Home to the nation’s first Ph.D. program in automotive engineering and one of the largest collections of religious art, the Upcountry’s 23 colleges and universities (serving some 80,000 students) have a well-earned reputation for quality and ingenuity in the classroom and beyond.
As the town-and-gown relationships between these schools and the Upcountry continue to thrive, students aren’t the only ones reaping the rewards. In addition to feeding local businesses with a highly skilled work force, area schools supply the Upcountry with access to unique programming and events that make living here an educational, enjoyable, and cultural experience.
The Upcountry’s largest university is also one of its highest-ranking: Clemson University boasts more than 19,000 students, offers 80 undergraduate and 110 graduate programs, and ranks 23rd in a survey of top-ranked public research universities by U.S. News and World Report.
One of Clemson’s most lauded achievements is the International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), a 250-acre campus just off I-85 in Greenville. Convenient to numerous research-and development and auto production facilities, CU-ICAR has developed a cutting-edge research and educational program unlike any other in the country, including the nation’s first Ph.D. program in automotive engineering.
“These facilities will provide our graduate students with the best possible educational experience as they prepare for international internships and, ultimately, careers in the automotive sector,” says Dr. Thomas Kurfess, automotive engineering graduate director and CU-ICAR’s BMW–endowed chairman of manufacturing.
The automotive industry recognizes the center for its state-of-the-art equipment and experienced faculty, making it an ideal spot to train tomorrow’s automotive engineers while exchanging ideas with those already in the field. In 2012, CU-ICAR and Greenville will host an international conference on electric vehicles on behalf of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Few campuses have a more meaningful global commitment than Furman University, which requires all students to take at least one course in sustainability. As South Carolina’s oldest private institution of higher education, Furman’s curriculum includes a major in sustainability science, making it the first private liberal arts university in the country to offer such a major. The school infuses sustainability concepts throughout all 24 departments. For example, its English department offers a course in environmental writing, which studies the works of Henry David Thoreau and Rachel Carson, among others.
“We want them [Furman students] to be well-prepared and well equipped to serve their community in substantive, supportive, and sustainable ways,” says Dr. Angela Halfacre, associate professor and director of Furman’s Shi Center for Sustainability.
Perhaps one of the most exceptional connections between college and community exists at Bob Jones University’s Museum and Gallery, which welcomes more than 20,000 visitors annually to view one of the largest collections of religious art in the Western Hemisphere. Highlights include the bounty of Baroque paintings, as well as European sacred art from the 14th through the early 19th centuries.
The newest college to arrive in the Upcountry is teaming up with one of its oldest: Wofford College (founded in 1854), along with the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, is partnering with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) on the new Carolinas Campus, a branch campus of VCOM. Slated to open this fall, the four-year medical school in downtown Spartanburg will graduate its inaugural class in 2015. Wofford will provide VCOM students and staff with access to its oncampus performances and sporting events, in addition to the use of Wofford’s dining and library facilities. Wofford students will also be able to observe classes at VCOM, an added benefit for the college’s premed students.
Just as impressive, another med school, University of South Carolina School of Medicine–Greenville, is in the works for downtown Greenville and would be a partnership between the Columbia-based university and Greenville Hospital System.
Continuing the theme of moving campuses to downtown locations: Last year, Clemson’s Master of Business Administration program relocated from the school’s main campus to a site in Greenville overlooking the scenic Reedy River Falls. And Southern Wesleyan University, based in the neighboring town of Central, also has a downtown satellite campus that offers graduate studies programs in business, education and administration.
Not to be outdone, the University of South Carolina Upstate relocated its business school to a 60,000-square-foot facility in downtown Spartanburg. This prime position allows students at the George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics (known as “The George”) to take advantage of potential internship opportunities with downtown businesses. It also offers easy access to community leaders.
Expanding education is all about maximizing opportunity, but perhaps nowhere is this more true than at the community college level. Tri-County Technical College just opened a new 37-acre campus in Easley, a suburb of Greenville. The school is also building a state-of-the-art Industrial Technology Center for its welding, heating, ventilation, and construction programs. At Greenville Technical College, students enrolled in the Culinary Institute of the Carolinas practice their trade in a state-of-the-art facility with five culinary labs.
And here’s another school to watch: Anderson University was named the No. 1 “Up-and-Coming” school in the South by U.S. News and World Report in its 2010-2011 issue of “America’s Best Colleges.” The school, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary, recently added three new graduate programs in education, ministry and music.
For Upstate residents, perhaps the most rewarding part of being close to so many colleges and universities is all the fun activities and events. From live theater and music to sports, the 20-plus campuses extend beyond the classroom and into the lives of Upstate families—enhancing their quality of life every day.
adapted from an article in Spirit Magazine, May 2011
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