To further the University’s strategic priorities and address the needs of — and challenges faced by — our students and workforce.
Spartan Distinct
Priorities include expanding doctoral and engineering programs, integrating community engagement into all academic programs, creating pathways for transfer students, and incorporating technology and innovative teaching strategies across all programs within five years.
Spartan Recruit
This priority will enable USC Upstate to boost our total enrollment headcount and expand pathways for transfer students. We aim to attract more adult non-traditional students with online degree options and continue to expand our graduate school enrollment by introducing new programs and reaching out beyond our local area.
Spartan Partner
USC Upstate expects the Spartan Partner program will help increase grant funding to a range of $3 million to $10 million annually. To support our long-term initiatives, we will also seek to secure $100 million in non-recurring state appropriations for major capital and program advancements in Nursing, Engineering, and Science, alongside a $50 million investment for a new Convocation Center by 2030.
We are committed to growing our recurring state appropriations by 3.5% annually and increasing corporate investments in USC Upstate by 50% over the next five years, which will directly benefit students through increased scholarships, paid internships, and other opportunities. Additionally, the university plans to secure four corporate partners in the USC Upstate Innovation Hub, expanding to 10 partners within five years.
Our commitment to community engagement and service is equally robust. By 2027, we aspire for 25% of faculty and staff to serve on community and non-profit boards, while ensuring our students contribute 15,000+ hours annually in service learning and community engagement activities.
Spartan Success
We aim to boost the number of first-year students who continue into their second year, improve retention rates for non-traditional students, and raise the overall graduation rate for all students.
Spartan Future
As part of this priority we expect to develop a change-management process by the end of 2024 to establish measurement systems, facilitate process improvement, and report on improvement results; build our brand reputation for innovation; and integrate AI and other innovative technology to fulfill the UCS Upstate mission