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.
Board of Trustees
October 19, 2000
The Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina met Thursday, October 19, 2000, at 2:00 p.m., in Ballroom C of the Russell House University Union.
Members present were: Mr. William C. Hubbard, Chairman; Mr. Herbert C. Adams; Mr. Arthur S. Bahnmuller; Mr. James Bradley; Mr. Alexander English; Mr. A. C. Fennell, III; Mr. Samuel R. Foster, II; Mrs. Helen C. Harvey; Mr. Toney J. Lister; Mr. Miles Loadholt; Mr. Robert N. McLellan, via telephone; Mr. J. DuPre Miller; Ms. Darla D. Moore; Mr. Michael J. Mungo; Mr. M. Wayne Staton, via telephone; Mr. John C. von Lehe, Jr.; Mr. Mack I. Whittle, Jr.; and Mr. Othniel H. Wienges, Jr. Trustees absent were: Dr. C. Edward Floyd and Mrs. Inez M. Tenenbaum. The faculty representative, Professor Caroline Strobel, and the student representative, Ms. Jotaka Eaddy, were both 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 Human Resources Jane M. Jameson; Vice President for Student and Alumni Service Dennis A. Pruitt; Vice President for Development Charles D. Phlegar; Executive Dean of Regional Campuses and Continuing Education Chris P. Plyler; General Counsel Walter (Terry) H. Parham; Interim Chancellor of USC Aiken Thomas L. Hallman; Director of Athletics Michael B. McGee; University Architect Charles G. Jeffcoat; Assistant Director for Planning Services Donna Collins; Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Joan H. Stewart; Dean of the College of Library and Information Science Fred W. Roper; Dean of the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management Patricia G. Moody; Dean of the College of Engineering Ralph E. White; Dean of the School of the Environment Bruce C. Coull; Dean of USC Beaufort Jane T. Upshaw; Dean of USC Salkehatchie Ann Carmichael; Dean of USC Sumter Leslie C. Carpenter; Executive Director of University Foundations Susie H. VanHuss; Associate Dean of the School of Public Health Harriet Williams; Associate Dean for Administration and Finance, School of Medicine, Brian J. Jowers; Director of Internal Audit Alton McCoy; Associate Vice Provost for Sponsored Programs and Research Ardis M. Savory; The Reverend John Cook; Executive Director of the Bicentennial Office Sally T. McKay; Professor of English, USC Lancaster Deborah B. Cureton; Assistant to the Vice President for Business and Finance Ken Corbett; Mrs. Katharine McNulty Hubbard; Mrs. Jennifer Mooney Whittle; Mrs. Gwendolyn Thomason Adams; Ms. Quincy Nye Whittle; Ms. Patricia Cameron Whittle; Ms. Lee Forrester Whittle; Director of Public Affairs Russell McKinney; Public Information Coordinator, Office of Media Relations, Jason Snyder; and members of the media.
Chairman Hubbard 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.
Chairman Hubbard welcomed everyone present and acknowledged the retiring members of the faculty who had been awarded honorary titles during the August Board meeting. Chairman Hubbard thanked the faculty for their service to the University of South Carolina.
Chairman Hubbard invited those present to introduce themselves. Mr. Snyder introduced the representatives from the press, and The Reverend John Cook delivered the Invocation. Open Session
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The following six sets of minutes had been circulated by mail to the Board for review and were presented for approval:
Secretary Stepp interjected that a revised page of the Student-Trustee Liaison Committee minutes had been distributed at the Trustees' places. There were three changes which corrected the request of the USC Columbia Student Government Association to extend the drop date and not the drop/add date.
There were no other additions, deletions, or corrections to the minutes; therefore, they stood approved as distributed.
The Health Affairs Committee met September 14 and heard two reports. Dean Faulkner had reported on educational, research, and professional service activities occurring collaboratively among the health sciences schools.
There were two rural primary care centers and a third was underway that served as educational laboratories to over 400 students. Associate Deans from each of the health science schools worked to develop a Joint Bioethics Curriculum, and an "Ethics in Health Sciences" course was scheduled to begin in Spring 2001. Several joint degree programs had been established.
The University received $122 million in research funding in 1999-2000; of which the health sciences schools generated $3.4 million: 31 percent of the overall research. The Centers of Research Excellence (CORE) Seed Grant Program, begun in 1995, offered money to researchers who collaborated in a multi-disciplinary way with other faculty. The Summer Research Fellowship Program, also begun in 1995, offered opportunities for undergraduates to have supervised laboratory research experiences. There were 199 fellowships totaling $587,300 awarded in a variety of departments.
The Clinical Faculty Practice Plan was composed of ten units within the School of Medicine as well as the Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work. While the vast majority of the revenue was generated through the Medical School, the other colleges had begun to be involved in the Practice Plan. It was expected that, over time, the activities of the other colleges within the Plan would generate additional revenues.
During the Committee meeting, Dean Pastides provided a comprehensive report on the School of Public Health. In the current year there were 813 students (mostly graduate students), 74 faculty (55 on tenure tract), and over 100 staff (most were involved in sponsored programs and research activities). There were increasingly more joint faculty appointments with the School of Medicine and the Colleges of Pharmacy, Science and Mathematics, and Liberal Arts.
The School of Public Health was housed in nine different buildings around campus and in downtown Columbia. It had six formal departments and was primarily a graduate and professional school. Every one of its departments offered an array of master's programs and had at least one active, high quality doctoral program. There was only one undergraduate program within the school: the B.S. in Exercise Science. Collaborative degree programs existed, or were planned, with the Colleges of Nursing and Social Work and the Schools of Medicine and Law.
The School of Public Health was working towards the University's AAU aspirations via its research efforts. In the previous year, the school represented 11.5 percent of the total sponsored programs' budget at Carolina even though it had only five percent of the total faculty. Grants and contracts had increased at least 25 percent, per year, for each of the previous three years. Applications, admissions, and enrollments were stable, and the USC School of Public Health was the ninth largest of the only 28 accredited schools of public health in the United States. USC's school had a very diverse student body and had the second highest proportion of African-American students of any school of public health in the United States.
The school would continue its innovation in degree offerings such as the first Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program in South Carolina and the first Master of Public Health in Physical Activity in the United States. It would also offer additional distance education programs.
Adequate space was a challenge, but the school was moving forward in its capital campaign for new facilities and had attracted private support, state bonding, federal support, and hoped for support from a major foundation. A budget of $17 million had been proposed for renovations to its current facility and for new construction.
The Intercollegiate Activities Committee met on September 14, and heard an update on the status of the arena project. The demolition work would commence the first week in October and should take 45 days. The final contract was scheduled to be bid prior to the Christmas holidays and should be awarded in the first part of February. Completion was anticipated on October 15, 2002.
