The official minutes of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees are maintained by the Secretary of the Board. Certified copies of minutes may be requested by contacting the Board of Trustees’ Office. Electronic or other copies of original minutes are not official Board of Trustees' documents.
The Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina met at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, 1999, in The Gallery of Hubbard Hall on the campus of USC Lancaster.
Members present were: Mr. William C. Hubbard, Chairman; Dr. C. Edward Floyd, Chairman Emeritus; Mr. Herbert C. Adams; Mr. Arthur Bahnmuller; Mr. James Bradley; Mr. Mark W. Buyck, Jr.; Mr. Samuel R. Foster, II; Mrs. Helen C. Harvey; Mr. Toney J. Lister; Mr. Miles Loadholt; Mr. Robert N. McLellan; Mr. J. DuPre Miller; Mr. M. Wayne Staton; Mr. John C. von Lehe, Jr.; and Mr. Othniel H. Wienges, Jr. Members absent were: Mr. Mack I. Whittle, Jr., Vice Chairman; Mr. William W. Doar, Jr.; Mr. Alexander English; Mr. Michael J. Mungo; and Ms. Inez Tenenbaum. Faculty representative, Professor Eldon Wedlock, Jr., and student representative, Mr. Malik Husser, were also present.
Others present were: President John M. Palms; Secretary Thomas L. Stepp; Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jerome D. Odom; Vice President and Chief Operating Officer J. Lyles Glenn; Vice President for Business and Finance John L. Finan; Vice President for Student and Alumni Services Dennis A. Pruitt; Vice President for Human Resources Jane M. Jameson; Vice President for Development Charles D. Phlegar; General Counsel Walter (Terry) H. Parham; Chancellor, USC Spartanburg, John C. Stockwell; Dean, USC Lancaster, Joseph Pappin; Dean, USC Salkehatchie, Carl A. Clayton; Dean, USC Beaufort, Chris Plyler; Dean, USC Sumter, C. Leslie Carpenter; Dean, USC Union, James W. Edwards; Vice Chancellor for Administration, USC Aiken, Thomas L. Hallman; Director of Facilities Management and University Architect Charles G. Jeffcoat; Assistant Director of Facilities Management for Planning Services Donna Collins; USC Lancaster administrators: Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Deborah B. Cureton, Business Manager Thomas H. Fox, Director of Development and Criminal Justice Ralph W. Garris, Director of Special Events Dabney Sanders, and Administrative Assistant to the Dean Trina McFadden; Director of Public Affairs Russell McKinney; Chairman of the Lancaster County Commission for Higher Education, Dr. Mike McDow; Chairman of the Union/Laurens Commission for Higher Education, Jack Whitener; Priest from St. Catherine's Catholic Church, Father Thomas Morrison; faculty members receiving emeriti status: College of Library and Information Science Professor John Gardner, College of Arts and Sciences USC Spartanburg Professor Emanuel Seko and his wife and daughter, and College of Arts and Sciences USC Spartanburg Professor Edwin Wilde; Special guest, Chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanif Chaudhry; representative from Media Relations Jason Snyder; and representa-tives from the media.
Chairman Hubbard called the meeting to order and stated that notice of the meeting had been posted and the press notified as required by the Freedom of Information Act; the agenda and supporting materials had been circulated to the members, and a quorum was present.
Mr. Hubbard welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked Dean Pappin for hosting the luncheon for Board members and guests at the construction site of the Arts and Sciences Building. Especially welcomed to the meeting were the Chairman of the Union/Laurens Commission for Higher Education Jack Whitener and the Chairman of the Lancaster County Commission for Higher Education Mike McDow. The new USC Columbia Student Body President, Malik Husser, was welcomed to his first Board meeting. Those present were invited to introduce themselves. Mr. Snyder introduced the press.
Mr. Hubbard said it would not be possible to have a meeting at USC Lancaster without acknowledging the outstanding contributions made by Board member James Bradley to USC Lancaster, the Lancaster community, the entire University, and the entire State of South Carolina. He was a great leader and his efforts were greatly appreciated.
