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]]>The University of South Carolina Upstate has introduced a new digital carillon bell system, adding a timeless college bell tradition to the USC Upstate campus. Installed atop the Administration Building following our 59th Founders Day celebration, the system is powered by the Chime Master Platinum AX Digital Bell System.
“The bells truly elevate the student experience by adding to the sense of collegiality at Upstate,” said RJ Gimbl, vice chancellor for university advancement. “This gift will not only be enjoyed by alumni when they visit, but by current and future students as they cross our beautiful campus.”
The bells chime every half hour from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with patriotic or seasonal selections at 8:30 a.m., noon and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday—plus special sounds for graduations, game days and campus celebrations.
This new campus landmark was made possible through the Senior Legacy Fund, thanks to the collective generosity of the Classes of 2020–2025.
Class of 2026 students can also leave their legacy at USC Upstate by going to the Senior Legacy Fund webpage.
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Sherman College of Chiropractic and the University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate) formally signed an articulation agreement on February 27, 2026, establishing a collaborative undergraduate internship program designed to enhance experiential learning opportunities for USC Upstate students.
The memorandum of understanding formalizes a structured internship program that provides USC Upstate undergraduate students with immersive exposure to the chiropractic profession through sustained engagement at the Sherman College Chiropractic Center, the college’s on-campus clinical teaching facility. The internship is designed first and foremost as a learning experience, enabling students to acquire practical skills, deepen their understanding of healthcare systems and professional practices, and explore chiropractic as a potential career pathway.
Throughout the internship, USC Upstate students will work alongside experienced professionals at Sherman College, gaining valuable insights into the chiropractic profession. The internship experience will align with the student’s academic disciplines and career aspirations, promoting a seamless transition from academia to the workforce. Specifically, interns will observe clinic workflows, assist with front desk and patient flow operations, support imaging and clinic services in non-clinical roles, and participate in supplemental sports chiropractic outreach shadowing opportunities. Undergraduate interns will not render patient care, perform examinations, or provide chiropractic adjustments.
“This agreement reflects our shared commitment to student success and meaningful career exploration,” said Dr. Jack Bourla, president of Sherman College of Chiropractic. “By opening our clinical teaching environment to USC Upstate students, we are creating opportunities for them to experience firsthand the philosophy, science and art of chiropractic, as well as the scope and role of chiropractic within today’s healthcare landscape.”
“Partnerships such as this expand high-impact learning opportunities for our students,” explained Dr. Bennie L. Harris, chancellor of USC Upstate, emphasizing the value of experiential education. “We are proud to collaborate with Sherman College to provide structured, supportive experiences that help students connect classroom knowledge with real-world application.”
Dr. Joe Donofrio, Sherman provost, added, “This internship program bridges academic study with professional observation. Students will gain insight into clinic operations, professional standards, and interdisciplinary healthcare delivery while engaging in reflective learning that supports their academic and career goals.”
Dr. Charles Harrington, professor of interdisciplinary studies at USC Upstate, noted the program’s academic alignment. “This internship offers students a thoughtful introduction to the chiropractic profession. Through observation, reflection, and engagement with Sherman’s chiropractic professionals and students in their last quarters of study, Upstate students can critically evaluate chiropractic as a potential career pathway while developing professionalism appropriate to clinical and academic environments.”
In November 2025, the institutions also signed a separate agreement under which Sherman College Chiropractic Center interns, supervised by Chiropractic Center Case Doctor, Dr. Michael L. Tomasello, provide regular chiropractic care to USC Upstate Spartan student-athletes. The partnership enhances athletic performance and recovery while providing Sherman interns with valuable clinical experience.
The Sherman–USC Upstate partnership reflects both institutions’ commitment to students’ growth—expanding access to meaningful experiential learning while introducing undergraduate scholars to the principles, practice, and professional opportunities in chiropractic.
More photos can be found on Flickr.
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USC Upstate rounded out its Black History Month programming Feb. 28 with an event that held deep personal significance for Chancellor Bennie L. Harris.
The documentary “Farming Freedom, The Inspiring True Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi” shown in the CLC ballroom Saturday evening, traces the history of Black land ownership in Mississippi and the U.S. through the story of Henry Harris, the chancellor’s father.
