South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc., announces the 2005 Guidance Counselor Bus Tour entitled “Excellence in Independent Higher Education: A Holistic Approach to Serving Today’s Student.”

The June 20-24 tour provides high school guidance counselors first-hand interaction with students, faculty, staff, and academic programs at 20 independent higher education institutions located in the state, including Southern Wesleyan, Allen, Anderson, Benedict, Charleston Southern, Claflin, Coker, Columbia, Columbia International, Converse, Erskine, Furman, Limestone, Morris, Newberry, North Greenville, Presbyterian, Spartanburg Methodist, Voorhees and Wofford.

“As we stage this eleventh tour,” said Wayne Landrith, SCICU Executive Vice President, “we are excited to offer two finely-tuned itineraries of ten colleges or universities each.”

The tour group will have lunch at Southern Wesleyan University on June 23 and also tour the campus.

Seventy five counselors and educators from across the state, as well as North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Rhode Island, will receive personal exposure to independent (private) institutions, build an important network and may earn recertification credit. Working with the S.C. Department of Education and the S.C. Counseling Association, SCICU’s tour offers the benefit of earning SDE recertification or LPC credit for meeting stated objectives.

South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc., was established in 1953 to promote the cause of independent higher education in South Carolina. SCICU seeks to advance independent higher education through fund raising, scholarships, research and by facilitating collaborative activities among the 20 member institutions. SCICU is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation.