Morris College Faculty to Receive South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award
Morris College Faculty to Receive South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award
February 26, 2021
Mr. Herbert Johnson, a native of Sumter, SC, and Assistant Professor of Music at Morris College will receive the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award. The "Excellence in Teaching" award is presented annually by SCICU to a professor from each one of the 20 member institutions who has excelled in teaching, research, and service to the college and community. This is the 16th year the award is being presented. Award receipts will receive a framed certificate and a professional development grant. The 20 Excellence in Teaching award recipients represents a wide diversity of academic disciplines.
Upon moving to the higher education arena in 2018, Mr. Johnson has received campus-wide acclaim for the revitalization and elevation of the choral music program at Morris College. In little more than two years under his leadership, membership in both the Morris College Chorale as well as the Gospel Choir has increased significantly. Also, both musical groups have participated in a number of statewide and regional musical competitions and won first place in two of them. Over the past year, these efforts culminated in Morris College’s choral ensembles being featured in two audio-video recordings and receiving an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Johnson has also utilized his musical talents in the religious and civic arenas as well. He is Minister of Music for the Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, artistic director for the Sumter Civic Chorale, president of the Palmetto Voices Spiritual Ensemble of South Carolina, and a Sumter County Commissioner.
Mr. Johnson holds Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Music Education from Winthrop University and is also a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. At present, Mr. Johnson is pursuing a Doctor of Music Education at Liberty University.