USC Salkehatchie Mission Statement
Approved by the Board of Trustees – October 13, 2023
Approved by SC Commission on Higher Education – December 18, 2023
Next Board of Trustees Scheduled Review - October 2027
The Salkehatchie regional Palmetto College campus is a branch campus of the University of South Carolina Columbia. Salkehatchie has as its mission to provide higher education and intellectual leadership, contributing to the primary mission of the University of South Carolina System, so stated as, “the education of the state’s diverse citizens through teaching research, creative activity, and community engagement.” At the heart of this mission is a teaching faculty of high quality dedicated to excellence in instruction, scholarship, public and professional service, and creative endeavor which enrich the classroom experience. The Salkehatchie regional Palmetto College campus offers a varied curriculum grounded in the liberal arts and focused on preparing students to continue their education in the University of South Carolina System and throughout life.
The Salkehatchie regional Palmetto College campus recruits students prepared to succeed
in completing a baccalaureate‐level education. While the institution does not offer
remedial instruction, it is nonetheless able to admit most students who apply due
to the close working relationship between students and faculty. The original design
of the institution incorporated a flexibility that has allowed changes in institutional
capability with increasing educational demands of constituents.
Through classroom and laboratory instruction delivered in a variety of face-to-face
and distance learning formats and modalities, the institution awards the Associate
in Arts and Associate in Science degrees and provides for the completion of selected
bachelor’s degrees on campus through cooperative agreements and delivery structures
with other University of South Carolina System institutions. The Salkehatchie regional
Palmetto College campus also provides general education and upper division coursework
applicable to baccalaureate degree programs offered through colleges and universities
nationwide. In addition to academic coursework, the mission of the campus includes
noncredit courses, seminars, and workshops made available to the community for cultural
enrichment and professional development.
The traditions of cultural diversity and freedom of thought are valued at the Salkehatchie regional Palmetto College campus. In a learning environment that develops respect for racial, geographical, intellectual, and economic diversity and an awareness of individual, societal, and global responsibilities, Salkehatchie promotes courses, activities, and attitudes that instills in students a thirst to continue learning throughout life.
The Salkehatchie regional Palmetto College campus emphasizes the development of the whole person and especially seeks to foster in students the disciplines essential to an educated citizenry. Core competencies, including the ability to communicate through effective writing and articulate speech; computational and quantitative mastery; creative and critical thinking; and the duties of citizenship are strategically integrated within the curriculum. Classroom experiences, student activities, and physical education programs also provide opportunities for cultural enrichment, leadership development, intellectual growth and interpersonal relationships, all contributing to a sense of self‐reliance and a joy of learning.
Vision
USC Salkehatchie will be recognized as a model rural “Community University” that plays a major role in enriching the cultural, educational, and economic opportunities of the citizens served.