At the end of the previous year, 72 athletes had exhausted their athletic eligibility, but 46 had graduated which created a 64 percent graduation rate; 24 were enrolled in the fall semester which was another 33 percent. If the 24 graduated, the class would have a 97 percent graduation rate.
Several companies expressed an interest in the rebroadcast rights for Carolina's sports events, specifically football and the Olympic sports. South Carolina ETV had shown great interest in broadcasting the USC baseball games. The University wanted broadcasts to be shown throughout the state on a regular basis and to consist of: 12-15 spring baseball games; track meets, including the SEC track meet that Carolina would host in the coming year; and, in addition to what the conference might do, Olympic sports events. Statewide broadcasts would help the University recruit students.
The University would have a two-year agreement with ETV. Initially, 20 events would be broadcast in the current year, and it was anticipated that an additional ten events would be broadcast during the year. All costs for production, broadcast, and talent would be the responsibility of ETV.
The current proposal afforded both ETV and the University advertising opportunities with initial terms to provide the University a 40 percent commission on everything it sold, and 40 percent to ETV on everything they sold. The remaining 60 percent would be applied to the out-of-pocket costs associated with the productions with all additional revenue divided equally.
The Trustees had been mailed a copy of the booklet The University of South Carolina Gamecocks take on the 2000 Sydney Olympics that acknowledged the University's athletes and coaches who participated in the 2000 Olympics in Australia. The brochure included a brief biography on each of the sixteen athletes and the two coaches. This number favorably compared with the five participants from USC in the 1996 Olympics. The student/athletes won five medals: two gold, two silver, and one bronze. The University was extremely proud of having outstanding athletes contend in the various field of competition, and looked forward to congratulating the student/athletes.
The Student-Trustee Liaison Committee met on September 14, 2000, with student representatives from all University campuses in attendance.
Students from each campus reported on the many activities taking place. They continued to be heavily involved on their campuses and in their communities with many volunteer projects and on-campus student activities.
It was noted that USC Columbia's full-time students paid an activity fee that afforded them the right to vie for tickets to athletics events. The non-Columbia campuses' students did not pay the fee but each campus requested group tickets to re-sell to its students.
The Committee heard a report on the plans for Parents Weekend which included a party given by the Palms, a 5K run, a tour, and a tailgate party on the practice field before the football game.
Bicentennial Celebration plans included an international "Search for Six." Students would select six individuals who best represented the characteristics of the Carolinian Creed. The "six" would be identified by the students, and the University would do everything possible during the Bicentennial Year to bring the six individuals to Carolina to speak, be recognized, and be honored. If they could not come to Carolina, an exhibit in their honor would be mounted in the Russell House.
The Committee heard a report on the SACS Reaccreditation efforts. The University received permission to use the "alternative method of reaffirmation" which would involve the entire University community in the important topic of information technology. Students, faculty, administrators, and the Board of Trustees would work together to prepare for this very important process.
Dr. Plyler offered the assistance of his office to Regional Campuses' students when they were in Columbia, and he emphasized that they were part of the University of South Carolina. Because enrollment was up, Friday classes would be re-instituted in spring 2001 on all of the regional campuses.
During the Executive Committee meeting of October 2, the Committee discussed the plans for the Board Retreat which had been held the previous week.
During the Executive Committee meeting of October 5, the Committee approved a software agreement with JDA Intactix; a lease renewal for the Department of Archeology and Anthropology with McElveen & McElveen Attorneys; the contract to construct the new Engineering Shop with Loveless Commercial Contracting, Inc.; and a contract to document the transfer of appropriated funds with the S. C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Mr. Bradley moved approval of the resolution for the Development Foundation as provided in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. English seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Mr. Mungo moved approval of the Athletic Facilities Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) Resolution, as provided in the materials distributed for this meeting. Contingent with approval was the understanding that if the University desired to issue BANs in excess of $11,250,000, approval of the Executive Committee would be required. Mr. English seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Mr. Hubbard reported that the Board of Trustees had engaged in a very important discussion focusing on the Columbia campus of the University in which it tried to set a course of action for the Columbia campus for the next five years. It was a spirited discussion with full input from the administration. The discussions reflected a continuation of themes that had been emphasized in the past, but there were some new priorities as well. He stated: "I want to discuss these with you so that you can understand more clearly the direction that the University intends to move in the next five years and also, by way of context, let me say that establishing these goals is not the end of the process. It's really just a beginning of the process in which, under Mr. Whittle's leadership, the administration, the faculty, the students, and this Board will engage in a strategic planning effort to devise the means and methods by which we will accomplish these goals. It is exciting to have these ambitious goals."
Mr. Hubbard then iterated the goals and the thinking behind them.
First would be to inculcate the values of the University motto and the Carolinian Creed in every aspect of the University life. That would be a goal that needed to be first and overall. The University stands for strong and important values of honesty, the honor code, respecting the rights and the motto of the University: "Learning humanizes character and does not permit it to be cruel." Mr. Hubbard said, "If we don't make that our first priority in everything that we do, we are not doing what we need to do for the people of South Carolina."
The next goals dealt with resources. When Dr. Lombardi spoke at the Joint Boards Retreat in February, he said the University could still call it "resources," but the subject was money. The University needs more money and needs to devote a substantial amount of effort to achieve that goal. The first goal pertaining to resources would be to achieve an endowment of $600 million. Mr. Hubbard noted, "I haven't checked the endowment of the University in the last week--and I prefer to wait a while before I check it--but the last time I checked, it was approaching $300 million, somewhere in the $275 million range." This goal was described as ambitious, but under the leadership of Dr. Palms and administrators and staff and the hard work of the deans and the faculty who do so much to help raise funds at this institution, it was achievable and the Board believed the University had to reach this $600 million point if it was to realize the ambitions of the institution.
Mr. Hubbard continued and expressed that the next goal dealing with resources would take a great deal of work: to increase state financial support to 100 percent of the CHE's mission resource requirement or the equivalent. He said, "In my lifetime, we have never been funded at 100 percent of either the formula or our MRR. Our goal is to work as hard as we can to convince the General Assembly of this state that they have to make a commitment to higher education if we are going to have the type of flagship university in this state that this state deserves which will allow this University to serve the State of South Carolina in the most effective way. We have to put before the General Assembly of this state initiatives like they have in the State of Florida such that, if you raise $500,000 privately, the state will match that $500,000, and allow you to have a $1 million endowed professorship to help attract world class professors who can attract research dollars and graduate students. We need to look at those types of initiatives, and we need to propose those to the General Assembly to see if we can get the support of the General Assembly in public/private partnerships to take this University to another level." He noted that the University also needed to increase its total annual giving to $75 million per year, the third goal of the "resources" category.
