Skip to Content

Student Affairs and Academic Support

    Carolinian Creed

    Developed in 1990 as an aspirational values statement, the Carolinian Creed reminds us of the importance of civil discourse while embracing mutual respect for everyone, even those we disagree with.

    The Carolinian Creed

    As a Carolinian...

    • I will practice personal and academic integrity;
    • I will respect the dignity of all persons;
    • I will respect the rights and property of others;
    • I will discourage bigotry, while striving to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions;
    • I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for the conditions which support their work and development.

     

    The Creed Around Campus

    In 1990, the Carolinian Creed was established as the university’s value statement. It's not an enforceable code of conduct, but an expression of our community's aspirations.

    To infuse the Creed in campus culture, there are a number of events that take place throughout the year. Additional information about these events and other ways to promote the Creed are below. 

    CREEDx is an annual event that brings students, faculty, and staff together to celebrate the Carolinian Creed. The event is modeled after TEDx talks. 

    The Carolinian Creed Champion Award recognizes individuals who have made significant and extraordinary contributions to the Carolina community while embodying the values espoused in the Carolinian Creed. 

    University of South Carolina Columbia students, faculty and staff may be nominated for the award. The winner is announced as a part of the Leadership and Service Awards » .

    Students can win a $250 or $750 scholarship by showing what the Carolinian Creed means through a poem, painting, video, song or any other creative medium. 

    The administration at the University of South Carolina was inspired to take action after a string of violent incidents began occurring on college campuses in the late 1980s. A task force of students, faculty and staff was formed to respond to these disturbing events and explore ways to cultivate a culture on our campus that prioritized integrity above enmity. 

    In 1990, the Carolinian Creed was established as the university’s values statement.  It empowers students to set an example for all to follow.

    Initiatives

    Additional ways the Creed is integrated into campus culture:

    • All students sign the Carolinian Creed as a part of their Undergraduate Admissions Application.
    • During Fall Convocation the student body president presents the Creed to a selected first year student on stage and asks the student to accept it and commit to its ideals on behalf of the freshman class.
    • Students, faculty and staff encounter framed copies or brass plaques of the Creed in offices across campus.
    • Officer inductions for various student groups include the Creed in their pledges.
    • At the Leadership and Service Awards the Creed Champion Award is presented to both a student and faculty/staff member who has exemplified the tenets of the Creed in their campus involvement.
    • University 101 faculty extensively cover the Creed in their course.

    Faculty members serve as ambassadors of the Carolinian Creed. Incorporate the Creed into your work at the university.

    • Add a statement to your syllabus:

    "The community of scholars at the University of South Carolina is dedicated to personal and academic excellence. Choosing to join the community obligates each member to the Carolinian Creed. Academic dialogue and civil discourse are the cornerstone of the educational system and crucial to individual growth. Students are encouraged to practice personal and academic integrity, respect the rights and dignity of all persons, respect the rights and property of others, discourage bigotry, while striving to learn from differences in people, ideas, and opinions, and demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for conditions which support their work and development."

    • Print the Creed on the back of your department’s business cards
    • Ask students to write, “I will practice personal and academic integrity” on the front page of their exam booklet.
    • Have students participate in the Carolinian Creed Contest in October.
    • Use the Carolinian Creed in your e-mail signature.

    Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

    ©