Welcome to the Higher Education Programs website. Higher Education Programs at the University of South Carolina are part of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policies in the College of Education. The area offers two degree programs, a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) and a doctorate in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Higher Education. Our programs are designed to prepare leaders to serve colleges and universities at various levels. We also assist individuals as well as public and private agencies and institutions in improving professional practice and performance within higher education. The faculty extends the limits of knowledge in the field of higher education and refines existing theory, practice, and policy.
Dr. James Klauber, a USC graduate of the School of Law, the Graduate Certificate Program in Higher Education and the PhD program in Higher Education Leadership was named president of Owensboro Community College in Owensboro, Kentucky in October 2010. Dr Klauber , prior to his appointment served as the Senior Vice President at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, SC. Others in the picture are Dr. Mike McCall, Chancellor of the Kentucky CC System, Dr. James Hudgins, Director of the Community College Leadership Alliance at the University of South Carolina and Dr. Lex Walter, retired president of Piedmont Technical College.
Vivian Gallman, 2009 Ph.D. graduate, with officers of Algoma University in Canada, where she recently completed a Fullbright Specialist Fellowship. Left to right: Dr. Arthur Perlini (Vice President for Academic Affairs); Joanne Elvy (Director of International Student Outreach & Sessional Professor); Dave Marasco (Registrar), Dr. Vivian Gallman-DeRienzo (Fulbright Specialist); Sean Dwyer (Vice President for Finance & Administration). “The challenging environment of contemporary higher education requires leaders who can apply both expertise in effective business practices and thorough knowledge of higher education functions. This unique degree program is aimed at developing those leaders.”
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August 2010 Graduation
Drs. Katherine Chaddock, Dr. Hope Rivers, Dr. Dottie Weigel, Dr. Amber Falluca, Dr. Christian Anderson
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PhD students with Dr. Chaddock on their Washington, DC, visit as part of their Advanced Policy Seminar
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On April 16th, a group of HESA masters students set out to participate in American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The event, running from 7pm on the 16th until 7am on the 17th, is a nationwide fundraiser set up to raise money for the fight against cancer. Teams walked around a track at Blatt Fields for 12 hours with at least one member of the team on the track at all times. Throughout the evening and into the morning there was dancing, bands playing, on-site fundraisers, and games. Lumanaries, set up to remember loved ones lost, those fighting the disease, and survivors, lined one side of the track while tents set up with varying takes on the "More Birthdays" theme lined the other side. Team HESA ended up raising over $2,000 for the American Cancer Society!!!
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The HESA Student Personnel Association (SPA) held its annual End of the Year Banquet on Friday, April 30, 2010 at Seawell's Restaurant in Columbia. The organization presented the following awards:
Chi Sigma Alpha Pillars of Excellence Award - Ryan Goodwin (first recipient)
Outstanding First-Year Master's Degree Student - Brent McCauley
Outstanding Second-Year Master's Degree Student - Stephanie Ganser
Staff Member of the Year - Jenn Latino
Faculty Member of the Year - Christian Anderson
A New Fellowship was created to honor Dr. Dennis Pruitt
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Dottie Weigel, Higher Education Administration doctoral candidate, recieves a warm welcome at Lewis and Clark while conducting her dissertation study on Third Culture Kids. To learn more about Dottie's research and her experience at Lewis and Clark, view:
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For those of you who may not know, there is a tradition in the HESA Master's program - students do not touch The Torch Bearer (the horse statue in front of Wardlaw) until after they take Comps. They say that if you touch the horse before Comps, you won't pass.
Today the MEd students started a new tradition! Our thesis writers went outside and purposely touched the horse, committing themselves to writing their thesis. Thesis writers also hold their own weeekly group library writing sessions to keep momentum going. Write On, Thesis Writers!!!
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Dr. Katherine Chaddock recently received the prestigious University of South Carolina 2009 Mungo Graduate Faculty Teaching Award. The award is presented by the University President to only one Columbia Campus faculty member who teaches graduate courses. The award is highly competitive and highly coveted across academic units. Congratulations, Dr. Chaddock!