South Carolina State University is using $126 million to improve its image, facilities, and diversity over the course of the next 24 months.  Planning to host a Democratic presidential debate on April 26, the historically Black university hopes to reinvent itself amidst affirmative action policies and the accompanying increased competition in recruiting gifted African-American students. 

Citing feedback from questionnaires sent to thousands of South Carolina residents in March 2006, the university has outlined a strategy to effectively redefine itself and "to better educate its students and to improve its service to" the entirety of South Carolina.