Father Thomas Morris was invited to deliver the invocation. Mr. Hubbard recognized Dr. Hanif Chaudhry, Chairman of the Department and the Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Khan Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who would be receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Valencia in Spain on June 22, 1999. Dr. Chaudhry received the congratulations of the Board. Mr. Hubbard then recognized faculty members who had recently been awarded honorary faculty titles: Professor John Gardner, Professor Emanuel Seko, and Professor Edwin Wilde. The professors were thanked for their service to USC. Professor John Griffin of USC Lancaster was unable to attend the meeting, but Mr. Hubbard noted that Dr. Griffin was the author of the books presented to the Board members at this meeting.
There were personnel matters with respect to honorary degree candidates, honorary faculty titles, and appointments with tenure appropriate for Executive Session. Mr. Hubbard called for a motion to enter Executive Session. Mr. Bradley so moved, and Mr. Bahnmuller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried. The following persons were invited to remain: Dr. Palms, Mr. Stepp, Dr. Odom, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Finan, Ms. Jameson, Dr. Pruitt, Mr. Phlegar, Mr. Parham, Dr. Stockwell, Mr. McKinney, Ms. Hyatt, and Ms. Medich.
Return to Open Session
I. Approval of Minutes: The following eight sets of minutes were circulated by mail to the Board for review and were presented for approval:
A. Ad Hoc Committee on Advancement, February 25, 1999
B. Academic Affairs & Faculty Liaison Committee, February 25, 1999
C. Executive Committee, February 25, 1999
D. Buildings and Grounds Committee, February 25, 1999
E. Board of Trustees, February 25, 1999
F. Health Affairs Committee, March 25, 1999
G. Executive Committee, March 25, 1999
H. Fiscal Policy Committee, March 25, 1999
There were no additions, deletions, or corrections to the minutes, and they stood approved as distributed.
II. Committee Reports
A. Health Affairs Committee
(The Honorable J. DuPre Miller, reporting)
The Health Affairs Committee met in Executive Session on March 25, on the School of Medicine Campus, and received a report from Dean Faulkner on the Affiliation Agreement with Palmetto Health Alliance.
All of Carolina's goals were addressed in the Agreement and most had been completely accomplished. The School of Medicine resolved to continue a spirit of cooperation with the hospital and to eliminate the limits on both the number of patient beds and access to hospital facilities. Carolina wanted to facilitate joint planning, educational collaborations, and combined roles for Department Chairs and hospital Directors of Education, in addition to other matters.
It was hoped that future major directions for the affiliation would strengthen the medical education programs, expand the Centers for Research Excellence, integrate the hospital's teaching clinics with the University's faculty practices, initiate joint development activities, expand the Office of Medical Education Minority Affairs, and construct a Medical Education Center.
The Affiliation Agreement had been forwarded to the Executive Committee, which adopted it later that same day.
B. Buildings and Grounds Committee
(The Honorable Mark W. Buyck, Jr.)
Mr. Buyck reported that the Buildings and Grounds Committee met at the School of Medicine and toured the School's facilities at the VA campus. The Committee was very pleased with the facilities. Not only was it a very outstanding, collegiate-looking campus, but the School of Medicine had a very good feel for what it wanted to do at that facility.
1. Naming Opportunities: During the Executive Session of the February Board meeting, two naming opportunities were presented to lay on the table in accordance with the Board's Bylaws. The Buildings and Grounds Committee presented the two matters to be acted upon.
a) Robert E. Penland Administration and Classroom Building at USC Aiken: This naming would acknowledge the outstanding service and generous donations of Robert E. Penland to USC Aiken. He was an Aiken resident and very interested in the University at Aiken and at Columbia. On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Buyck moved to remove this item from the table and so name the "Robert E. Penland Administration and Classroom Building" at USC Aiken. Mrs. Harvey seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
b) Naming Conference Room 102 of the Business and Education Building, USC Aiken, in Memory of Mr. Joe Wyatt: This naming would acknowledge the service of Joe Wyatt to USC Aiken. On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Buyck moved to remove this item from the table and so name the "Joe Wyatt Conference Room" in the Business and Education Building on the USC Aiken campus. Mr. Loadholt seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
2. Project Status Report: The Buildings and Grounds Committee met on March 25 and received a report on the status of ongoing projects.
In keeping with established Board policy, it was reported that the administration had approved an increase of $24,000 to the Nursing Auditorium Renovation project. This action resulted in a total project budget of $319,000 funded from Institutional Capital Project Funds.