Under the goals category of students, Mr. Hubbard noted that Carolina must nurture and develop the leaders essential to the progress of South Carolina, the nation, and the world. He said, "You are all familiar with Dr. Palms' recitation of the history of the University, how it was formed in 1801 to bring the people of South Carolina together for the common good of this state. That's been our mission since 1801; that's our mission in 2000; that's our goal for 2005. It is to make sure that we maintain as a priority the development of the leadership, the enlightened leadership necessary to carry this state forward and that's what we will focus on with the development of our students."
Mr. Hubbard reported that the second goal with respect to students was to achieve an average SAT score of 1175 for all incoming freshmen. He commented, "We wanted a goal that continues to raise the bar in South Carolina for the K-12 students in this state and also to attract a top quality student body of South Carolinians who do not leave the State of South Carolina. Students should feel like they will be surrounded by quality students, academically gifted students. But we also wanted to set a goal that allows us to maintain our focus on students from South Carolina and our commitment to the diverse population of South Carolina. So this raises the bar, but our feet are still on the ground. It's not a ‘pie in the sky' goal. It's a realistic goal that, hopefully with improvements in K-12 education in the next five years, we will be able to achieve."
It was reported that it would be a goal of the University to increase the Honors College to 1200 students while maintaining and improving current academic quality. There is currently an enrollment of about 1000 in the Honors College. The University wants to seek the funding to raise that to 1200 students and, as one of the crown jewels of the University, expand it while maintaining or improving academic quality.
The goals to enroll 60 National Merit Scholarship winners every year and promote diversity were reported by Mr. Hubbard. "Again, that is to enrich our student body with students who will set a high standard and promote diversity to prepare our students for the workplace of the 21st century. The workplace of the 21st century will be a diverse workplace. This University has to be a laboratory of people of different backgrounds and persuasions working together, continuing to learn how to work together and share common values and know how to accomplish goals and make progress, rather than focusing on what is not alike about us." He confirm-ed that diversity would continue to be an important priority at this institution, and that this goal would be stated as the fifth goal with respect to students.
In discussing faculty, the Board has said, "We want to promote the achievement and the maximum potential of every faculty member." Mr. Hubbard stressed that without every faculty member's feeling good about the institution, feeling like he or she will do all that they can in their research and in the teaching of our students, we would not achieve our goals. The faculty are "on the front line." The University needs to do everything it can to support the faculty.
It would be a goal of the University to attain external research funding of $175 million per year. Mr. Hubbard commented, "You remember the announcement earlier this fall. We have already reached the $121 million figure. This new goal will take us into a higher level among research universities and bring the national acclaim that we hope to bring to the State of South Carolina."
A critical goal would be to insure that five faculty members were members of national academies. "These are the most prestigious organizations in the country, recognizing only those people who are at the absolute top of their profession and their discipline. We have one member of a national academy at USC now. We want to raise that to five. That will require money. It will require resources."
To achieve a top five ranking among public universities in the South in information technology and instruction would be another University goal. Mr. Hubbard noted "that the focus of our SACS reaccreditation is information technology. We have hired a new Chief Information Officer. I think we are well on our way to recognizing the importance of information technology in the future of education and business and in everything that we do. The University wants to be on the forefront of that."
The next stated goal would be "to develop alternative ways to deliver higher education through technology." The Board had agreed at the retreat to be creative and to think about cutting-edge ways to deliver higher education, taking advantage of the tools that are available.
The University had committed itself to attain a dozen graduate and professional programs ranked in the top ten in the South as well as to provide one of the five best undergraduate programs in the South. With respect to these two goals, Mr. Hubbard said that, "we will never abandon our undergraduate program. As you know, we won the Hesberg award several years ago for the quality of our undergraduate instruction. We need to continue to focus on that. We want to be recognized for the quality of our undergraduate instruction."
It would be the goal of the University to provide one of the five best business schools in the South. Mr. Hubbard emphasized, "That is something that is important to this state. It is important to the economic development of the state. We want, with the resources that are now available for our College of Business and under the leadership of an outstanding new dean, to achieve this level, and we think this is achievable, and it continues to be a priority and a focus of the University."
A critical goal which had been established would be to maintain a University library ranked among the top 50 in the nation in overall quality. Mr. Hubbard reminded everyone that there are 3,500 college and university libraries in North America and USC's is ranked 47th. The feeling of the Board was that it did not want to do anything to allow Carolina's status to slip and, with the good fortune to obtain more resources, perhaps move upward. It would be a goal to nurture and protect the library.
Goals for the campus itself were reported as "Provide students and faculty with one of the finest living/learning environments in the nation" and "Develop a campus that is nationally recognized as safe and attractive for all constituencies," just as predicated in the 1996 vision for the University. This continued to be a goal of the institution. The University has seen the results of having this as a priority with the new residence halls that have been completed, the Preston renovation, the Maxcy renovation, East Quad and South Quad. Mr. Hubbard added these views: "I don't know how many of you know this, but we have a higher percentage of our students living on campus than any other public institution in the South. We have about 50 percent of our undergraduates living on campus. Living on campus helps the development of our students in a very positive way. We want to provide the right environment for our students to develop a campus that is nationally-recognized as safe and attractive for all constituencies. One of our most important recent efforts has been to develop the crosswalks project, the streetways project, and the work that we have done with campus beautification to make the campus more attractive for students, to cut down on some of the traffic traveling through our campus, to make it more pedestrian-oriented."
Mr. Hubbard described the Board action which would set a goal for athletics. "We are well on our way in this regard, but we want to be nationally-ranked, meaning at least in the top 25 annually in all sports, while promoting the scholastic and leadership development of every student athlete. We have made incredible progress in that regard over the last year or two. We are on our way now with all of our sports, really moving and progressing on all cylinders."
Then Mr. Hubbard outlined the goal that would deal with service. "Scholarship and service are very important components of a university, and we have to focus on our obligations to the State of South Carolina. But we have to recognize that, as an institution, we cannot be all things to all people. We cannot simply respond to every request for the University to step up and help every cause. So we want to focus the way that we support the State of South Carolina in its progress. And we have identified two primary areas: being a leader in and improving K-12 education in South Carolina. That has to be primary focus of everybody in South Carolina. We believe that we can be a leader, if not the leader, in helping to insure that progress. Also promoting South Carolina's economic development in emerging areas of science and technology is an important goal--not just promoting economic development generally, but using the best resources of the University in the areas where we have a niche and special expertise."
And, then, in terms of public awareness, the University's goal would be to maximize efforts to inform the public, the General Assembly, and prospective students of the progress of the University. "It is clear that we have not gotten the word out as we should about the many great things that we have--the outstanding faculty that we have here, the enriched student body that we have, and the work that this Board and this administration have done to move this University forward. It is important that the people of South Carolina understand what we have done for the state so that they will support us in the future as we try to better serve the State of South Carolina."