Directed by Kayla Turner Thomas, a two-time Emmy nominated journalist and Chancellor Harris’ niece, “Farming Freedom” began as conversations between Thomas and her grandfather, Henry Harris, and grew into a film that explores discriminatory laws and practices that have hindered Black land ownership, such as Black Codes, unfair labor contracts and sharecropping.
Sharecropping, for example, forced many formerly enslaved people into debt. That led many Black people to pursue independent farming. By the early 1900s, more than 20,000 Black farmers had acquired land in Mississippi, according to the documentary.
But keeping the land proved difficult. Discrimination in federal farming assistance and tax laws, even being “run off” the land, drove many Black farmers out of the South. Ultimately, more than 90% of Black farmland was lost, according to the film.
Before the decline, Henry Harris’ father, John, born in 1889, purchased 120 acres of land in 1949. John Harris’ investment gave his family opportunities, including family plots for burials and places for sons’ homes.
But eventually John Harris had to sell half the acreage. Though Henry’s brothers had moved away by the 1960s, Henry continued to care for the remaining 60 acres. He took on additional work, including at a local factory, to supplement his farming income, and was determined his children would earn more a formal education than he had.
A settlement in 2000 between Black farmers and the USDA over racial disparity and discrimination allowed Harris to pay off the land. The property is now held in an LLC to protect it for the Harris family and prevent further loss.
Center for Africana and African American Studies (CAAAS) Director Marlon Smith briefly interviewed Henry Harris following the film. Harris said when his granddaughter approached him about the film, he “didn’t have any idea that it would come to this, that it would be helpful to someone else.”
“As older parents, we struggle and we don’t tell our kids the struggle we went through,” he said. “Sometimes we want to depress it, don’t want to remember it.”
But Harris said he’s grateful he shared the history and he stressed to the next generation the importance of honest work and not giving up when things are hard.
During a panel discussion, Kenneth Robinson, associate professor of sociology at Clemson University, said it’s important younger generations understand modern agriculture (specifically as a career in STEM) so families can keep their land.
The panel also included Upstate history professor Carmen Harris and Thomas. Thomas said reclaiming land is important as is learning about avenues outside of agriculture (such as educational programming and events) that landowners can explore.
She recalled how her grandfather always told his story in a way that kept her on the edge of her seat.
“We would always say, ‘This is such a good story. This should be a movie,’” she recalled.
Thomas encouraged capturing family stories now so that history doesn’t get lost when someone dies: “It’s even easier today, because you have your cell phones and decent quality. Just do it because it’ll be worth it, and you’ll be glad that you did.”
The film screening was the culmination of a month of activities at Upstate, including a Black History Month festival earlier in the day and a recognition of the late civil rights leader and Greenville native Jesse Jackson.
More photos from the event can be found on our Flickr album.
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USC Upstate celebrated its 59th year and honored distinguished members of the university community during its 2026 Founders Day event. Upstate leadership, faculty and staff, alumni and other friends of the university gathered in the Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center on Thursday, Feb. 19 for the occasion.
The annual event, sponsored by the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education (SCCHE), marks the anniversary of the university’s founding in 1967 and recognizes those who have contributed to the success of the institution.
Chancellor Bennie Harris described the university’s impact as USC Upstate approaches its 60th next year.
“Today, USC Upstate is a thriving university serving more than 5,000 students on more than 300 acres of land with an economic impact of $625 million across this region,” Harris said, “but numbers alone don’t tell our story. What truly defines USC upstate is our people and the lives changed through education, opportunity and service.”
At the celebration, three members of the campus community were awarded for their contributions to the university.
Dr. Warren Carson, distinguished professor emeritus of USC Upstate, delivered the keynote address, in which he detailed Upstate’s growth since he first arrived on campus 42 years ago.
Carson, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, shared that only four academic buildings accompanied the Stockwell Administration Building during his early years, and the mascot was the Running Rifles. The university itself was known as USC Spartanburg. He noted the name change to USC Upstate in 2004 was a sign of a much bigger transformation.