A project to renovate the Microelectronics Laboratory to provide space for the College of Engineering was estimated to cost $500,000 and would be funded with indirect cost recovery funds. The specific semiconductor material produced by this lab was identified by the U.S. Department of Defense as necessary for support of its advanced materials program. Various federal agencies had provided funds for equipment so that increased production could proceed within six months. To meet the required time frame for material production, as allowed under state procurement guidelines, this project was declared an emergency procurement based on "critical economy."
3. Bates West Renovations: This project would replace interior walls and floor finishes and install new ceilings and lights in the corridors to coincide with a separate project to install a sprinkler system. Distribution piping for the HVAC system would be replaced.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Buyck moved to establish the renovation project for Bates West Dormitory, as presented, with a budget of $1.2 million to be funded with Housing funds. Mr. Foster seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
4. Capstone Renovations: Mr. Buyck reported on a fire which occurred at Capstone on April 5, 1999, when a sofa on the sixth floor study room caught on fire. The building was evacuated in the middle of the night, and the fire depart-ment responded to the call. Smoke and odor damage was estimated at approximately $25,000. Fortunately, no one was injured. When the fire department arrived on the sixth floor, some of the dormitory rooms were locked. To insure that everyone had been evacuated, the locked doors were knocked down, which increased the associated costs. Mr. Finan reported that an insurance claim had been filed. Mr. Jeffcoat said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but it was pretty apparent that it had been set deliberately.
The Housing Department requested that the scope and budget of the renovation project for Capstone be increased by $1 million to include upgrades to corridor finishes, furnishings, and sinks. The work would coincide with a separate project to install a sprinkler system.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Buyck moved to increase the scope and budget of the Capstone Renovation project, as presented, for a total budget of $1,500,000 to be funded with Housing Funds. Mr. Bahnmuller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
5. School of Public Health Addition: This construction project was approved by the Board in June 1998 with a budget of $10 million to be funded with $3.5 million in State Appropriations, $3.5 million in Private funds, and $3 million in Institutional Bonds contingent on receipt of the grant funds and matching funds from the State Legislature. Subsequently, the School of Public Health was allocated $250,000 in U.S. Government HUD funding, and it was proposed that these funds be used to begin the design of the addition.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Buyck moved to change the source of funds for the School of Public Health project to allow planning and design development. The change in source of funds would result in the budget of $10 million being funded with $3.5 million in State Appropriations, $3.5 million in Private Funds, $2.75 million in Institutional Bonds, and $250,000 in federal grant funds. Mr. Miller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
6. USC Aiken Convocation Center Feasibility Study: The Committee heard a report from Dr. Alexander on the Aiken Campus Facilities Master Plan. Dr. Alexander requested approval for a feasibility study for the construction of a convocation center on the Aiken Campus.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Buyck moved approval of the feasibility study for a convocation center at USC Aiken to be funded from the USCA operating budget. Mr. Loadholt seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
C. Executive Committee
(The Honorable William C. Hubbard, reporting)
1. Report of Meeting of March 25, 1999: During the meeting of the Executive Committee held on March 25, the Affiliation Agreement between the USC School of Medicine and Palmetto Health Alliance was approved. A report on that Agreement was given by Mr. Miller on behalf of the Health Affairs Committee earlier in this meeting.
At a meeting of the Executive Committee held earlier this day, the following matters were considered:
2. Appointment of Board of Visitors: The Executive Committee approved for recommendation to the full Board the nomination by Mrs. Harvey of Mr. John Robert Perrill to represent the 14th Judicial Circuit on the Board of Visitors. Mr. Hubbard called for a motion to appoint Mr. Perrill to the Board of Visitors. Mrs. Harvey so moved, and Mr. Buyck seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
3. Honorary Faculty Titles: The following honorary faculty titles were received at a time when an Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee meeting was not pending prior to a full Board meeting. With the concurrence of Mrs. Harvey, the following honorary faculty titles were presented to facilitate the inclusion of the names of the appropriate persons in the Commencement program. Therefore, they were presented, without objection, in Executive Session to both the Executive Committee and to this Board.
a) Dr. Ruth Cordahi, School of Education, USC Aiken, would be awarded the title Emerita Professor upon her retirement June 30, 1999.
