget cuts to hinder our ability to

help our students or our state.”

About Central College

Founded in 1902, Central College was the first institution of higher education in Charleston, South
Carolina. Central College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college with locations in
Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. Over the years, Central College has provided more than
200,000 students with the experience and education needed to excel in more than 100 subjects. Today,
Central College prepares 4,500 full-time and 1,200 part-time students to be the next generation of global
leaders and engaged citizens through a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum, which provides students
with a wide range of skills. Visit www.CentralCollege.edu to learn more.

Contact
Karen Eliot, External Communications Manager
1001 South Main St
Charleston, SC 29401
443 - 694 - 7308
karen.eliot@cc.edu

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2016

Central College Awarded Grant for Pilot Study

Central College will create long-distance remedial courses for struggling high school students.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Research Foundation awarded a grant to Central College to
fund its participation in the Early Support pilot study, which aims to increase high school graduation
rates.

The four-year pilot study involves five state colleges – Central College, the University of South Carolina,
Clemson University, the College of Charleston, and Costal Carolina University. Central College was
chosen because of its demonstrated capabilities in electronic learning and expertise in computer skills and
English.

“We are honored to be chosen,” said Central College President Leon DeWitt. “The faculty at Central

College looks forward to improving the education and lives of local high school students.”

The five colleges will partner with local high schools to develop long-distance remedial education
courses. The courses aim to bring struggling high school juniors and seniors, identified by a joint team of
high school and college counselors, up to the college level in reading, writing, math and computer skills
before college.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our high schools,” said South Carolina’s superintendent, Molly
Mitchell Spearman. “It will be a great advantage to have colleges helping students prepare for college.”

The pilot study will be funded by a grant from the Federal Education Resources Commission. The grant
will provide funds for staff and materials. Students will attend classes at interactive classrooms, provided
by the grant, throughout South Carolina.

Courses will be developed and taught online by college faculty. Professors at each of the five colleges
will be nominated by their departments and then selected by March 13.
“We make every effort to demonstrate our commitment to the community,” said DeWitt. “We believe this
partnership will give us a new opportunity to make our community better.”

To further demonstrate their commitment to the community, Central College will admit and offer
financial aid to applicants from participating high schools who do well in the remedial program. This
offer follows the decision by the Central College Board of Trustees to raise admittance standards to
become more competitive with Ivy League colleges.

The first meeting of the college and university participants, which will be open to the public, will take
place at the South Carolina Capitol building on March 15. At the meeting, the colleges will be partnered
with the selected high schools and the parties will begin to discuss basic curriculum.

About Central College

Founded in 1902, Central College was the first institution of higher education in Charleston, South
Carolina. Central College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college with locations in
Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. Over the years, Central College has provided more than
200,000 students with the experience and education needed to excel in more than 100 subjects. Today,
Central College prepares 4,500 full-time and 1,200 part-time students to be the next generation of global
leaders and engaged citizens through a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum, which provides students
with a wide range of skills. Visit www.CentralCollege.edu to learn more.

Contact
Karen Eliot, External Communications Manager
1001 South Main St
Charleston, SC 29401
443 - 694 - 7308
karen.eliot@cc.edu

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2017

Early Support Fundraiser Held at Central College

Participants and legislators will attend graduation cookout in Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Central College will host a graduation cookout on Saturday, May 13, from noon
to 4 p.m. on the main mall to celebrate the success of 85 local high school seniors who participated in a
long-distance remedial education pilot study. The cookout is open to the public and will double as a
fundraiser for Early Support, the program credited with helping these students succeed.

All 85 graduating participants and their families are expected to attend, alongside the faculty who wrote
the curriculum and representatives from the five colleges who participated. Governor Henry McMaster,
Sen. Sean M. Bennett, Sen. George E. "Chip" Campsen, III, and Rep. William Scott Cogswell, Jr. have
also accepted invitations to the fundraiser. Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ and the Smoking Pot are
donating food for the event.

“We’re hosting this cookout not only to celebrate the incredible students and faculty who made Early
Support a success, but to raise money and ensure that the program will be able to help more students in
the future,” said President Leon DeWitt of Central College.

Inspired by the success of the pilot study, faculties from the colleges and high schools that participated
have been eager to run Early Support again next year. Budget cuts to higher education, as a result of
several years of economic trouble in South Carolina, have threatened the future of the program.

“Unfortunately, South Carolina has fallen on hard economic times and difficult decisions must be made,”

DeWitt said. “If budget cuts continue to target higher education, Central College and others would have to

reduce community projects, like Early Support.”

In 2016, Central College, the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the College of
Charleston, and Costal Carolina University were awarded grants by the South Carolina Educational
Research Foundation to participate in the pilot study of a long-distance remedial education program called
Early Support.

Twenty-three faculty members worked with 100 students from Spring Valley, Lexington, Newberry,
Beaufort, and Westside high schools. The program achieved a 90 percent success rate. Eighty-five of the
participating students were accepted into at least one of the participating colleges. Another five students
opted to stay in high school another year to further improve their scores. On average, participants’ SAT
scores increased by 200 points over their previous scores.

The graduation cookout will be held on Saturday, May 13, from noon until 4 p.m. on the main mall at
Central College. Central College welcomes and encourages the attendance of the local community. More
details are available online at cc.edu/earlysupport.

About Central College

Founded in 1902, Central College was the first institution of higher education in Charleston, South
Carolina. Central College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college with locations in
Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. Over the years, Central College has provided more than
200,000 students with the experience and education needed to excel in more than 100 subjects. Today,
Central College prepares 4,500 full-time and 1,200 part-time students to be the next generation of global
leaders and engaged citizens through a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum, which provides students
with a wide range of skills. Visit www.CentralCollege.edu to learn more.

Contact
Karen Eliot, External Communications Manager
1001 South Main St
Charleston, SC 29401
443 - 694 - 7308
karen.eliot@cc.edu

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