“A new spirit emerged and began to permeate our beloved institution with what I will refer to as the Upstate spirit,” Carson said. “A real, deliberate students-first attitude began to overtake a previous malaise, and soon we took off with a new mantra, new challenges, new directions, onward and upward, and I am delighted to see we are still moving.”
During his 34 years of teaching at the university, Carson held various leadership positions, including vice chancellor for student affairs. He also helped to create the Gospel Choir and served as its director for 25 years.
Carson said the award is more than a tribute to just his service at Upstate; it’s also a tribute to all the school’s people: “I’m just always amazed at how much they’ve accomplished over the years,” he said, “and I’m gratified at having been able to play a small part in that.”
Keith Hansen, adjunct instructor of computer science, was presented the Distinguished Service Award. Hansen has taught at Upstate since 2010 and is well known for his enthusiastic support of Spartan athletes.
“If you have ever attended a USC Upstate athletics competition, you have probably witnessed Keith in action,” RJ Gimbl, vice chancellor of university advancement, said during Hansen’s introduction. “There’s no doubt he’s the loudest fan in attendance to cheer on our student athletes.”
Citing the huge growth in the success of Upstate’s athletic programs over the past several years, Hansen shared, “I found it tremendously rewarding that at the height of this surge in success in the field, our students last semester had the highest GPA ever. And I can’t help but feel like maybe I’m a little part of that–that I helped some way in that.”
The third award of the celebration, the Founders Day Award, was presented to Allen Newman, another dedicated supporter of Upstate athletics. The award is given to community members that have had an exceptional impact on the University. Newman graduated from USC Upstate with a business degree and went on to work in housing construction and subdivision development.
In 2000, Newman opened Woodfin Ridge Golf Club. The club would become the practice grounds for the Spartan golf team. Newman and his wife have been recognized by the U Club as Spartans of the Game, have hosted the annual Spartan Golf Tournament at Woodfin Ridge several times, and have created an athletic scholarship for Spartan student athletes.
Current students like senior exercise science major Aysa Milton, who spoke at the celebration, affirmed the strength of the Upstate spirit.
“Back in 2023, I took a tour of the university, and almost immediately I knew I was going to be able to call this place home,” Milton said. “USC Upstate stood out as a place that values its students and their success.”
More photos from Founders’ Day can be found on our Flickr album.
Story: Samuel Hermanson
Edited by: Elizabeth Anderson, Director of Integrated Communications and Christina Cleveland, Digital Content Coordinator
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USC Upstate students, faculty and staff traveled to the state capital to join representatives from the University of South Carolina’s campuses across the state to participate in Carolina Day.
Carolina Day is an annual event facilitated by the USC Alumni Association designed to recognize the partnership between the University of South Carolina and the state legislature and advocate for the legislature’s continued support.
USC President Michael Amiridis gave opening remarks at the Pastides Alumni Center in downtown Columbia. He emphasized the university’s statewide impact: “We are the University for South Carolina, and we do not claim that we are the University for South Carolina if we don’t serve the entire South Carolina. And here you are from the entire state, and please remind this to our legislators.”
He urged students to share their stories, thank legislators for their support, and ask for continued support. Also during his remarks, Amiridis specifically recognized Upstate’s huge presence at the event, referring to the group of representatives as “the green army.”
Upstate Chancellor Bennie Harris reinforced how important it was for Spartans to be at the capital. “Your presence, the green, it matters — and showing up and showing people that we exist.”
He explained that about 50% of Upstate’s budget is funded by the state. To continue to receive the support Upstate has had from the legislature, Harris said, “We have to continue to invest, and to tell our story, and to show gratitude, and to constantly educate.”
Student Body President Madison Robinson, attending Carolina Day for the second year, said the event offered a valuable opportunity to build relationships across the university system and with state lawmakers. “I love being able to connect with the other USC system student body presidents and our legislators. This is a great way for our Spartans to connect to our state.”
Spartans also joined representatives from across the university system in the house and senate chambers in the State House, where legislators formally recognized USC’s importance to the state and pledged their continued support for the University.
More photos can be found on our Flickr album.