The following persons would be awarded the title Distinguished Professor during their final year of service. Upon their retirement, that title would change to Distinguished Professor Emeritus:
b) Dr. Miles Friedman, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, retiring June 30, 1999;
c) Dr. Donald Mitcham, School of Business, USC Aiken, retiring June 30, 1999;
d) Dr. Ted Simpson, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, retiring June 30, 1999; and
e) Dr. Richard E. Ishler, Department of Instruction and Teacher Education, College of Education, retiring June 30, 1999. Dr. Ishler would also be awarded the title Dean Emeritus.
f) Dr. Roderick Macdonald, Jr., School of Medicine, would be awarded the title Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus. Dr. Macdonald retired July 15, 1986.
Mr. Hubbard called for a motion to approve the requested honorary faculty titles, as presented. Mr. Staton so moved, and Mr. Wienges seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
4. Appointments with Tenure: The following appointments were received at a time when an Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee meeting was not pending prior to a full Board meeting. With the concurrence of Mrs. Harvey, the following appointments were presented to permit these persons to begin their duties promptly. Therefore, they were presented, without objection, in Executive Session to both the Executive Committee and to the Board.
a) Dr. Sharon Harley would be awarded tenure at the rank of Associate Professor with her appointment in the Department of History, College of Liberal Arts.
Mr. Hubbard called for a motion to approve Dr. Harley's appointment with tenure. Dr. Floyd so moved, and Mr. Staton seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
b) Dr. Paul K. H. Kim would be awarded tenure at the rank of Professor with his appointment in the College of Social Work.
Mr. Hubbard called for a motion to approve Dr. Kim's appointment with tenure. Mr. Bradley so moved, and Mr. Buyck seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
5. Report of Meeting of April 22, 1999: In other action taken by the Executive Committee, Mr. Alexander English, Gubernatorial Designee to the Board of Trustees, was assigned to the following standing Committees: Fiscal Policy, Health Affairs, and Student-Trustee Liaison.
Contracts valued over $250,000 were approved to continue relationships with the Business Partnership Foundation, the USC Educational Foundation, the USC Development Foundation, and the Carolina Piedmont Foundation.
A contract was approved with the Bank of America NT&SA to establish an account which would be used to disburse financial aid electronically.
A contract was also approved with the National College of District Attorneys to lease space to them and secure the location of their headquarters at the University of South Carolina. Mr. Hubbard said this was a most exciting development which, in conjunction with the presence of the National Advocacy Center and plans for a new School of Law facility, would continue to establish Carolina as a major national center for continuing legal education and professional development.
D. Fiscal Policy Committee
(The Honorable Robert N. McLellan, reporting)
The Fiscal Policy Committee met on March 25, 1999, and received Internal Audits for Undergraduate Admissions, the College of Education, and USC Salkehatchie. The audits were throughly reviewed by the Committee and were mailed to the Board in accordance with established procedures. Outstanding items on the audit tracking report which were older than six months were also thoroughly reviewed. They would be followed by the Committee until they were resolved.
The Designated Fund Quarterly Report indicated that revenues were exceeding expenses. Although Coliseum revenues were down somewhat, heavier activity in the third quarter of the fiscal year would increase revenue from that source.
A report of endowment assets of SEC and ACC institutions indicated that USC had moved up to the rank of 13 out of 20.
The 1998 University Financial Statement and Audit conducted by an independent auditor, on behalf of the State, contained no management exceptions and was a clean report for the second year in a row. That should be commended for an organization of this size and complexity.
E. Student-Trustee Liaison Committee
(The Honorable Miles Loadholt, reporting)
The Student-Trustee Liaison Committee met on March 25, 1999, with student representatives from most of the University's campuses in attendance.
Students reported on the many activities taking place on their campuses. Students continue to be heavily involved on their campuses and in their communities. Most campuses were conducting student government officer elections during the first week of April.
Mr. Stepp presented a report on the Bicentennial Celebration, stressing that activities would be held on each campus and throughout the entire state.
Dr. Luna, the Director of Housing, presented the proposed housing fees for 1999-2000. Generally, an increase of three and a half percent was anticipated. Demand for on campus housing continued to be high, reflective of both renovation and construction of improved dormitories.
F. Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee
(The Honorable Helen C. Harvey, reporting)
1. Candidates for Honorary Degrees: On behalf of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, Mrs. Harvey moved that the names of the following candidates for honorary degrees be removed from the table:
Eric Benhamou
James Clyburn
James Hodges
Raphael Lee
Thomas Moore
William Neukom
Daniel Reeves
Dennis Washington
T. Clifton Weeks
George Will
Mr. Bradley seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
2. Honorary Faculty Titles
a) There was a correction to an action taken at the December Board meeting. The retirement date of Dr. Edgar Hickman, Darla Moore School of Business, was incorrectly requested as December 31, 1999. Dr. Hickman retired December 31, 1998, and the title Distinguished Professor Emeritus should be effective on that date.
On behalf of the Committee, Mrs. Harvey moved correction of the effective date of Dr. Hickman's title to December 31, 1998. Mr. Lister seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
The requests for honorary faculty titles had received all appropriate approvals and were presented to the Committee and to this Board in Executive Session without objection:
b) Dr. Alan Nairn, Department of Geological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, would receive the title Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Nairn retired December 31, 1999.
The following persons would receive the title Distinguished Professor during their final year of service. Upon their retirement that title would change to Distinguished Professor Emeritus.
c) Dr. Robert F. Bond, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, would retire December 31, 1999;
d) Dr. Frank Caruccio, Department of Geological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, would retire June 30, 1999;
e) Dr. Gale N. Coston, School of Public Health, would retire
June 30, 1999;
f) Mr. Roger Pemberton, School of Music, would retire July 1, 2000;
g) Dr. James H. Rex, Department of Educational Leadership and Policies, College of Education, would retire June 30, 1999;
h) Dr. Lawrence S. Rowland, USC Beaufort, would retire May 15, 1999;
i) Dr. Donald Secor, Jr., Department of Geological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, would retire May 15, 1999;
j) Dr. Willard Sharp, Department of Geological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, would retire June 30, 1999;
k) Dr. Fred W. Teuber, School of Music, would retire June 30, 2000; and
l) Dr. Murray L. Vincent, School of Public Health, would retire June 30, 1999.
m) Dr. Charles Madison Walker, USC Union, would receive the title Emeritus Professor. Dr. Walker retired June 30, 1997.
The following professors would receive the title Emeritus Professor upon their retirement:
n) Dr. Ronald R. Beck, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, would retire December 31, 1999; and
o) Dr. Richard Kemper, Department of Instruction and Teacher Education, College of Education, would retire May 15, 1999.
p) Ms. Carol C. Coston, School of Public Health, would receive the title Emerita Professor upon her retirement June 30, 1999.
On behalf of the Committee, Mrs. Harvey moved approval of the requested honorary faculty titles. Mr. Staton seconded the motion. Mr. Buyck asked if the honorary titles carried any financial remuneration, and he told was they did not. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Mrs. Harvey congratulated the faculty members receiving honorary faculty titles and thanked them for their service to the University.
3. Appointments with Tenure: The following appointments with tenure had received all appropriate approvals and were presented, without objection, to the Committee and to this Board in Executive Session.
a) Dr. Richard M. Davis would be awarded tenure at the rank of Professor effective with his appointment as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine. On behalf of the Committee, Mrs. Harvey moved approval of Dr. Davis' appointment with tenure. Mr. Miller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
b) Dr. Charles A. Love would be awarded tenure effective with his appointment as Professor and Dean of Education, USC Spartanburg. On behalf of the Committee, Mrs. Harvey moved approval of Dr. Love's appointment with tenure. Mr. Staton seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
c) Dr. Joan Hinde Stewart would be awarded tenure at the rank of Professor in the Department of French and Classics, effective with her appointment as Dean of College of Liberal Arts. On behalf of the Committee, Mrs. Harvey moved approval of Dr. Stewart's appointment with tenure. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
III. Report from the Dean of USC Lancaster (USCL)
Dean Pappin thanked everyone for coming to USC Lancaster for this meeting. He then thanked his administrative assistant, Trina McFadden, and the Director of Special Events, Dabney Sanders, for their work in making the Board visit a success.
Dean Pappin said it had been five years since the Board had met on the Lancaster campus, and he had come to his position in Lancaster in May of 1994.
Dean Pappin then reviewed some of the highlights of the past five years.
