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 Ad Hoc Committee on Advancement of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met Thursday, May 24, 2001, at 10:35 a.m. in the Board Room at the Carolina Plaza.

Members present were: Mr. Herbert C. Adams, Chairman; Mr. William C. Hubbard; Mr. Miles Loadholt; Mr. J. DuPre Miller; and Mr. Michael J. Mungo. Members absent were: Mrs. Helen C. Harvey and Mr. M. Wayne Staton. Trustee James Bradley was also present.

Others present were: President John M. Palms; Secretary Thomas L. Stepp; Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jerome D. Odom; Executive Director for the Office of Foundations Susie H. VanHuss; Vice President and Chief Operating Officer J. Lyles Glenn; Vice President for Research William C. Harris; Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer William F. Hogue; Vice President for Human Resources Jane M. Jameson; Interim Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Allan W. Barber; Vice President for Student and Alumni Services Dennis A. Pruitt; Interim Vice President for Development Robert E. Staton; Executive Dean of Regional Campuses and Continuing Education Chris P. Plyler; General Counsel Walter (Terry) H. Parham; Chancellor of USC Aiken Thomas L. Hallman; Senior Director of Development J. Cantey Heath, Jr.; Director of Internal Audit Alton McCoy; Director of Public Affairs Russell McKinney; and representatives from the media.

Chairman Adams called the meeting to order and invited those present to introduce themselves. Mr. McKinney introduced members of the media. Chairman Adams 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; and a quorum was present to conduct business.

1. Status Report on Bicentennial Campaign:
   Mr. Staton stated that Committee members had received a report which updated the campaign through the end of March, 2001. The report indicated that $47.8 million had been raised year-to- date. Mr. Staton was pleased to report that the April, 2001 figures were also available; the year-to-date total was $53.1 million. As of March 2001, the Bicentennial Campaign had raised $340.4 million; with the new monies, the total was $345.8 million since the beginning of this campaign. Mr. Staton was very satisfied with the campaign progress. An informal goal for the year of approximately $50 million had been established with two months remaining in the fiscal year. He discussed the information contained in the handouts including the figures on the bar chart and what they represented, sources of the various funds, and a breakdown of the manner in which the funds were received.

2. Revised Campaign Goals/Priorities:
   Mr. Staton discussed the goals and priorities contained in the report which had been given to Committee members and stated that it was "a work in progress." The Development Office had collaborated with the deans, discussed three to four top priorities for each college, and the funds needed to be raised to address those priorities during the next three years. Those categories outlined in the original campaign had been used to allocate these monies. Various deans had indicated that they would like to raise approximately $175 million additional funds to support their priorities during that time frame. Some schools were not yet listed on the report; therefore, the numbers were expected to increase.

   The importance of Professorships and Chairs in general, as well as Area Designated Scholarships, in particular, had been reemphasized. In terms of the projections, the National Merit Scholarship funds continued to fall short of the anticipated goals. Work with Dr. Palms and others would be done in this area. This report provided a framework for receiving funds going forward and focusing future efforts to raise money.

   Dr. Palms elaborated on the National Merit Corporation Scholarships stating that he had served on that board. Major corporations throughout the country considered this scholarship one of the most prestigious awards available. Many corporations supported the scholarships for their employees' children. Dr. Palms reiterated the importance of the Merit Scholarship Program and advised that a strengthening of this program would be accomplished next year.

   Responding to Mr. Hubbard's inquiry about the original campaign goal for Professorships and Chairs, Mr. Staton explained the current cash fund and the endowment figures relative to this issue. Mr. Hubbard expressed concern about the future of fund raising. Mr. Staton responded that the pace of the economy had indeed slowed down, creating some issues which needed to be addressed. He believed that working with Dr. Palms during the next year would provide a tremendous opportunity to focus on key fund-raising efforts. Dr. Palms would be very instrumental in these endeavors. In addition, several vacant development positions in key colleges would be filled. The Development Office continued to stay focused and would move forward vigorously.

   Mr. Loadholt inquired about a potential setback in the fund-raising for the Law School. Mr. Staton advised that he did not have exact figures available at this time, but confirmation of that issue would be necessary and would be accomplished.

   Chairman Adams stated that the report would be received as information.

There were no other matters to come before the Committee. Chairman Adams called for a motion to adjourn. Mr. Loadholt so moved and without objection, Chairman Adams declared the meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Thomas L. Stepp
Secretary