The University of South Carolina Lancaster, a regional campus of the University of South Carolina, has as its mission to provide higher education and intellectual leadership to its service area. 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. USC Lancaster offers a varied curriculum grounded in the liberal arts and focused on preparing students to continue their education in the University and throughout life.
The University of South Carolina Lancaster 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 University of South Carolina Lancaster was established to encourage higher education in the counties of Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, and York. The original design of the institution incorporated a flexibility that has allowed changes in institutional capability with increasing educational demands of constituents.
Through the primary method of classroom and laboratory instructions, and through a secondary method of distance learning delivered via the Internet, teleconference, and electronic media, 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 USC System institutions. USC Lancaster 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 non‐credit 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 USC Lancaster. In a learning environment that develops respect for racial, geographical, intellectual, and economic diversity and an awareness of individual, societal, and global responsibilities, USC Lancaster promotes courses, activities, and attitudes which influence the life of the mind in men and women and instill in them a thirst to continue learning throughout life.
USC Lancaster 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.