A house RESOLUTION

 

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE ENTIRE University of South Carolina SYSTEM FOR ITS MANY AND SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF OUR CITIZENS AND TO DECLARE Tuesday, FEBRUARY 11, 2025, "CAROLINA DAY" AT THE STATE HOUSE.

 

Whereas, the University of South Carolina (USC) system has an annual impact of 7.4 billion dollars on the state's economy, reflecting USC's impact on job creation, labor income, and state-tax revenue; and

 

Whereas, with state support, USC continues to prioritize access and affordability for in-state students, having frozen tuition for a record-setting six years in a row in Columbia and seven years across the USC system; and

 

Whereas, the USC system is educating more than fifty-five thousand students annually, with Columbia educating more South Carolinians than at any time in its 224-year history, with one in five being first generation students; and

 

Whereas, the USC system provides more opportunities for African American and minority students than any other institution in the State, leading in both enrollment and graduation; and

 

Whereas, USC is preparing the State's workforce through innovative programs such as the USC Internship Program, the Interdisciplinary Certificates Program, partnerships with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, SC Nexus, and with industry associations such as the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance and others; and

 

Whereas, USC set a record last year in research funding, reaching three hundred nine million dollars, reflecting the high quality of research being conducted in critical areas such as brain health, artificial intelligence, new technologies, and energy innovation; and

 

Whereas, philanthropic investment in USC remains strong, with two alumni gifts alone totaling sixty million dollars last year from Joe Rice in law and Alex Molinaroli for engineering, with both investments helping to drive the State's future economic growth; and

 

Whereas, as the state's leading producer of health sciences degrees at more than four thousand annually, including nine hundred nursing degrees, the USC system is meeting South Carolina's healthcare needs and, with State support, is breaking ground on a new Health Sciences Campus, which will serve the State by educating much-needed physicians and healthcare providers; and

 

Whereas, USC is expanding its Brain Health Network to improve the diagnosis and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's, and other brain-related illnesses and is planning the Southeast's first integrated neurological hospital and rehabilitation center under one roof, dedicated exclusively to treating neurological diseases and injuries; and

 

Whereas, USC's system institutions are also educating future leaders, including USC Aiken in  partnership with the Department of Energy and National Guard; USC Beaufort through marine biology and preserving Pritchard's Island as a living laboratory for student research and education; USC Upstate as one of just six institutions nationally recognized for excellence in preparing students for economic mobility; and USC's Palmetto College offering flexible degree programs where students live, without the need to relocate; and

 

Whereas, USC student-athletes achieve at the highest levels in athletic competition and in the classroom, shown by eight team national championships since 2010, including women's basketball's third national title last season, while achieving thirty-six consecutive semesters with a 3.0 GPA or higher and generating an economic impact of more than 346 million dollars to the state each year; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives values the commitment of the State's flagship university and of the entire USC system and its alumni worldwide to continued academic and educational excellence, affordability, and availability to the citizens of this great State. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor the University of South Carolina and the entire University of South Carolina system for its many and significant contributions to the education and culture of our citizens and declare Tuesday, February 11, 2025, as "Carolina Day" at the State House.

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