Story by Samuel Hermanson
Edited by Elizabeth Anderson, Director of Integrated Communications and Christina Cleveland, Digital Content Coordinator
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]]>The post A Transfer Love Story: Commitment to Success appeared first on USC Upstate.
]]>Video by Terry Manning
Photos by Terry Manning and Jarred Bradley
At USC Upstate, where a vibrant, supportive community comes together to work and learn on a campus enveloped by natural beauty, magic can happen.
Cordelia Fingar ’25 and Zhane Johnson ’25 first met at Byrnes High School in Spartanburg County. When it came to choosing a college after graduation, Fingar knew she wanted a school that would give her exceptional, beyond-classroom preparation for her career. Johnson was looking for a school with a small, close-knit community. And they knew that wherever they went, they wanted to go together.
Photo by Jarred Bradley
They found the school that matched their vision at a transfer day event during their time at Spartanburg Community College. They met Ira Pace, director of undergraduate recruitment at Upstate, who guided them every step of the way to becoming part of the Spartan community. “He was not going to give up on us,” Fingar said. “Even when there were challenges in the transfer process, he helped us find resources and people who could support us.”
Fingar and Johnson soon began working as student ambassadors for the University’s admissions department. Through that work, they developed relationships with students and faculty and a familiarity with the campus. It was the close community Johnson had wanted.
Fingar and Johnson both worked in positions at Upstate that gave them the kind of beyond-classroom experience Fingar had been looking for. She majored in psychology with a minor in business administration and worked as a career coach in the George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics. Johnson was a computer information systems major and was a help desk specialist in the Division of Information Technology.
Photo by Jarred Bradley
One of the admissions team members, Jarred Bradley, asked Johnson and Fingar to do a photo shoot on campus for some images he needed. Johnson asked Bradley to get an extra shot at the amphitheater in the Susan Jacobs Arboretum. Fingar loves to go for walks in the arboretum and had remarked more than once to Johnson about how much she loves the place. For the shot, Bradley asked the two to walk away from each other and then turn around and walk toward each other with a sense of excitement. Bradley’s instructions were “a genius plan” Johnson recalls. “When she turned back around I was down on one knee proposing.”
Reflecting on why he chose Upstate for the engagement Johnson said, “I think it’s all the memories that we’ve made here. All the people – we’ve made lifelong friends for sure.” He added, “Having this be one of our favorite places that we’ve been to so far, I thought that it would be a very special place to do that.”
Photo by Terry Manning
Last fall, the Upstate community and campus took on a greater meaning for Fingar and Johnson.
The couple chose to remain in the Spartanburg area after graduation and want to stay connected to the campus. “We’ve both been equipped with experiences that will help us move confidently into our careers,” Fingar said. “We grew here — individually and together.”
Interested in transferring to USC Upstate? Let us streamline the process. Find more information on our Transfer Student page.
Story: Samuel Hermanson
Editing: Elizabeth Anderson, Director of Integrated Communications and Emily Gillespie, Communications Director
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]]>The post USC Upstate Athletics to Add Women’s Flag Football appeared first on USC Upstate.
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Story provided by USC Upstate Athletics Department
Expanding its varsity sport offerings, USC Upstate athletics announced Wednesday the addition of women’s flag football as the university’s 18th varsity program with anticipated competition beginning during the 2026-27 academic year.
“The addition of women’s flag football as our 18th varsity sport is an exciting milestone for USC Upstate Athletics and a powerful reflection of the momentum and innovation happening across our campus. Women’s flag football is experiencing incredible growth nationwide, and we are proud to be part of that movement while creating new and meaningful opportunities for women to compete at the varsity level,” remarked Director of Athletics Matt Martin. “Announcing this on National Girls & Women in Sport Day underscores our commitment to creating pathways that empower female student-athletes now and into the future.”
“Flag football is becoming one of the most popular sports in the country, with more than 2.4 million kids under 17 playing in the United States and an Olympic debut set for the 2028 games,” said USC Upstate Chancellor Bennie L. Harris, PhD. “Girls and women represent a skyrocketing segment. USC Upstate is committed to giving them a place to play and compete at a high level.”
