South Carolina S 304: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE ELIZABETH "BETH" DINNDORF ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT, TO COMMEND HER FOR HER YEARS OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE AS PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE, AND TO WISH HER MUCH HAPPINESS AND FULFILLMENT IN THE YEARS TO COME.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 304 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 04, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 304

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A senate RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH 
CAROLINA AND THE ENTIRE University of South Carolina SYSTEM FOR ITS MANY AND 
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF OUR CITIZENS AND TO 
DECLARE Tuesday, FEBRUARY 11, 2025, "CAROLINA DAY" AT THE STATE HOUSE.

Whereas, the University 
of South Carolina (USC) system has an annual impact of 7.4 billion dollars on 
the state's economy, reflecting USC's impact on job creation, labor income, and 
state-tax revenue; and

Whereas, with state support, 
USC continues to prioritize access and affordability for in-state students, 
having frozen tuition for a record-setting six years in a row in Columbia and 
seven years across the USC system; and

Whereas, the USC system 
is educating more than fifty-five thousand students annually, with Columbia 
educating more South Carolinians than at any time in its 224-year history, with 
one in five being first generation students; and 

Whereas, the USC system 
provides more opportunities for African American and minority students than any 
other institution in the State, leading in both enrollment and graduation; and

Whereas, USC is 
preparing the State's workforce through innovative programs such as the USC 
Internship Program, the Interdisciplinary Certificates Program, partnerships 
with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, SC Nexus, and with industry 
associations such as the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance and others; and

Whereas, USC set a 
record last year in research funding, reaching three hundred nine million 
dollars, reflecting the high quality of research being conducted in critical 
areas such as brain health, artificial intelligence, new technologies, and 
energy innovation; and

Whereas, philanthropic 
investment in USC remains strong, with two alumni gifts alone totaling sixty 
million dollars last year from Joe Rice in law and Alex Molinaroli for 
engineering, with both investments helping to drive the State's future economic 
growth; and

Whereas, as the state's 
leading producer of health sciences degrees at more than four thousand annually, 
including nine hundred nursing degrees, the USC system is meeting South 
Carolina's healthcare needs and, with State support, is breaking ground on a 
new Health Sciences Campus, which will serve the State by educating much-needed 
physicians and healthcare providers; and

Whereas, USC is 
expanding its Brain Health Network to improve the diagnosis and treatment of 
dementia, Alzheimer's, and other brain-related illnesses and is planning the 
Southeast's first integrated neurological hospital and rehabilitation center 
under one roof, dedicated exclusively to treating neurological diseases and 
injuries; and

Whereas, USC's system 
institutions are also educating future leaders, including USC Aiken in partnership 
with the Department of Energy and National Guard; USC Beaufort through marine 
biology and preserving Pritchard's Island as a living laboratory for student 
research and education; USC Upstate as one of just six institutions nationally 
recognized for excellence in preparing students for economic mobility; and USC's 
Palmetto College offering flexible degree programs where students live, without 
the need to relocate; and

Whereas, USC 
student-athletes achieve at the highest levels in athletic competition and in 
the classroom, shown by eight team national championships since 2010, including 
women's basketball's third national title last season, while achieving 
thirty-six consecutive semesters with a 3.0 GPA or higher and generating an 
economic impact of more than 346 million dollars to the state each year; and

Whereas, the South 
Carolina Senate values the commitment of the State's flagship university and of 
the entire USC system and its alumni worldwide to continued academic and 
educational excellence, affordability, and availability to the citizens of this 
great State. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor 
the University of South Carolina and the entire University of South Carolina system 
for its many and significant contributions to the education and culture of our 
citizens and declare Tuesday, February 11, 2025, as "Carolina Day" at the State 
House. 

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 04, 2025 at 12:18 PM