- Arts and Sciences Building: Pledges for the Arts and Sciences Building, which was under construction, had exceeded $8 million, combined with $2.7 million in state appropriations. Dean Pappin said he was extremely proud that over $56,000 had been pledged by USCL faculty and staff. The building was scheduled for completion in the fall of 1999 and would be opened with a series of major events. The building would contain 17 classrooms, a 450 seat auditorium, a multi-purpose room, and a science wing of 5 laboratories. It would be equipped for current and future high tech needs.
- Medford Library: In 1997 a $4 million state appropriation was received for renovation and expansion of the Medford Library. Clark-Nexsen of Charlotte was the architectural firm working on the plans. The renovation and expansion would allow the library to become an information technology hub. "Friends of the Medford Library" was a community organization formed in 1995. It had provided funding of over $30,000 in new services, materials and technology for the library; sponsored an annual fiction writing contest named after Col. Springs; and sponsored a series of local and national authors including University faculty member Walter Edgar. This spring Billy Boan was honored with a "roast" for his strong support of USCL and the Medford Library.
- Gregory Health and Wellness Center: Recently, at the initiation of Mr. Bradley and with the concurrence of the Board of Trustees, the PE Center was named the Gregory Health and Wellness Center named after C. D. "Bubba" Gregory who led the fundraising drive in the late 1970s for that building. The Center received a grant of over $216,000 from the J. Marion Sims Foundation for the purchase of Nautilus and cardio-theater equipment. A Community Advisory Board was established to support the work of the Center.
- John Morrison White Clinic: The Clinic was established in 1990 through the John Morrison White family establishing an endowment. Professor William F. Riner, Jr., was the Director of the Clinic, which served over 200 patients a year in its cardiac rehabilitation program. The Clinic was involved in developmental exercise and nutrition research and was involved in a joint project with the Perpetual Motor Development Laboratory at USC Columbia. Dr. Riner gave national and international presentations on the work of the Clinic. Another community link coming from the Health and Wellness Center was the Homework Center which served over 50 students in grades K-8 with tutoring provided by USCL students and instructors. Summer sports programs were conducted through the Center, and 100 scholarships were provided through the Springs Foundation. The "Learn to Swim Program" was operated through the Center and taught all fourth graders in the Lancaster County School district swimming and water safety. The swim program was funded by a grant from the J. Marion Sims Foundation.
- Campus Beautification: Underground sprinkler systems were being installed as part of the campus beautification project. The project was designed by USC Campus Services in Columbia and included new plantings, walkways, benches and signage.
- Freshmen Reading Experience: This program was modeled after the one at USC Columbia and provided students the opportunity to begin the year with a common intellectual dialogue. Each year a nationally known author was brought to campus. Participants in the past included Dori Sanders, Bob Inman, and Matthew Bruccoli. Josephine Humphreys was the author for fall 1999 with her book Rich in Love. The book would be provided to all incoming freshmen during the summer before they arrived at campus and discussion groups would be scheduled through English classes.
- Gallery Exhibits: Hubbard Hall Gallery hosted exhibits which were changed approximately every two months. Exhibits included gallery talks and panel discussions by guests artists and curator talks with classes upon request by an instructor. The gallery showcased the work of local artists. Dean Pappin recognized Fran Perry, who was the curator of the gallery.
- Honors Program: Dean Pappin said USCL had an outstanding honors program, one of the oldest such programs in the Regional Campuses. Dr. Bruce Nims had recently been named director of the program. Examples of courses included last fall's English 101 and Art 101 linked course entitled "Connections: An Exploration of Art and Community."
- Faculty/Staff Research Productivity: Dean Pappin said that the faculty had responded very positively to the challenges placed before them in terms of increased journal articles, presentations, art exhibits, grant proposals, book reviews and published chapters and books. A research and productive scholarship fund was established, and five faculty members had received awards this year for work beginning in summer 1999.
- PALs: Peer Advisors at Lancaster (PALs) was a group of students who served as campus ambassadors. The appointments were competitive, with partial scholarships offered. For the luncheon held prior to this meeting, PALS had helped direct guests to the Arts and Sciences Building.
- Campus Technology: In the past three years over 200 new computers with Internet access, e-mail and research capabilities had been added to campus.
