Vote of Closure for SC State: A Warning Shot for the Ages

South Carolina State University will find it nearly impossible to recover from Tuesday’svote by the South Carolina House Ways and Means Subcommittee to close the university for one year while all leadership and students are swept out of its doors.

In the span of about two hours, that vote has spurred scrutiny from the school’s accrediting body, likely sunk the university’s credit rating, convinced potential students to apply elsewhere, and given alumni a sense of lost hope, never to be regained.

So even if the South Carolina legislature overwhelmingly votes down the measure, which is unlikely to happen given Gov. Nikki Haley’s view on the school, you can bet that the work of a few hours will likely end nearly 120 years of black history and empowerment in the state. From WLTX in South Carolina:

“The governor certainly understands the frustrations of the House Committee,” said Cheney Adams, a spokeswoman for Governor Nikki Haley. “SC State’s leadership has been unable to provide straight answers on the condition of the schools finances for months, something she finds totally unacceptable.”

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges President Belle Wheelan says that if the measure passes, SCSU would instantly lose its accreditation by way of the unprecedented legislative action.

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