The decision for SC State to take a break from higher education is not based on racism, prejudice or cultural intolerance.
It is the fact that SC State has failed their students literally by only about 1 out of every 10 students that walks into SC State comes out a graduate. No one knows who is to blame for this.
Some say it's the admitted students low SAT scores in comparison to the state average that gives the lecturers nothing to work with.
Some say it is a lack of resolve from the students to complete their degree.
Others say it's the neglect of the professors who are looking for a paycheck rather than the intellectual progression of the student.
It probably is a combination of these things, and while this is going on the finances of the school are in as much disarray as near-bankrupt Chicago.
Oops! That's where the current president of SC State is a former budget director of as well as the city that Forbes magazine said is going to be the next major city bankrupt after Detroit. Way to go SC State!
Back on topic, SC State is not just in a financial deficit. They are in a academic and ethical one too. Taking loans that they know they cannot pay back is unscrupulous and admitting students that don't finish just to continue getting income for the university is unfair.
Then, to claim it's a racially-infused reason why many legislators want to let SC State shut down for two years is preposterous. SC State needs to make those tough choices to reduce costs that families and small businesses make every day if they want to stay open.
There have been numerous black organizations that have had to make cuts or close operations for awhile to get back on their feet, ranging from my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, to the NAACP.
So, SC State shouldn't take it the wrong way. Restoring trust back to the SC State family which are the students, alumni, friends and faculty is what counts the most.
Without HBCUs like SC State, there would be a different cultural tone in America and much of Black History would have never happened. I think that each college should have a high level of autonomy to craft their organization the way they desire without strings attached.
To do this the state needs to give state colleges and universities more independence from state obligations. I would ask that Gov. Nikki Haley suggest each living alumni and friend of each state college give $100 per year to their college's endowment.
This would greatly reduce the amount of funding needed from the state and give each school the liberty to be the school they want to be.
Large, medium and small state colleges could reap the benefits certainly. SC State has at least 50,000 living alumni who are either retired or working towards that. This alone would generate at least $5 million a year for the college.
Being able to stand on their own as a college will help the institution grow into the prestigious place that we all know SC State can be along with other state schools.