Mr. Hubbard concluded his presentation of the Goals for 2005 as follows: "What I just described to you is a collaborative effort. It involves a lot of input. It is a refinement of many items which we have talked about before and moved forward on previously. It gives us a road map, I think, to correctly balance our efforts to improve our status in the nation as well as serving the State of South Carolina. I could not be more proud of this Board and the hard work that it has put into developing these particular goals. I certainly look forward to assisting in any way that I can under the new leadership of the Board, as well as with Dr. Palms and the faculty and staff in helping to make certain that we achieve these goals by 2005."
Mr. Bradley moved to approve the list of Goals of the University for 2005 as distributed. Mr. Adams seconded the motion.
Mrs. Harvey noted, for the record, that the goals were for the Columbia campus only, and she asked that the other campuses not be ignored. Dr. Palms replied that a similar list of goals would be established for each of the other campuses.
The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
The Fiscal Policy Committee met on October 5, 2000, and received an Internal Audit for the Accounts Receivable Department. The audit was reviewed by the Committee and mailed to the Board in accordance with established procedures.
An external audit of the Financial Statements of the School of Medicine Educational Trust and Clinical Faculty Practice Plan was presented and reviewed by the Committee.
The Committee received a report of the Designated Fund activity for the year ended June 30, 2000. Expenditures were below the approved budget.
The Bookstore Quasi-Endowment Fund for Fiscal Year 2000 finished the year as expected. Commission income was the same as the previous year, and the present balance was within the guidelines of the Committee.
A report of the Koger Quasi-Endowment Fund was received. The account held by the University had $951,671, and the account held by the Educational Foundation had $754,075. Also, the outstanding pledges totaled $234,254.
The Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee asked that the Board members review the material and prepare for the University's re-accreditation.
On behalf of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, Mr. Bradley moved approval of the establishment of the Carolina NanoCenter program as distributed. Mr. Mungo seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
The following would be awarded the title Distinguished Professor during their final years of service. That title would change to Distinguished Professor Emerita effective upon retirement:
The following would be awarded the title Distinguished Professor during their final years of service. That title would change to Distinguished Professor Emeritus effective upon retirement:
The following person would be awarded the title Emerita Professor effective upon her retirement:
The following would be awarded the title Emeritus Professor effective upon their retirement:
On behalf of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, Mr. Bradley moved approval of these honorary faculty titles. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Dr. Huray's appointment with tenure would be transferred from the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Science and Math to the Department of Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Information Technology.
On behalf of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, Mr. Bradley moved approval of the transfer of Dr. Huray's academic appointment with tenure as presented. Mr. Fennell seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Dr. Woods would be awarded tenure at the rank of Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine effective with his appointment.
On behalf of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, Mr. Bradley moved approval of Dr. Wood's appointment with tenure as presented. Mr. Miller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee met on October 5 and received a report on the status of ongoing construction and renovation projects, the status of the plan to improve the appearance of USC Columbia, and a report on the payments to architects and project managers during the past three years.
During the meeting, it was reported that the budget of the USC Beaufort deferred maintenance project had been increased administratively in accordance with Board policy.
The following items required consideration by the Board this day.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to establish a project to renovate LeConte College with a budget of $3 million funded with Capital Improvement Bonds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mr. Wienges seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the budget of the construction project for a new Law School building by $5 million for a total budget of $10 million funded with Capital Improvement Bonds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mr. Lister seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the budget of the construction project for a new Convocation Center, as described in the materials distributed, by $6 million for a total budget of $6,050,000 funded with $6 million in Capital Improvement Bonds and $50,000 in County Funds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mrs. Harvey seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the budget of the construction project for the information resource center, as described in the materials distributed, by $5 million for a total budget of $6 million funded with Capital Improvement Bonds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mr. Lister seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the budget of the construction project for the initial building on the New River Site, as described in the materials distributed, by $6.5 million for a total budget of $9.37 million funded with $4 million in Capital Improvement Bonds, $3.37 million in County Funds, and $2 million in Private Funds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mrs. Harvey seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to establish a project to renovate/upgrade the communication/technology infrastructure at USC Salkehatchie, as described in the materials distributed, with a total project budget of $980,000 funded with Capital Improvement Bonds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mr. von Lehe seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the budget of the project to acquire and renovate the Alice Drive Baptist Church property and facility, as described in the materials distributed, by $1 million for a total project budget of $2,508,000 funded with $2.5 million in Capital Improvement Bonds and $8,000 in Renovation Reserve Funds contingent upon approval of the 2000 Bond Bill and authorization to draw funds for this project. Mr. Bahnmuller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to approve the change in sources of funding for the School of Medicine Library Renovation project with its budget of $700,000 to be funded with $150,000 in Institutional Capital Project Funds and $550,000 in Appropriated State Funds. Mr. Miller seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to establish a project to renovate the lower level of Barnwell College, as described in the materials distributed, with a total project budget of $300,000 to be funded with Research Indirect Cost Recovery Funds. Ms. Moore seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the project to construct a new shop building, as described in the materials distributed, with a total project budget of $1,074,000 funded with $800,000 in State Institutional Bonds, $155,000 in Institutional Capital Project Funds, $110,000 in departmental appropriated state funds, and $9,000 from other departmental funds with the proviso that if there were sufficient Institutional Capital Project Funds, they would be substituted for the State Institutional Bond Fund. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the budget for the Softball/Soccer Field Upgrade by $175,000 for a total project budget of $575,000 funded with $400,000 in Institutional Bonds and $175,000 in Institutional Capital Project Funds. Mr. English seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee enthusiastically voted to recommend the establishment of a project to construct two crosswalks. The administration subsequently asked that this project be combined with the existing fitness/wellness center project.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to increase the Strom Thurmond Fitness/Wellness Center project by $4.9 million, as described in the materials distributed, for a revised total project budget of $49,374,000 funded with $3 million in Capital Improvement Bond Funds; $31,174,000 in Institutional Bonds; $5,688,515 in Institutional Capital Project Funds; $4,611,485 in Bell Camp proceeds; $4 million in grant funds; and $900,000 in Institutional Funds contingent upon confirmation of the grant funds. Mr. Foster seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to approve the overall concept of the campus streetscape enhancement project, as presented to the Building and Grounds Committee, and to approve Phase One of the project which included specific modifications and improvements as presented to the Buildings and Grounds Committee and outlined in the materials distributed to the Board. Mr. English seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Chairman Hubbard noted that the Columbia City Council had approved the project, and Mr. Loadholt asked Mr. Jeffcoat to be available during the lunch hour for explanation and response to questions from the Board members.
On behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mr. Loadholt moved to approve the Environmental Policy Statement as distributed. Mr. Mungo seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Mr. Bradley asked for the status of the proposed Bond Bill, and Mr. Jeffcoat explained that the Bond Bill awaited signature by Governor Hodges.
The University had only begun to complete the infrastructure for the kind of fundraising needed by great universities. There was a backlog of potential donors, and the University was confident that it would be able to increase the amount already raised in the Campaign.
The University met with the National Advisory Council and presented its current assets regarding fundraising abilities. With the most conservative estimates of potential gifts, and upon careful review by both Dr. Palms and Mr. Phlegar of the reality of increasing the goal, a recommendation was made to the National Advisory Council to raise the goal to $500 million. This recommendation was endorsed by the National Advisory Council.
Dr. Palms then made the same recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
Ms. Moore moved approval of the specific increase to the goal of the Bicentennial Campaign Goal as presented by Dr. Palms. Mr. Mungo seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Mr. Fennell moved approval of the resolution to amend financial signatory authority as distributed, and Mr. Bradley seconded. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
Thank you, Mr. Wienges. Good morning.
Earlier this morning I think I heard you say that you were adopting, as a goal, being a leader in the improvement of K-12 education. Is that correct?
Well, we of the Bicentennial Commission bring to you a project which supports this goal: "Meet in the Middle." This is a project in which we are hoping to have volunteers, to have our alumni volunteer in middle schools around the state. We believe that this will offer our alumni a way to engage their communities in supporting middle schools which are frequently called the "black hole," because it is the time at which our children lose interest in their academic pursuits and lose their dream about what they can become.
So we are hoping that by engaging volunteers, alumni as volunteers, and additional volunteers to go into the middle schools, to be mentors and speakers, and in a variety of other ways, that we will hopefully re-engage middle school children in the belief that education is a means by which they can pursue their dreams.
We wanted to bring this to you this morning because we are hoping that, as members of the Board and the University family, you will provide leadership in this endeavor and encourage, through your leadership, the involvement of alumni around the state; we hope this will also bring alumni together in a common pursuit.
I am going to ask Sally to add to this, and I think that in your packets there is some information about this.
Mrs. McKay made the following remarks:
Mr. Chairman, thank you so much. I cannot say enough about the Bicentennial Educational Outreach Committee, and Kappy, of course, chairs that committee.
We have nine committees. I know we have told you that before. I have to admit, though, I have a little soft place in my heart for the Educational Outreach Committee because before I even came to work on this project, I was a volunteer on that committee, and this project really started well more than a year and a half ago. We've recently named it "Meet in the Middle", and we've had wonderful press coverage. We're excited about it because this really does go back to our founding purpose. It goes back to the mission of the Bicentennial Year which is, in fact, to reconnect the University of South Carolina with the people of South Carolina. You know the young people of South Carolina are a very important audience and hopefully a future audience and future students of this place.
"Meet in the Middle" has been long thought about, and we have 80 middle schools throughout South Carolina, to date, that have signed up to be partners with us and "Meet in the Middle." We put a copy of all 80 schools, listed by county, in front of you today.
What we are asking is that all of you pick a middle school, like all of us are going to do. We want not just alumni. We want alumni and faculty and students and other members of communities in South Carolina. You don't even have to be a graduate of the University of South Carolina although we think it helps. And we want you to pick a school in your area and go to work in that school, even if you just have one hour in the entire year of 2001, to go and spend that hour talking to a class of 7th or 8th graders about what it means to go to college. And that is the point, of course, in this project. We think with 80 middle schools, and we may very well add some more before this is all over and done with, that the impact that we can have throughout the entire State of South Carolina will be incredible, not just in this Bicentennial Year, but long after that. We hope "Meet in the Middle" is a project that we will leave a legacy to the State of South Carolina, to the young people of South Carolina, and thus to the future of this University.
So, we have left a very basic volunteer form in front of you. I hope some of you will consider filling that out if you see a school on that list that you know you can go into and help. We can collect those forms through the Board Office in any way that is convenient for you. And, we know that when a member of this Board goes out to a middle school, it's a big deal. It's an important thing, and we know there are press opportunities that follow with that. We really want you to be visible in the schools as we plan to be visible.
This is just one of more than a hundred projects, but we are just so proud of Kappy Hubbard's committee and of "Meet in the Middle." You are going to start hearing more about it and seeing more about it. We want you to be in the middle with us throughout this project. So thank you very much for allowing us this time, and I am sure we will be bringing you more reports about "Meet in the Middle" and many other wonderful activities of the Bicentennial.
So, thank you very much.
Chairman Hubbard thanked Mr. Wienges, Mrs. Hubbard, and Mrs. McKay for their remarks.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, first of all, want to thank the Board for the outstanding effort of all the committees. The actions that you have taken today certainly signify the commitments you have made to move this University forward, and it's really a great day for the University.
Today is a very special day because we are passing the torch as we continue our notable tradition. I've been blessed during my administra-tion to have enjoyed the benefit of having outstanding chairmen leading this fine Board. When I first came to the University, Mr. Mike Mungo was the chair, and he immediately gave me his full support. I know it was a time of examination of the institution, discussing what kind of leadership it needed, and he did not hesitate. He has been a strong supporter ever since, and I am grateful to you, Mr. Mungo.
Then, Dr. Eddie Floyd stepped in as chair. His quiet and effective leadership at the University helped lay the groundwork for the vision that we espoused certainly after Mr. William Hubbard took the chair. Dr. Floyd, later on, served with great distinction giving up his time to serve on the Commission of Higher Education. Not a bad tradition to try to follow, Mr. Hubbard.
And, today we pass the torch from Mr. William Hubbard to Mr. Mack Whittle. And I would like very much to recognize his family here today: his three children, three daughters -- would you please stand -- Lee, Quincy, and Cameron, and his wife, Jennifer. Let's give them a round of applause.
And I also want to mention, of course, that we are passing the torch on to a new Vice Chairman, Mr. Herbert Adams. And I want to recognize him, and Gwen, his wife, is in the back. Would you please stand because I know you are going to make a wonderful contribution. The Vice Chair serves on the Executive Committee, and they are going to be busy here in the future.
We know we all have very great confidence in Mack's continuing on the Board and assuming the chairmanship. In this time of the Bicentennial, the new campaign goal, our SACS reaccreditation on all the campuses -- visiting teams are coming not just to Columbia, but to Aiken, Spartanburg, and all of the campuses. Dramatic efforts are underway across the University, and we really are fortunate to have Mack as the Chairman.
