On Feb. 1, 2017, College of Charleston President Glenn F. McConnell ’69 addressed the South Carolina House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee in Columbia to present the College’s funding requests for the next fiscal year and to answer questions from committee members.
The College – along with all of the state’s public colleges and universities – is required to submit annual budget requests to the General Assembly.
President Glenn McConnell
In his public testimony, McConnell assured legislators that the College is a careful steward of the public’s money and that the university is committed to providing a high-quality educational experience to our students at an affordable cost. He also noted that the College relies on the legislature for partial financial support of programs and initiatives that contribute to the state’s economy and quality of life.
In remarks to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education in March 2016, McConnell said that the state’s colleges and universities “are the linchpin for economic development, high-tech innovation, scientific research, job creating, an improved K-12 system, and a high quality of life. Every college degree earned by a South Carolinian is a long-term investment in the success and future of our state.”
The College is seeking an overall budget increase as well as funding to expand the supply chain management and Bachelor of Professional Studies programs along with extra monies to support the College’s growing number of in-state students.
McConnell also reiterated his support for a higher education bond bill, which would provide a source of state funding for repairs and renovations at the state’s public colleges and universities, including the College. There is a growing sense of optimism regarding the passage of a higher education bond bill in the near future, McConnell recently told members of the College’s Board of Trustees.
The president will return to Columbia next week for College of Charleston Day at the State House on Feb. 8, 2017. The annual event enables deans, faculty, staff and students to showcase some of the many initiatives and research projects taking place at the College as well as an opportunity to speak directly with members of the General Assembly about the value of a liberal arts education.
On March 2, 2017, McConnell will present the College’s budget requests for the next fiscal year to the South Carolina Senate Finance Committee.
