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SE Biology, Vol. 61, No. 1, January, 2014 
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE 
The History of USC Upstate 
The history of the University of South Carolina Upstate is a chronicle of 
remarkable development. In 1967, the university was founded in response to 
efforts undertaken by G.B. Hodge, M.D., together with fellow members of the 
Spartanburg County Commission on Higher Education and a remarkably strong 
founding faculty, primarily to avert a serious health care labor shortage crisis 
when Spartanburg General Hospital announced plans to eliminate its diploma 
program for registered nurses. A citizen's committee investigated the situation 
and ultimately requested that Spartanburg be included in the University of South 
Carolina system. The Spartanburg Regional Campus, as it was first known, 
opened its doors in the fall of 1967 to 177 students on the first floor of the 
Spartanburg General Hospital nursing residence. 
Enrollment continued to increase, which resulted in the school becoming a four- 
year university in 1975 and being renamed the University of South Carolina 
Spartanburg (USCS). During the next 20 years, the campus began to take 
physical shape with the construction of additional academic buildings. Enrollment 
continued to grow and degree offerings were expanded. 
In the 1990s, a metropolitan mission was developed for the institution and a 10- 
year strategic master plan for the campus was implemented. The University's 
numerous partnerships with public and private corporations and other 
educational institutions, coupled with the mission to offer baccalaureate 
education to the citizens of the Upstate of South Carolina, led to a name change. 
On June 30, 2004, with the USC Board of Trustees approval, USCS changed its 
name to the University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate). 
The Makings of a Metropolitan University 
Now in its 46th year, USC Upstate continues striving toward its vision to become 
one of the Southeast’s leading “metropolitan” universities. ... a university which 
acknowledges as its fundamental reason for being its relationship to its 
surrounding cities, their connecting corridors and expanding populations. It aims 
to be recognized nationally among its peer metropolitan institutions for its 
excellence in education and commitment to its students, for its involvement in the 
Upstate, for its operational and managerial effectiveness, for its civility and 
