S.C. politics

Review team visits S.C. State

S.C. State University’s accreditors begin a three-day visit Tuesday to the Orangeburg campus by meeting with school trustees behind closed doors.

Last year, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges placed on probation the accreditation of state’s only historically black public college. The commission cited concerns with the school’s finances and governance.

After the review team finishes its fact-finding visit, the commission will vote in June on S.C. State’s accreditation.

The commission could lift the probation, continue it for one more year or remove the school’s accreditation. Students cannot get federal financial aid to attend unaccredited colleges.

S.C. State has struggled with its deficits — hovering around $20 million — and instability in its president’s office, including the firing of Thomas Elzey last month.

Inglis to receive JFK award

A conservative former S.C. congressman whose change of heart on climate change drew the wrath of fellow Republicans, helping cost him re-election, has been named the 2015 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

Bob Inglis will receive the award from President Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, during a May 3 ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

The award is presented annually to public servants who have made courageous decisions of conscience without regard for the personal or professional consequences. It is named for Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Profiles in Courage,” which recounts the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers by taking principled stands for unpopular positions.

Carson coming to Columbia

Ben Carson, who is weighing a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, will make his first visit to South Carolina since forming a White House exploratory committee in March.

The retired neurosurgeon will speak at a balanced budget amendment rally at noon Wednesday at the State House.

Carson stands fifth among GOP White House hopefuls in recent polls in South Carolina.

Haley’s public schedule

The publicly announced events that Gov. Nikki Haley has scheduled this week, according to her office, are:

Tuesday, 12:30 p.m.: Deliver the keynote address to the S.C. Manufacturing Conference in Greenville

Friday and Sunday: Attend the RBC Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head

Last week, Haley was on vacation, based on her social media posts. But she spent time talking to several law enforcement and political officials around the time a video surfaced showing the shooting death of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer, according to her office.

On Wednesday, Haley spoke with North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon, S.C. Department of Public Safety director Leroy Smith, SLED Chief Mark Keel and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia.

Haley spoke to Smith again on Thursday, and Summey again on Friday.

Also Friday, she talked with attorneys for Scott’s family and made a “constituent condolence call.” Haley spoke again to Scott family attorneys on Sunday.

Staff and Wire Reports

This story was originally published April 13, 2015 at 10:12 PM with the headline "S.C. politics."