I also wanted to take a moment to reflect on the contributions to the University of the person handing off the torch at this time, William Hubbard. I would guess that William Hubbard has been as dedicated, hard working, and hard driving a board chairman as the University has ever had. And I would like to take a moment to thank his family members, although I think there is only one here. So I want to thank you, Kappy. Stand up a minute. In her own right -- and you just heard her about one of her contributions -- she has been an outstanding advocate for education in this state. I know she has plenty of work ahead of her on the Bicentennial planning committee, and I want to thank her again for her tireless and unselfish efforts during these past four years. Norma and I know well how much jobs like these require a total team effort, and we thank Kappy on behalf of the entire University for serving Carolina so well. So, Kappy, thank you again. And I hope you have a little more rest in days to come, but I know the Bicentennial will keep you busy.
I can assure you, William has represented the goals of this Board well to me and served the high aims of this Board without fail. He has been an articulate spokesperson for the Board and a projector of the Board's faithful execution of its responsibilities. We all know how tireless he has worked as the ambassador-at-large of Carolina these four years. He has represented the University almost 24 hours a day, every day, given speeches for us, represented us at national meetings, and advocated with legislators, other government leaders, local councils, and the business community. He has also set an example by his wide ranging reading, especially in southern history and culture and biographies of important world leaders, and he has been as committed to the dual concept of superb academics and athletics as well.
I have seen this particular enthusiasm for athletics during the run of 21 straight losses in football and his representation in the President's Suite. I saw that enthusiasm every weekend. Time and time again, I saw that enthusiasm. William liked to talk to me personally about this, about his own opinions. Let me say I think I learned a new meaning of the word "tolerance" during that time.
But here we are, William. We have moved a long way, and we both still believe in miracles. But, most of all, William has been the University's advocate, and he has worked with this Board and this administration to achieve numerous specific goals. He has set a tone for the role of the Chairman of the Board and one of the most important functions of a chair. We know the extensive work done in the past few years, all done on the authority of this Board and its specific committees.
I want to say something about the committee work. Those committees serve a crucial functional role. The great strength of this Board rests with the collegial decision-making and close assessments made possible by the committee process. The Chairman guides that process and leads according to the will, both of the committees and the Board as a whole. William has operated in that collegial committee process with skill, and it is a real credit to him. He has brought distinction to the role of a public board chairmanship.
I would also like to mention a few detailed areas that have benefitted especially from the leadership of William and this Board during the past four years. The University has greatly improved its campuses' ecologies: whether it be new buildings, beautification of the grounds, investments in the living and learning environment, the master plan of this campus, the master plans at Aiken and Spartanburg, or improvements on all of the campuses. We are about to re-dedicate an important building at Beaufort next week. The care that you have shown for that is another message. As you know, early on, my message was that we teach by the way we do things and what we say, not just what is written down but how we conduct ourselves, and our care for the campuses is a tremendous message. Norma and I have had two occasions in the last week to meet with groups of students, and we asked these students what they liked about the University and what they would like to see improved about the University. Everyone in these groups mentioned the improvement in green space on this campus, the living conditions, and how comfortable they feel that somebody cares about how they live and how they educate each other and how they come together -- a very important endorsement.
William and this Board have boldly raised our expectations for our students, our faculty, our staff, and ourselves. The student programs that we offer, including improved admission standards, extensive recruiting efforts, and the investments in Carolina Scholars, McNair Scholars, and the Honors College are a symbol of that dedication to high standards. William, of course, was a Carolina Scholar, and his appreciation for excellence in academics has been shown by the initiatives that he has taken.
We have also seen this Board give special efforts to improving student life, including the new residence halls. We have invested in the library, the Wellness Center, Greek housing soon to be constructed and completed, additional recreational space, and most importantly, a safer campus.
The Board has also worked steadfastly with our Student Government to be responsible to their interests. During these four years, the Board has shown a great awareness of the need to strengthen and support the faculty. They have worked closely with the faculty. You can see not only the confidence that the Board has in the faculty and the administration, but the faculty has, in turn, confidence in the leadership. And that is not in existence on many campuses.
Chairman Hubbard and this entire Board have supported higher faculty and staff salaries -- never adequate -- and backed faculty recruitment and retention efforts. We've had to try to meet matching salaries from other institutions and have done a pretty good job. We have lost some very good faculty, but we have kept some very good faculty as well. And the Board has articulated and stood for the value of the three-part mission of: teaching well; doing scholarship well; but above all, as a public institution, being committed to service. I have worked with the faculty to improve the criteria and standards for promotion and tenure.
We also know of William's personal work on the future of our regional campuses. Remember that committee that he chaired to again identify what we really were as a University and the role that the regional campuses and the four-year campuses also played in the mission of the University?
He and this Board also actively conveyed the need for proper governance of higher education and helped establish a new cooperative program and programs with Clemson and USC. We are already seeing that come to pass. Today the three institutions, Clemson, MUSC, and USC, will jointly submit a proposal to the Commission of Higher Education for a statewide overall Information Technology (IT) effort to improve communications and the availability of information in this state. And, this is made possible and accelerated because you have passed that resolution to encourage joint research between the institutions. I think the cooperative spirit has never been better among the three research universities.
This Board and this outgoing chairman have every right to feel a great sense of accomplishment about what you have made happen in this University since 1996. As our chairman, William Hubbard has exemplified this Board's devotion to the University. His time, energy, thought-fulness, and devotion have made this a remarkable four years, indeed.
As President, I want to thank William for his constant work to serve this institution and this state so effectively. We look forward to his service on the Executive Committee as that body fulfills its important oversight responsibilities and continues the momentum that everyone here has worked so hard to establish.
As we look ahead from here, it is hard not to realize that this is our second to last full Board meeting before 2001. That year will be filled with major efforts of which we are all very much aware. I have great confidence as we look ahead. With unity and faith, we will have the best year yet.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for your service.
Mr. Mungo interjected that he wanted to add to the list of benefits which Mr. Hubbard had given the University the fact that he was the person who nominated John Palms to be considered as President of the University.
Thank you, Mike. I do think I earned my per diem that day. I know it would probably be the right thing to do to spare you all from any other chairman's report because you have probably heard one chairman's report too many. But, I couldn't end today without just making a couple of comments, and I appreciate your indulgence for just a few moments.
Four years ago we had the opportunity to talk during this meeting about the University of South Carolina's achieving its rightful place among the great universities in this country. And I think we have made tremendous progress under your leadership and Dr. Palms' leadership in that regard.
Two years ago we talked about the importance of this University's, Ms. Moore, being the leader in economic, social, and cultural progress in South Carolina. I think we have been true to that mission as well. We have made progress, but as Dr. Palms knows, and certainly as my wife knows, I am never content. I am often pleased and proud, but never content and, Mack, we've got a lot more to do. I know you will lead us in that direction as you have throughout your service on the Board.
