Charlotte Lemon ChsIntro2015.pdf

EDUCATIONPhoto/Charleston Southern UniversityPhoto/College of CharlestonThe College of Charleston Observatory.Students in the computer lab at Charleston Southern University.and graduated its first class the following year.The Charleston region is also home toseveral technical colleges that offer a host oftwo-year degrees and trade certifications. Theseinclude Trident Technical College, the region’slargest two-year school. Upon the Boeing Co.’s2009 announcement that it would locate anassembly plant for its 787 Dreamliner in NorthCharleston, Trident Tech announced it wouldexpand its aviation electronics programs anddedicate nearly 10,000 square feet of space forBoeing-related training programs at its maincampus.Students also have the option of attendingsatellite campuses for specialty training,such as Embry Riddle Aeronautical Universitylocated at the Charleston Air Force Base.The Art Institute of Charleston opened in2007 and is a branch of the Art Intitute ofAtlanta. The programs it offers include commercialphotography, culinary arts, fashion andretail management, graphic design and more.Charleston is also home to the AmericanCollege of the Building Arts, which trainsstudents in historical building trades such asironwork or plaster.The Lowcountry Graduate Center in NorthCharleston is an organization that formed tohelp working professionals gain advanced degreesthrough collaboration between the state’scolleges and universities.Despite myriad choices, South Carolina, likemany states, is at a crossroads when it comes tohigher education.Many exciting programs are under wayhere, including the South Carolina Centers forEconomic Excellence program.The state created the Centers for EconomicExcellence program in 2002 to provideincentives for the state’s research universitiesto raise capital from private sources to fundendowments for specialized research professorships.The professorships serve a uniquerole in helping cultivate critical public-privateindustrial partnerships and expanding thestate’s knowledge base.At the same time, South Carolina is grapplingwith decreasing state funds and increasedtuition costs. Without money for new facilities,demand in the coming years may outstripcapacity. And schools are constantly challengedwith training students for the evolving hightechindustry.The good news is that university officialsand lawmakers spend countless hours studying,debating and creating innovative waysto advance higher learning in South Carolina— without putting the financial burden onstudents and their families.The state’s colleges and universities —including many in the Lowcountry — offera competitive education to traditional andreturning students.They also help fuel the local economy byserving as some of the area’s largest employers,by luring students and families to town, andby fostering relationships with the communityand businesses. The Lowcountry’s institutionsof higher learning are — and will continue tobe — a major part of the cultural fabric of thisregion.For more information on higher educationinstitutions in South Carolina, visit the S.C.Commission on Higher Education at www.che.sc.gov.Photo/MUSCMedical studentslearning at MUSC.16 | INTRO