Women’s flag football was approved and added to the Emerging Sports for Women program by representatives of all three NCAA Divisions at the 2026 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C. The program is intended to help schools provide more athletic opportunities for women and more sport sponsorship options, while helping that sport achieve NCAA championship status.
Since the program’s inception in 1994, eight sports have successfully become NCAA championship sports, including rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015) and women’s wrestling (2025) with two other emerging sports, acrobatics and tumbling, and stunt, becoming NCAA Championship sports during the 2026-27 academic year.
“Launching Women’s Flag Football at Upstate is a huge moment for our campus and for athletics! On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, it’s especially exciting to celebrate the continued growth, opportunity, and momentum behind women’s sports. I fully believe that this is the future and I’m so proud that Upstate is a part of it,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, Sarah Gildersleeve Jones. “I cannot wait to partner with our future head coach and student-athletes as we bring this fast-growing sport to the Upstate!”
Sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program must have a minimum of 40 schools sponsoring the sport at the varsity level and meet minimum contest and participation requirements to be considered for NCAA championship status. Flag football’s immediate addition to the program means schools sponsoring the sport in the 2026 spring season can count toward the 40-school threshold required to establish a National Collegiate Championship, provided they meet the minimum requirements.
Currently, 24 NCAA Division I athletic departments and institutions sponsor women’s flag football at the varsity or club level. USC Upstate is one of 14 NCAA Division I athletic departments to announce intentions to sponsor women’s flag football at the varsity level.
One of the fastest-growing sports in the United States at the youth, interscholastic, and collegiate levels, flag football participation has grown exponentially in the past few years. Seventeen states sanction girls’ flag football as a varsity sport at the interscholastic level, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, with 17 additional states offering pilot programs as of Sep. 2025, including North Carolina. Several communities and school districts in South Carolina have begun pilot programs as well.
“The launch of a women’s flag football program at the University of South Carolina Upstate marks an exciting moment for collegiate athletics,” said Jesse Schulman, NFL Manager of Flag Football. “By embracing this opportunity, USC Upstate is helping accelerate the growth of flag football and developing a pathway to the sport for female student-athletes. Their launch sends a strong message about the future of the game and the growing momentum behind women’s flag football, creating new opportunities for young women to compete and succeed at the collegiate level.”
Women’s flag football’s popularity and growth are also signified by its addition to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles following approval by the International Olympic Committee in 2023.
USC Upstate women’s basketball and women’s track & field alum Isabella Geraci represents the United States on the Women’s National Team, earning selection in 2024. She helped the USA to International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championship gold in 2024, totaling 39 receptions, 464 yards, five touchdowns, and seven extra points during the team’s undefeated, 8-0, run.
A national search for the program’s inaugural head coach will begin immediately. To apply for the position, APPLY HERE
To donate to the USC Upstate Flag Football Program: DONATE HERE
Stay updated on all things Upstate Spartans:
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Low-income families with children whose health is adversely affected by substandard housing and food insecurity now have a new resource to help them.
USC Upstate officially launched the CHAMPS Beatty Center Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) on Jan. 29. A celebration was held at the George Dean Johnson Jr. School of Business and Economics.
Three organizations – USC School of Law’s Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS), USC Upstate’s Beatty Center for Justice and Society, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System – will collaborate on improving the well-being of Spartanburg-area families by bridging the gap between medical and legal needs. The partnership was made possible by a $1.35 million grant from The Duke Endowment.
William C. Hubbard, dean of the USC School of Law, said that about 90% of Americans’ unmet legal needs pertain to housing, food, and other basic necessities. South Carolina isn’t an exception to that statistic, he said, but the state is addressing these needs in an exceptional way. The new medical-legal partnership is the first in the nation to reach all campuses of a university system, bringing the total number of counties served to 33 out of 46.
Emily Suski, the director of CHAMPS, highlighted some of the victories CHAMPS has achieved for families. In one case, a family was able to bring an infant home from the NICU after CHAMPS helped them get the electrical infrastructure they needed to support the baby’s medical equipment.
Beyond the assistance it provides, the partnership is an innovative way to prepare USC Upstate students for community service in their careers, said Allison Ellis, director of the Beatty Center. “At its core, the center is about experience — giving students opportunities to engage with real people, real systems, and real challenges in ways that matter,” Ellis said.
