Citizen Portal
Sign In

Columbia College reactivates foundation; USC details enrollment and health-sciences expansion

Columbia Mayor and Town–Gown Committee · January 14, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Columbia College reactivated its foundation to steward excess properties for neighborhood use and student supports; University of South Carolina officials reported record first-year enrollment, a growing health-sciences campus and a state commitment of $350 million toward a neurological hospital.

Anne Marie Stearitz, CEO of the reconstituted Columbia College Foundation, told the committee the college has reactivated an independent foundation and is evaluating perimeter properties transferred to the foundation for potential housing or community uses. Stearitz said Columbia College will focus investments on health sciences, student engagement and career-aligned academic programs and is exploring how unused properties could benefit the neighborhood.

"We now have an active and independent board, the foundation working in tandem then with the college and the college board," Stearitz said, describing efforts to put unoccupied properties back into use for community or college needs.

Representatives from the University of South Carolina reported record first-year enrollment that pushed overall enrollment above 40,000 and outlined campus master-plan projects. Speaker 6 said USC is prioritizing health sciences, including a new health sciences campus and a neurological and rehabilitation hospital that the speaker said has state support. "The University was lucky enough to get the state money, $350,000,000, to build this hospital," the speaker said and added the hospital might begin late 2026 or early 2027.

USC representatives also discussed campus modernization plans (demolition of McBride, expansion of honors wing, Rutledge building improvements), a new STEM building and research footprints intended to support local economic development.

Committee members said these institutional plans intersect with downtown redevelopment and housing conversations and signaled willingness to partner with colleges on housing, transit and infrastructure alignment.