USC Aiken ranks first amidst controversy
University of South Carolina Aiken ranked as the number one regional college in the South by U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges for the year 2021.
This is not the first time the school has been ranked in the number one slot. This year USCA marked twenty-three times in the top three and the fifteen times as number one.
USC Aiken Chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan stated in an email that was sent to all students,
“I am pleased to share with you that U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges Guide once again ranked the University of South Carolina Aiken as the top Regional College in the South for 2021.”
USCA also earned top ranking in six other categories, according to the chancellor. The university ranked in Regional Colleges South for Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, Economic Diversity, Top Performers on Social Mobility, Undergraduate Engineering Programs and Undergraduate Business Programs.
“I am thrilled that UofSC Aiken has been honored with these additional distinctions and the outside validation of our efforts,” Jordan expressed.
“The academic community here has once again proven their commitment to providing an engaging, dynamic and quality educational experience to all of our students, which will serve each of you long after you graduate,” she finished.
According to U.S. News and World Report, the ranking system compares colleges based on each’s relative performance across a number of indicators and “include many of the latest statistics used in the calculations – such as the student-faculty ratio and the average federal loan debt of graduates.”
They also search for school characteristics based on feedback and discussion with schools and higher education experts.
While the university celebrated this achievement across social media, students have expressed dissent and their complaints on the USCA Student Life Facebook page.
“We have standards and they must be upheld,” wrote Kevin Jones in a post referencing recent controversy in the athletic department involving baseball coach Kenny Thomas.
“We are a school that stands strong for diversity, that stands with the BLM and many other diverse groups and movements, despite religion, skin tone, or sexuality, and it’s time we actually practice what we preach to everyone else,” Jones continued.
Numerous posts with the message “THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW USCA! MAKE THE CHANGE!” and #uscadiverseordivided have flooded the page.
The USCA chapter of the NAACP released a statement and message directed toward the chancellor and other administration members: “We demand accountability. We demand actions. We demand Change.”
USCA Student Affairs posted a statement in response to the conflict on the Facebook page stating, “A tough, but honest, day at UofSC Aiken. We know that we, as a community, need to do better to ensure ALL feel like our campus is a comfortable and inclusive place to live and learn. “