Such experiences shaped the career of the center’s namesake, retired South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald W. Beatty. At the event, Beatty spoke of the public service work he did while attending law school in Columbia. He volunteered at the Columbia Legal Services Office and did legal services work back home in Spartanburg over the summer.
Many of his cases involved medical needs related to external factors, which inspired him to pursue public interest law. “To launch the MLP here, in the Beatty Center … It brings my life full circle back to a very meaningful chapter in my life,” he said.
USC Upstate Chancellor Bennie L. Harris said the CHAMPS Beatty Center partnership “stands at the cutting edge of how we think about health, justice, and community well-being.” Through its work, “barriers that have long stood between families and stability will be dismantled.”
The CHAMPS Beatty Center is located on the third floor of the George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics. Contact Dr. Allison Ellis for more information.
Find more photos on our Flickr album.
Photography by: Terry Manning, Multimedia Content Producer
Story by: Samuel Hermanson, UMC Spring 2026 Intern
Edited By: Elizabeth Anderson, Director of Integrated Communications and Christina Cleveland, Digital Content Coordinator
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]]>The post USC Upstate Partners with Risepoint, Launches Ten New Online Programs appeared first on USC Upstate.
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Press Release provided by Risepoint
The University of South Carolina Upstate is partnering with Risepoint, an education technology company that helps universities expand access to affordable, high-quality online education, to launch ten new online degree programs beginning this June. The new programs are designed to provide new opportunities for working adults and non-traditional learners and expand the university’s reach to serve students wherever they live and work.
The programs span disciplines that reflect regional and national workforce needs, including business, leadership, and health:
- B.A. in Organizational Leadership – Global Leadership
- B.A. in Organizational Leadership – Healthcare Leadership
- B.A. in Organizational Leadership – Nonprofit Leadership
- B.A.S. in Advanced Manufacturing Management
- B.A.S. in Business Administration
- B.S. in Health Information Management
- Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies
- M.S. in Business Analytics
- M.S. in Informatics
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Informatics (Intermediate/Advanced)
“These programs were created with intention and purpose,” said Pamela Steinke, Provost at the University of South Carolina Upstate. “Each one addresses a critical need within our community and across the state, whether that’s advancing leadership in healthcare and business or meeting the growing demand for professionals in data and technology. By expanding access to flexible, affordable programs, we’re helping learners transform their potential into meaningful impact.”
This expansion underscores USC Upstate’s commitment to aligning its academic offerings with the skills and knowledge employers need most. Each new program is designed to prepare students to graduate ready to contribute meaningfully in their fields and communities.
Affordability is a central part of that commitment, and online learners will see its impact through USC Upstate’s Affordable Learning Initiative. Through this effort, faculty are encouraged to adopt low-cost and no-cost course materials and to integrate open educational resources, reducing financial barriers and ensuring that students have access to high-quality content from the first day of class.
“We are proud to partner with USC Upstate to bring these high-impact programs online,” said Fernando Bleichmar, CEO at Risepoint. “USC Upstate’s commitment to expanding access to education and supporting workforce development aligns with our mission, and together, we’re creating pathways that empower learners and strengthen their communities.”
To learn more about the University of South Carolina Upstate and these new programs, visit https://online.uscupstate.edu/. Applications are now open, and classes begin 6/4/2026.
About Risepoint: Risepoint is an education technology company that provides world-class support and trusted expertise to more than 100 universities and colleges. We primarily work with regional universities, helping them develop and grow their high-ROI, workforce-focused online degree programs in critical areas such as nursing, teaching, business, and public service. Risepoint is dedicated to increasing access to affordable education so that more students, especially working adults, can improve their careers and meet employer and community needs. Learn more at risepoint.com.
CONTACT: Katelynn Dugan, [email protected]
SOURCE: Risepoint
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]]>The post Inclement Weather Updates appeared first on USC Upstate.
