ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State University’s Sojourner Truth Hall was the site Thursday for the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety’s training exercises.

The towering residence hall is one of the region’s tallest buildings, making it the perfect location for high-rise elevator extrication, rescue and fire suppression training.

The university has been able to house students only in the 51-year-old tower’s lower floors in recent years because the upper floors are inaccessible to firetrucks.

This spring, SC State received initial approval for the renovation of Truth Hall from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. The $10 million project was funded through a state allocation in the 2022-23 budget.

The renovation will allow the university to retrofit Truth Hall with fire-suppression sprinkler systems and complete other upgrades.

The Truth renovation is an essential infrastructure component necessary to accommodate the university’s enrollment growth. It will bring more than 200 beds back online for student housing. SC State administrators estimate work would begin this November or December, making the additional residential capacity available in August 2024.

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