September 17, 2021
The World Needs Visionaries
Claflin University Remains a Top Ten Institution In U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 List of Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Members of the Claflin University family come together to form the letters "C U' on campus.
“Claflin University not only survived—we thrived,” proclaimed Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack last fall after looking back at how quickly the University’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni adapted to the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By transitioning to innovative teaching and learning modules, and working cohesively as a team; essential administrative functions, academic departments, and other University programs continued to operate effectively. Despite numerous challenges associated with COVID-19, Claflin achieved national accreditation for the School of Education, approval to launch the new Master of Science in Nursing program during the Fall 2021 semester, and record-breaking fundraising success.

Claflin’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed as U.S. News and World Report ranked Claflin in the “Top 10” on its list of the nation’s Best Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) for the 11th consecutive year. 

Claflin is the only HBCU in South Carolina ranked in the “Top 10.”

The prestigious publication ranked Claflin seventh in the Best Regional Colleges in the South category. Institutions in this group focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. 

Claflin was third in the U.S. News ranking of the Top Performers on Social Mobility for Regional Colleges in the South. Claflin is among the colleges that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of students awarded Pell Grants.

“These rankings reflect our ongoing commitment to academic excellence and student success. They also serve as a tribute to our outstanding faculty and staff which during the past year, redefined teaching and learning at Claflin during a global pandemic,” said Warmack. “We applaud our students who also persevered and continued to pursue their dreams of earning a Claflin degree. Our leal and loyal alumni contributed to our impressive rankings by continuing to give generously to support our students and the mission of this historic University.”

The U.S. News & World Report’s Best HBCU ranking measures the quality of undergraduate education at historically Black colleges and universities. These HBCUs were compared only with one another for this ranking. A school must currently be listed as part of the White House and U.S. Department of Education's Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to be included in U.S. News' HBCU ranking. To qualify for this U.S. News ranking, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students and must be a school that is part of the 2022 Best Colleges rankings. In total, 79 HBCUs were eligible to be included on the list; 78 of those were ranked, and one was unranked.

Regional Colleges rankings are split into four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.

Claflin also made U.S. News and World Report’s lists of colleges recognized for efforts to achieve economic diversity and as a Best Undergraduate Computer Science Program among the Regional Colleges in the South.
Alumni News
Congratulations to Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler, ’83, who was re-elected to a third, four-year term this week. “I just want to thank the voters for the confidence they had in me. They went to the polls, they spoke and they spoke loudly,” he said in an interview with the Times and Democrat newspaper. 

Also, Councilwoman Dr. L. Zimmerman Keitt, ’70, was among the three city council members who were re-elected to four-year terms with no opposition. “In the next four years, we’re really looking to put Orangeburg on the map,” Keitt said in the same interview.
Felicia H. Crawford, ’90, was recently appointed principal of Westbury Middle School in Westbury, N.Y. She began her career at the middle school as a science teacher in 1994. During her tenure at Westbury Middle School, she served in several capacities: advisor for student government, dance club, yearbook, and the eighth grade class, and as the cheerleading coach. She also served as the science department chairperson, extended day after school coordinator, a teacher mentor, buddy teacher, and Parent Teacher Student Association teacher liaison. Crawford became an assistant principal in 2012 and served in that capacity until August 2020 when she became Interim principal.
"I don’t just jump out to paint pictures because they are timely. I paint them so I can say something about them, and people can see them in different ways,” said Dr. Leo F. Twiggs, '56, in a feature article published in UGA Today magazine. Twiggs graduated Summa Cum Laude from Claflin University and received his Masters of Arts from New York University. He was the first African American to earn a Doctorate of Art Education from the University of Georgia.Click here to read the article. [Photo by Peter Frey/UGA]
Dr. Duane C. Wilson, '03, has published a book titled Cybersecurity. It is an accessible guide for the everyday user, covering cryptography and public key infrastructure, malware, blockchain, and other topics. The book is a part of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series. Wilson is founder and CEO of Wilson Innovative Solutions LLC, a firm that provides cybersecurity training, research, and consulting for businesses.
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Claflin University
Attn: Marcus Burgess
400 Magnolia Street
Orangeburg, SC 29115

For more information, please call (803) 535-5348.
400 Magnolia Street
Orangeburg, SC 29115 
1.800.922.1276
@Claflin is published by the Office of Communications & Marketing 
President: Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack
Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Dr. Marcus H. Burgess, '96
Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing: George Johnson Jr.
Public Relations Director: J. Craig Cotton
Web Communications Manager: Colin Myers, '07
Director of Athletic Media Relations: Trevin Q. Goodwin
Photographers: Cecil Williams, '60, Geoff Henderson and Colin Myers, '07