]]>Updated Monday, Feb. 2 @5:00 pm
Dear campus community,
Following the decision by Spartanburg County to reopen tomorrow, USC Upstate will resume normal operations on Tuesday. We recognize that some students and employees may still face travel challenges due to hazardous road conditions. If so, we encourage you to reach out to your professor or supervisor for guidance. Please use caution on sidewalks and in parking lots as some slippery patches may remain. We look forward to seeing everyone safely back on campus tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Additional Resources:
Updated Sunday, Feb. 1 @ 4:30 pm
Dear campus community,
Following the decision by Spartanburg County government to close all county offices tomorrow, USC Upstate will be closed on Monday. No classes will be held and all university operations will be closed. Please contact your supervisor or professor if you have any questions and continue to monitor the USC Upstate website, social media accounts and SpartAlerts for any updates tomorrow. Thank you and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Updated Sunday, Feb. 1 @ 3:10 pm
Dear campus community,
Due to the likelihood of hazardous road conditions tomorrow resulting from the refreezing of melted snow, USC Upstate will move to online classes and remote work on Monday. Please contact your professors or supervisor if you have any questions. Continue to monitor the USC Upstate website and social media accounts and SpartAlerts for any additional updates. Stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Updated Friday, Jan. 30 @ 5:30 pm
Dear campus community,
In anticipation of an approaching winter storm, which is expected to bring snow and extreme cold to the Upstate, the USC Upstate Incident Management Team will be closely monitoring conditions over the weekend. While this storm is not expected to bring widespread power outages, travel conditions on Monday could be hazardous depending on the amount of snowfall and freeze.
A reminder that USC Upstate follows Spartanburg County decisions on closures, delays or openings. While we make every effort to inform our faculty, students and staff about these decisions in a timely manner, the timing of any announcement is dependent on when the county decides. Decisions about moving to remote classes will be made by the university. Please continue to monitor the USC Upstate website and social media accounts for updates and sign up for SpartAlerts if you have not already done so. As always, the safety of our campus community is our primary concern.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Updated Tuesday, Jan. 27 @ 6:15 pm
Dear campus community,
USC Upstate will reopen for normal operations tomorrow and classes will be on a normal schedule. Please exercise caution in parking lots and on sidewalks, as slick or icy patches may still be present. Taking a few extra minutes to proceed carefully will help reduce the risk of slips, falls and other weather-related accidents. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your professor or your supervisor. We look forward to seeing everyone back on campus tomorrow. Please continue to be safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Updated Monday, Jan. 26 at 6:15 pm
Dear campus community,
Following the decision of Spartanburg County government to keep county offices closed another day, USC Upstate will remain closed tomorrow. Virtual learning for Tuesday is cancelled as well. We will continue to provide any updates as needed. Thank you and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Updated Sunday, Jan. 25 at 6:15 pm
Dear campus community,
Following the decision of Spartanburg County government to close all county offices on Monday, USC Upstate will be closed tomorrow. Virtual learning for Monday only is cancelled as well. Tuesday classes will remain virtual for now. We will continue to provide any updates as needed. Thank you and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bennie L. Harris
Chancellor
Updated Friday, Jan. 23, 2026
In anticipation of this weekend’s winter storm, which is expected to bring sleet, ice and hazardous driving conditions to the Upstate, the USC Upstate campus is making the following adjustments:
For students:
- All classes will move to virtual learning on Monday and Tuesday. Please check with your professor if you have questions.
- The Housing Office has communicated with residential students about dining, parking and other safety information. Please check your email if you have not already done so.
- Gramling and Hodge drives will be closed as a safety precaution.
- We recommend students return home today if their families live outside the storm impact area. Be aware there will not be heat in any campus buildings if the power goes out.
- The Library and Spartan Rec Center will be closed.
For faculty and staff:
- Please take time to prepare for any potential impacts and use appropriate safety precautions. Non-essential employees should talk to their supervisor regarding remote work or personal leave options.
- As a reminder, any decisions on weather-related closures or delays follow those of Spartanburg County, not the Spartanburg school districts.
Continue to monitor our website for updates and sign up for SpartAlerts if you have not already done so. USC Upstate has convened the Incident Management Team to support readiness efforts and review university operating conditions. We will share any updates over the weekend as more information becomes available. As always, the safety of our campus community is our primary concern.
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