Dive Brief:
- South Carolina legislators are backing off a plan to merge the College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina.
- A state legislative panel has approved a measure to create an expanded University of Charleston instead, which would make the school the fourth comprehensive research university in the state.
- State legislators said the new school would offer expanded graduate degree programs, including doctorate programs, to fill specific workforce needs for South Carolina.
Dive Insight:
According to The Post and Courier, the expanded school would be governed by the same board of trustees that now runs the College of Charleston, and the college's liberal arts degree programs would not be affected. Leaders of the medical university and the College of Charleston are supporting the plan, and it now moves to another legislative committee to be considered.