The last 12 months, I must say, have been especially rewarding when you think about the courageous action of this Board on the flag resolution, the excitement of actually clearing land for the new arena, seeing the infrastructure for the wellness/fitness center and the Greek village go in to place, the completion of the East Quad Residence Hall, the completion of the Graduate Science Research Center, Dr. Odom, the adoption -- the final adoption and authorization for funding just today -- of the crosswalks and streetscapes projects, and raising the capital campaign to a goal of $500 million when only five years ago, when we talked about $200 million, everybody said, "you'll never do it." Charlie, I think we'll do it by the end of 2001.
Clemson, MUSC, and Carolina are going to be a powerful, driving catalyst for a lot of progress, substantial progress, for South Carolina to bring greater research resources to this state and allow us to move South Carolina forward. And, just today, there is the adoption of our goals for 2005 -- I think they are ambitious goals, but our feet are on the ground as we adopt those goals. I think they are achievable goals. That will require a continuing team effort on the part of everyone in this room and everybody else connected with the University. And to amplify on a comment that Dr. Palms made about the importance of the role of all of our campuses in the University, I think that has been solidified. I think we are at a point where we can help all of our campuses move to the next level, and I am very excited about what is going on in all of the other campuses. It's just a wonderful time to be part of the University of South Carolina and see the contributions that we make statewide.
But, as Dr. Palms said, it was not one person or two persons or five people. It's a team effort. It's everybody in here and everybody connected with this institution, and a lot of people who aren't directly connected but who provide leadership and financial support for the institution. But I cannot end the day without thanking my family first because they are the people who gave me the opportunity and the support to provide this little bit of public service to the State of South Carolina.
My children have certainly been big supporters. They are the ones who didn't get to use the telephone as I spent long hours at night talking to Mr. Mungo and other people about issues regarding the University. They always wanted a second phone line, and we said, "you can't have one." The Board was the best excuse possible to keep them off the telephone and make them do their homework, so I appreciate their indulgence. They have been very supportive and, on occasion, I have had to miss a few of their events, and they have been very understanding.
I want to thank Kappy for all that she has done for the University. She has been the person who has made sure I kept all this in balance and kept the right focus on the right things at the right times. To the extent I was not available, she certainly made sure that the family was running on all cylinders and everything was working the way it should. And, I might add, she's also been quite a sounding board for many of the issues that affect this University, and she has certain-ly been my conscience on a lot of issues that affect the University.
I want to thank my mother and father. They couldn't be here today. They certainly instilled certain values of honesty and hard work in me. And, education was always very, very important to them.
I have wonderful partners at Nelson, Mullins, Riley, and Scarborough. It's a large law firm. Some people might think it's impersonal because it's big. But there has been wonderful leadership at that law firm. Claude Scarborough has always emphasized public service, and Ed Mullins has been the CEO of our firm for the last three years. He has always been very encouraging. I have had great support from three of the best young lawyers I know: Rush Smith, Mitch Brown, and Kevin Hall, all of whom are the partners on my particular team who have carried the load for the clients when I didn't necessarily have the time to attend directly to certain client obligations. They were there to always make sure that the quality of client service, Mr. Bahnmuller, was first rate. I never had to worry once about any client matter, Mr. von Lehe, not being handled superbly and my hat's off to them. And, importantly, they never complained about it. And my being gone was often a strain on them, but they never complained.
My secretary of 13 years, Jane Todd, bless her heart, is a Clemson graduate. There's nothing I could do to undo that. I mean, that's just a fact. She's a Clemson graduate. But they must be doing something right up there because she is a terrific right hand and these ladies behind me know how much she has done to make sure that I was in the right place at the right time and didn't screw it up. So, she gets the credit for that and I am grateful to her.
Mr. Mungo, you talk a lot about lawyers, and people take pot shots at lawyers all the time. But, I will say that in four years of being Chairman of this University, I never had a lawyer and never had a judge who would not accommodate the schedule of this University on any sort of hearing or trial obligation I had. I think that is a real testament to the importance that people in this state put on the activities of this University.
I can't say enough about the administration of this University. I can't say enough about the faculty, and I can't say enough about the students. It is an enterprise that rests on the good faith and hard work of all the students, the faculty, and the administration. Always, when you try to name some names, somebody gets left off, but sometimes I feel like if you don't call some names, you never give people credit that they deserve. So, I am going to call a few names and that doesn't mean that there are not other people who have done great things for this University, but there are some people that, for better or for worse, I have spent a lot of time with. And perhaps if you are not on this list, that means you are doing something right.
I just want to publicly thank Lyles Glenn, Jerry Odom, Charlie Phlegar, Dennis Pruitt, and Dennis's group, Char Davis and Terry Davis, who have heard more from me about student recruitment than they ever wanted to hear from anybody. I appreciate them.
Dr. McGee. Chip McKinney. Charlie Jeffcoat for all that he does to get our projects through all the political pitfalls that sometimes face us as we approve these projects and then try to get statewide approval or city approval. He does a great job.
Terry Parham, a fellow member of the Bar, carefully looks at all of our papers. Jane Jameson. Susie VanHuss. I could go on and on.
People from our regional campuses, all of our regional campuses, two-year campuses, and the deans. It's just a remarkable group of people and when you work with these people every day and see the commitment, it's really inspiring.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't suggest to Dr. Palms, as my last act, that we perhaps ought to elevate Lou Holtz to executive vice president for morale. I think a 6-1 football season under Lou Holtz's leadership has been a wonderful thing for the University. We had so much going for us, but he certainly created a lot of excitement and so, Dr. Palms, if you would consider that last request, officially recognizing him as executive vice president of morale, I'd appreciate it.
And, what can I say about John Palms. I am not going to go on. I'm not going to say a whole lot. I will say two things. Dr. John Palms essentially restored the credibility of this University within months of getting here. I don't think you can put a value on that. I have watched him now for 10 years and I'll say that what he does is make his decisions for the right reasons based on what's best for the University and the State.
This is a wonderful faculty. I will not try to name all of my friends on the faculty, but there are great friends there, and we are really fortunate that this state has people with such high qualities. And the leadership in our deans' rank has never, ever in the history of this University been of the quality that it is now.
And, the students, that's why we are all here, and I can assure you that we get a lot more out of you than you get out of us. It's a great group of young people from a variety of backgrounds, and they are terrific.
Now, I would like to thank you, the Board of Trustees, but an integral part of that Board are some ladies behind us and others. I think Ruth Jenkins has been here since...I don't know how long. I wasn't going to say 1801, Tommy. I'm smarter than that. But, she was here when I came here in 1986 to serve on this Board, and there's nobody who handles the affairs and the needs of this Board as well as Ruth Jenkins. I mean she just handles it with such a smile and such grace. It's just remarkable.
