ULI South Carolina

In local communities, ULI District Councils bring together a variety of stakeholders to find solutions and build consensus around land use and development challenges. The ULI South Carolina District Council was formed in 2005 to encourage dialogue on land use and planning throughout this state and within each of the three main regions (Upstate, Midlands, Coastal), and to provide tools and resources, leadership development, and a forum through which the state can become better connected. The District Council is led by an Executive Committee with statewide and regional representation, as well as steering committees within each region that focus on the development of membership, sponsorship, programs and Young Leaders activities. With over 600 members, ULI South Carolina is committed to bringing together leaders from across the fields of real estate and land use policy to exchange best practices and serve community needs.

Citadel

The Citadel's mission is to educate and prepare graduates to become principled leaders in all walks of life by instilling the core values of The Citadel in a challenging intellectual environment. The Citadel strives to produce graduates who have insight into issues, ideas, and values that are of importance to society. It is equally important that Citadel graduates are capable of both critical and creative thinking, have effective communication skills, can apply abstract concepts to concrete situations, and possess the methodological skills needed to gather and analyze information. Throughout its history, The Citadel's primary purpose has been to educate undergraduates as members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and to prepare them for post-graduate positions of leadership through academic programs of recognized excellence supported by the best features of a structured military environment. The cadet lifestyle provides a disciplined environment that supports the growth and development of character, physical fitness, and moral and ethical principles. A complementary purpose of The Citadel, realized through the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, is to provide the citizens of the Lowcountry and the State of South Carolina opportunities for professional development by offering a broad range of educational programs of recognized excellence at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. These programs are designed to accommodate the needs of non-traditional students seeking traditional and demanding academic challenges.

Department of Environmental Design & Planning, Clemson University

The mission of the Ph.D. program in Environmental Design and Planning is to prepare a new generation of academics and professionals to deal with the diverse and complex issues relating to the next round of human development. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing a core from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, and construction science. Graduates of this program will be well prepared to address increasingly complex issues relating to human settlement patterns and the built environment. The program will develop strong linkages with both the development and conservation communities within the state and region. The goal of our program is to provide a holistic education drawing in an interdisciplinary fashion from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, and construction science. Each of these fields has gained strength as they separated themselves to establish their own unique identities. Collectively, they provide a unique body of knowledge for addressing issues related to the built environment. While offered with theoretical and methodological underpinnings, the program relates to contemporary and emerging issues of the built environment, connecting students to real world applications.

Joseph P. Riley Institute for Urban Affairs and Policy Studies, College of Charleston

The Riley Institute is an interdisciplinary social science center for programs of academic study as well as research and community service. The Institute has access to a variety of faculty and staff possessing a broad range of practical and academic experience. The Institute employs its resources to assist the Graduate School at the College of Charleston in meeting a threefold mission of providing professional graduate-level education, conducting research of benefit to the state and region, and providing community service. The Institute at the College of Charleston began its service to the state and region in 1978 as the Center for Metropolitan Affairs. Reflecting a more applied research focus, it became the Institute for Public Affairs and Policy Studies in 1985. As a vital part of the College of Charleston, the Riley Institute provides educational and research opportunities for faculty, students and appointed officials, as well as providing a forum for public involvement in urban issues and policies.

Lowcountry Graduate Center

Created through a partnership of the College of Charleston, The Citadel, and the Medical University of South Carolina, the Lowcountry Graduate Center (LGC) was developed to expand the opportunities for graduate education in the Lowcountry. The founding members along with the University of South Carolina and Clemson University now offer more than a dozen graduate programs at the LGC. Constantly working to assess the needs of the region, the LGC is and its partnering institutions are working to add other graduate programs that will have the greatest impact on the economic development of the region. For example, the LGC is funding a faculty position at the College of Charleston this year to look at developing certificate and master's programs in Urban and regional Planning and economic development. A hallmark of the work of the LGC is getting the institutions to cooperate in new ways in order to best utilize all our educational assets in developing new programs. The LGC is centrally located in North Charleston, near the Charleston International Airport, and shares facilities with the College of Charleston North Campus. For more information, visit www.LowcountryGradCenter.org.

South Carolina Design Arts Partnership

The South Carolina Design Arts Partnership (SCDAP) is a joint initiative of the South Carolina Arts Commission and Clemson University. Founded in 1994, SCDAP's mission is to improve the quality of the built and natural environment through design education and leadership training and to serve as a catalyst for community design projects and initiatives throughout the state. SCDAP programs are focused on creative and responsible design and planning with an emphasis on cultural and environmental stewardship and innovation. The partnership believes that collaborative engagement coupled with design thinking and education is a powerful tool for community problem solving. For more information, please visit http://www.southcarolinaarts.com/design/index.shtml.

South Carolina Mayors Institute for Community Design

Since 1999, the South Carolina Mayors Institute for Community Design has been the flagship leadership program of the SC Design Arts Partnership. Modeled after the national Mayors Institute on City Design, a program inspired by Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, the Mayors Institute strives to enhance and reinforce the participants' influence on the physical form and economic vitality of their communities. The Mayors Institute hosts an annual Design Colloquium during which mayors and designers exchange ideas and information in a creative retreat-like atmosphere. In recent years, the SC Mayors Institute has evolved to include additional events and opportunities which empower communities and their leaders to not only develop, but also to implement their visions for the future. Five Mayors and their selected representatives are invited to participate each year. For more information, please visit http://www.southcarolinaarts.com/design/mayors.shtml.

University of South Carolina Institute for Public Service and Policy Research

The Institute for Public Service and Policy Research is an interdisciplinary research and public service component of the University of South Carolina. Its principal purpose is to address current and emerging issues relating to matters of public policy, governance, and leadership through research, educational activities, publications, and direct assistance programs. The goal of the Institute is to improve the quality of social, political, environmental, and economic life, with a primary focus in South Carolina. The Institute has grown from a rich tradition of public service at USC. It was established in September, 1945. In 2001 the Institute became a part of what is now the College of Arts and Sciences. Organizationally, the Institute is comprised of the following areas: Environmental Research and Service, Governmental Research and Service, Survey Research, Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, South Carolina Semester, Washington Semester. For more information about the Institute and its various programs and services we encourage you to visit our Web site at www.ipspr.sc.edu.