Sorensen dedicated to raise count and quality
By John Temple Ligon Temple@TheColumbiaStar.com

Photo by Warner Montgomery

The lunchtime Rotary crowd heard from Dr. Andrew Sorenson, president of USC, Monday, September 24.

Sorensen was introduced by Columbia's Louisa Tobias Campbell, director of development for the Arnold School of Public Health.

Sorensen reminded the audience USC had student representation from 100 countries, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia. He noted his dedication to both raising the student population count and the student performance quality. Gaining in numbers while also gaining in quality is a tough one- two, but Sorensen had the statistics handy to prove it was getting done.

Private giving in the past year increased by 28 percent and reached $67 million, which included a 44 percent increase in the number of donors.

At the same time, to include the socio- economic class typically not identified as donors, to allow poor students access to the state's flagship in higher education, USC recently announced its guarantee to cover all the tuition and fees to any student accepted from below the federal poverty level.

Another guarantee recently put into effect is called the Bridge Program. If the required courses are taken and the minimum grade standards are met, any two- year graduate of Midlands Tech or Greenville Tech can automatically enroll at USC without the application process.

The past year's research grant total was another milestone identified by Sorensen. Last year's total was $185 million, which compares favorably with the $109 million of five years ago, making for a cumulative five- year growth of 69.2 percent.

One single federal research grant worth noting was the $10.7 million dedicated to colon cancer prevention and a cure. This year in S.C., 790 are expected to die from colon cancer, a preventable disease.

Sorensen shared his frustrations in prevention when he recalled a Lowcountry café's all- fried fare. They refused to bake or broil anything listed on the menu.

Sorensen pointed out differences in the average salary in S.C. statewide and the average starting salary offered by Duck Creek to USC's graduates in computing.

Duck Creek is the Innovista's, USC's research campus, first major high- tech tenant. The state's average is $32,000, and the Duck Creek entry offer is $85,000.

Sorensen concluded his address with a commercial announcement and an appeal to the voters. USC's mascot, Cocky, is in the running again as America's favorite. To vote for Cocky, go to www.sc.edu/becocky.

In the question- and- answer phase of his presentation, Sorensen was hesitant to disclose the next big thing but assured the crowd he was never accused of offering too few ideas or thinking too small.

He wished for his undergraduate students the opportunity to take an academic year abroad, but that takes more money. The State of South Carolina carries only 21 percent of the budget of the University of South Carolina.