Dean Pappin thanked the Board members for their visit to USC Lancaster. Mr. Bradley said the community was very grateful for the leadership Dean Pappin had given to the campus, and the University was very fortunate to have him there.
IV. Report of the Chairman
Mr. Hubbard reported on the inaugural meeting of the Chairs of the Southeastern Conference. All of the schools in the Conference were represented at the meeting with the exception of Tennessee and Georgia. The Georgia chair had to cancel on the day the conference began and sent his regrets. One person represented both Mississippi institutions since Mississippi has a single governing Board of Regents. The meeting was held in New Orleans on March 25 and 26 and was hosted by Mr. Charles Weems, Chair of the LSU Board of Supervisors.
The first speaker at the meeting was William Jenkins, President-elect of the LSU System. Dr. Jenkins described what he saw as a subtle shift in the three major focus areas of universities -- a shift from teaching to learning, research moving toward discovery, and service moving toward engagement. He spoke of engagement with the community, the state, and industry. Dr. Jenkins predicted that in the future presidents would look for more guidance and would work more closely with boards because universities were working in arenas where they have never before worked, and there would be a need to tap the expertise and resources available from the boards of trustees.
Governor Foster's chief of staff, Stephen Perry, addressed the meeting, and it was his opinion that the Governor thought that higher education was the economic engine of the South. He noted that in every progressive state, higher education was very strong. Governor Foster was trying to increase the investment in education so that institutions of higher education could radically change society. Mr. Perry said that Louisiana had seen a transformation in the quality of board members appointed, and the influence of boards had been profound in that state. It was his opinion that board members had to be fierce advocates for universities in the legislative and budget process. A new compact was needed between boards and their presidents to re-engage universities with the business community, alumni, and the communities in which they operate.
Roger Clark, Director of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, also addressed the meeting. This was a committee that facilitated collaboration among Big Ten schools, and it was governed by three founding principles: 1) no single institution can or should attempt to be all things to all people; 2) inter-institutional cooperation permits educational experimentation and progress on a scale beyond the capability of any single institution acting alone; and 3) voluntary cooperation fosters effective, concerted action while preserving institutional autonomy and diversity. The presentation was to start SEC institutions thinking about whether such a similar coordinating committee would be of benefit to them.
A report was heard on the challenge of funding higher education in the new millennium. It was a discussion of achieving the right balance of private support, keeping tuition down at a time of diminishing public support, and the need to grow the endowment and engage in significant private fundraising. This report was given by William L. Silvia, the Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance for LSU.
There was a presentation entitled "The Tension Today Between Athletics and Academics and the Role of the Board Chair." The speaker for this session was Mr. Pete Boone, the President of the Business Bank of Baton Rouge, and formerly the Director of Athletics at the University of Mississippi.
Michael Middaugh gave a presentation on the evolving debate over faculty accountability, tenure versus contracts, and the role of the institutional board in promoting accountability.
The meeting was concluded with a round-table discussion on issues facing boards. The topics had been submitted by the participants. Mr. Hubbard said the conference was a very useful exercise, and there was a unanimous decision to hold the conference again next year in New Orleans. Following that, locations would be rotated among the member institutions.
V. Report of the President
Dr. Palms said that an interesting topic for the SEC board chairs conference would have been the level of state funding for those flagship institutions during the past ten years. He said he had a chart which he had been showing to the legislators which indicated that every one of those states had far outspent South Carolina in their support for higher education. The lowest numbers for increases in spending were about 75 to 80 percent; in South Carolina the increase had only been 37 percent. He encouraged the Board members to contact the state's elected officials to support higher education at a higher financial level.
Dr. Palms thanked Lancaster for hosting the meeting, and he thanked Dean Pappin for his presentation.
In referencing the upcoming commencements, Dr. Palms said the University would be awarding 364 associate degrees, 2,278 baccalaureate degrees, 1,290 master's degrees, 69 MDs, 239 law degrees, and 154 Ph.D.s. This was an indication of how hard the faculty was working.
Dr. Palms said he and the Provost had just completed reading the dossiers for promotion and tenure. They, along with the chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, concurred that this was the best group of dossiers that they had read in recent history. There was also a committee that reviewed the performance of faculty who currently held named chairs. The committee reviewed performance and either recommended reappointment to the chair or a terminal appointment to the chair.