Tammy Hyatt, who coordinates so much of the work in preparation for these meetings and minutes and all, is remarkable.
A new addition, Barbara Salmons, has been a wonderful addition to the Board. We appreciate the service of Paula Mayfield who has now transferred to another department. And I can't end without reminding everybody of Carol Medich who was with us for many years and handled everything in a professional way.
Finally, there is Tommy Stepp. I feel like Tommy and I have probably ... I don't know whether I am now a Stepp or he is a Hubbard. But we might have to hyphenate our names. We spent so much time together that I feel like we probably could be considered part of the same family. He is remarkable and I think his particular value to this University is his judgment, his ability as an advisor and a counselor. He has been a great source of guidance for me and I will always be grateful.
I want to thank, as additional parts of this Board, I really want to thank the three former chairmen of this Board who I have had the privilege of serving with. It's an easy thing to do when you are not in charge to second guess. And these three men have never second guessed a single thing that I have tried to do. They have always been supportive; they've never been critical. And they have never said "no" to any request I have made of them. And I am grateful for Mr. Wienges and Mr. Mungo and Dr. Floyd. They have been a source of great comfort for me, and I am really grateful for what they contribute.
And, lastly, I want to thank each of you because it's a team effort as Dr. Palms alluded. It takes everybody, and I am often struck by how little people generally know about how hard every member of this Board of Trustees works. It's one of the most unappreciated facts about this University, and I am so pleased that Dr. Palms took a moment, not so much to talk about William Hubbard, but to talk about the work of this Board. It is a team effort, it's a collective effort and I really want to thank you for your consideration and courtesies and all of your support over the last four years. Quite simply, this has not been William Hubbard's chairmanship, this has been your chairmanship. I simply held it in trust for you and it's not mine, it's yours, and I am very pleased now to hand it back to you so that you can place it in the hands of our esteemed colleague, Mack Whittle.
Thank you.
Mr. Whittle addressed the Board and made the following remarks:
I don't have a chairman's report so you can relax, but I do want to thank this Board. I have enjoyed working with you over the last ten years, and I appreciate the confidence that you are showing in me and providing me the opportunity for leadership as we move forward.
These are big shoes to step into. I mean we all know the energy that William and Eddie and Mike have put in. We know how far this University has come in the ten years that I have been on this Board, and we know where we were when we started ten years ago, as Mike Mungo reminds me from time to time.
We have made a lot of progress. Last week we established some very ambitious goals, some goals that really will begin to move this University to the level that it deserves. They will help us achieve the recognition and the reputation that this University needs and deserves and has had in the past.
It's going to take the joint effort of all of you and the faculty, the administration, and the Board of Trustees to get us where we need to be. I feel -- William and I talked about this last week -- we have reached that first plateau, and it is now time to move on to that next plateau. And it's at that plateau where we will get the recognition that this University deserves. It's not going to get any easier. I heard William say this the other day. It would be easy if the competition were standing still, but we all know they are not. We know they are running as hard as we are running.
We need to take these goals; we need to embrace these goals; we need to strategically look at how we are going to help this administra-tion accomplish these goals that we set forth last week, and we need to aggressively go after them. By achieving those goals, I am certain that this University of the next few years can attain the level of reputation and excellence that we all think it deserves.
Thank you again, and I look forward to working with each of you.
Mr. Adams addressed the Board and made the following remarks:
I am not a public speaker so I am going to be very short. I want to thank first, Mr. Wienges, who suggested several years ago I look into doing this. I came on this Board back in 1984 and the chairman at that time was the late Mr. R. Markley Dennis who was about as fine a southern gentleman as I've ever known.
Shortly thereafter, Mr. Wienges took the chairmanship, and I now figured out, Mack, I will have served under six chairmen with your having been elected chairman. I have been here awhile. I'm a slow learner, I guess. That puts me at this point. But I'm just a little upstate small town South Carolina guy. And this is a big honor to me, a very high honor. Mr. Bradley, I appreciate your nomination. I appreciate your support very much.
Thank you.
Mr. Mungo nominated Dr. James Bradley, and Mr. Miller seconded the nomination. Mr. Adams nominated Mr. Michael J. Mungo, and Mr. Bahnmuller seconded the nomination. Mrs. Harvey nominated Dr. C. Edward Floyd, and Mr. Adams seconded the nomination. Mr. Bahnmuller moved that the nominations be closed and that these three individuals be elected by acclamation. Mr. Fennell seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.
WHEREAS, William C. Hubbard has ably represented the Fifth Judicial Circuit as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina since 1986; and
WHEREAS, he has rendered valuable service to the University and the Board as a member and Chairman of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, the Student-Trustee Liaison Committee, the Ad Hoc Committee on Bylaws Revision, and the Executive Committee and as founding Chairman of the Fiscal Policy Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Advancement; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hubbard has served the Board by representing it on the Presidential Candidate Search Committee, the Task Force on Scholarships, the Gift Naming Opportunities Committee, the Educational Foundation Board, the Development Foundation Board, the Bicentennial Campaign National Advisory Committee, and as member and Chair of the Statewide Committee on Two-Year Higher Education; and
WHEREAS, he has acted as a true leader of the Board in many matters and has been an articulate advocate without cease for all campuses of the University; and has served with distinction for four years as Vice Chairman and for four years as Chairman; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hubbard has been a tireless advocate for the growth and progress of his alma mater particularly in such areas as improved student achievement, enhanced faculty recruitment, development of the University libraries, achieving national excellence in student housing and the campus living/learning environment, pioneering improvement of academic and athletics facilities, stimulating the growth of research activity, and improving the atmosphere and ecology of the entire campus; and
WHEREAS, Chairman Hubbard has served his state as a distinguished attorney and public servant, having served as the Chair of the Task Force on Women in State Government, National Chairperson of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, member of the ABA Board of Governors, and in numerous other positions of trust and service to the legal profession;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina in session assembled this 19th day of October 2000 unanimously expresses its sincere and special appreciation to Mr. Hubbard for his prior service and looks forward to his continuing service on the Board and as Chairman Emeritus; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to Mr. Hubbard, a Carolina Scholar who is a magna cum laude graduate of this institution and also a graduate of its School of Law, as a token of the high esteem in which he is held.
PRESENTED THIS 19th DAY OF OCTOBER 2000
AT COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
University President, John M. Palms
Board Secretary, Thomas L. Stepp
After Mr. Hubbard received a round of applause, there were no further matters to come before the Board of Trustees, and Chairman Whittle declared the meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas L. Stepp
Secretary