Graduate Student Day had been held recently, in addition to Honors and Awards Day. Dr. Palms said that Mr. Bradley's granddaughter had received another award. A dinner was held for Honors College graduates; many of them were going on to graduate study at institutions such as University of Chicago, Yale, North Carolina, and Virginia. These institutions were coming to South Carolina to recruit the Honors College students. Three undergraduate students and three recent graduates had won National Science Foundation scholarships for a total award of $465,000.
The University was actively recruiting McNair scholars. The average SAT for these candidates was 1417, and they represented 12 states. There were 50 Carolina Scholar finalists with an average SAT of 1433. There were 881 applications for the Honors College, and 508 had been accepted, with an average SAT of 1375. Scholar-ships, based on merit, had been offered to 1,913 students. Acceptance date for these scholarships was May 1, 1999. USC currently had 187 National Merit Finalists on campus; 62 were in last year's freshman class.
Nine of the University's publications had won national awards. Dr. Palms thanked Larry Pearce and Char Davis for that work.
Several new academic appointments had been made. Dr. Palms asked Dr. Chris Plyler to stand and be recognized. Dr. Plyler would be the new Associate Provost for Regional Campuses and Continuing Education. Dr. Palms thanked Dr. Carolyn West for the wonderful job she had done in filling that position on an interim basis. The Library had just been moved up in ranking from 54 to 52 in America. Dr. Palms commended Dr. George Terry for the outstanding jobs he had done with the Library. Dr. Terry had also been the principal person involved with information technology on the campuses. The University wished to continue to make progress in the evolution of the Library, and Dr. Terry would continue to do that. A separate position would be created for a Chief Information Officer for the University who would report to the President and the Provost.
Dr. Palms said good progress had been made with plans for the Bicentennial celebration. Sally McKay had been hired as Executive Director of the Bicentennial. Ms. McKay had graduated from USC in 1992 and received the "graduate of the year" award at that time. Harry Lesesne had also been hired as Associate Director and Bicentennial Historian. Dr. Lesesne had just completed his dissertation on the history of the University of South Carolina working under Walter Edgar.
The search for the Dean of the Darla Moore School of Business was progressing, with finalists visiting the campus.
Dr. Palms discussed the status of funding legislation in the General Assembly. The House of Representatives had proposed a 1.5 percent increase, while the Senate had proposed a 5 percent increase. Other states were looking at increases in the area of 10 percent. The current proposal would take $10 million from either of the House or Senate proposals and distribute those funds to the schools that had above average enrollment increases based on averages. USC had not had major enrollment increases on the Columbia campus, although there had been some increase at Aiken and Spartanburg. This move is not in keeping with moving toward performance funding.
The Chronicle of Higher Education issue which was received the day prior to this meeting, reported that average salaries for full and associate professors at USC Columbia, Aiken, and Spartanburg were approximately $5,000 below the national average of public institutions. They were approximately $20,000 below the national average of private institutions. Dr. Palms said that this was the result of ten years of not receiving sufficient support for the operation of the institution. In an effort to keep good faculty members from being hired away by other institutions, salaries were being supplemented with assistance from the foundations.
Dr. Palms said the Regional Meetings of the Bicentennial Campaign to date had been successful. There had been a wonderful turnout in Spartanburg recently, with over 200 persons in attendance. The Campaign was at the $225 million mark of its $300 million goal. There was great confidence that the $300 million goal would be reached and surpassed. The infrastructure was just being established, which should have been in place years ago, to have continuous successful fundraising. Dr. Palms complimented Mr. Phlegar and the Development Officers; they had been working very long hours in an effort to make the Campaign a success.
Mr. Hubbard thanked Dr. Palms for his report and offered the help of the Board in talking to members of the Legislature about the needs of the University.
VI. Remarks from Student Body President
Mr. Husser said it was an honor to sit with the Board. He looked forward to a successful year at USC Columbia, being a strong voice for the students, and making sure the students' issues were being addressed.
Mr. Hubbard said the Board would adjourn in memory of Dr. Brian Ewing, the Managing Director of the MIBS Program who died of a heart attack during the MIBS awards banquet last week. Mr. McLellan moved to adjourn, and Mr. Miller seconded the motion. Hearing no objection, Mr. Hubbard declared the meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas L. Stepp
Secretary