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 Student-Trustee Liaison Committee of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met Friday, November 16, 2001, at 3:45 p.m. in the Carolina Plaza Board Room.
Members present were: Mr. Arthur S. Bahnmuller, Chairman; Mrs. Helen C. Harvey; Mr. Toney J. Lister; Mr. Miles Loadholt; Mr. M. Wayne Staton; and Mr. Herbert C. Adams, Board Vice Chairman. Members absent were: Mr. A. C. Fennell, III; Dr. C. Edward Floyd; and Mr. Mack I. Whittle, Jr., Board Chairman.
Others present were: President John M. Palms; Secretary Thomas L. Stepp; Vice President for Student and Alumni Services Dennis A. Pruitt; Vice Provost and Executive Dean for Regional Campuses and Continuing Education Chris P. Plyler; Director of Student Life, Division of Student and Alumni Services, Jerry T. Brewer; Director of Academic and Student Support Services, Regional Campuses and Continuing Education, David Hunter; Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, USC Sumter, Lynwood Watts; Assistant Dean of Student Development, USC Beaufort, Andrew Walsh; Associate Dean of Student Services, USC Salkehatchie, Jane Brewer; SGA Co-Advisor, USC Salkehatchie, Kathy West; and Director of Student Life, USC Lancaster, Tracey Taylor.
Student Government Association (SGA) representatives present were: USC Aiken SGA: President Wesley Riddle, Vice President Kristin Allen, and Secretary/Treasurer Tiffany Meador; USC Beaufort SGA: President Anthony Lettich; USC Columbia: President Corey Ford, Vice President Nithya Bala, Treasurer Hydrick Harden, Student Senator Brook Bristow, and Freshman Council Co-Advisor Manasi Sinha; USC Lancaster SGA: President Bridget Gaither, Treasurer Tamekia Bell, and Sophomore Class Representative Richard Gray; USC Salkehatchie SGA: President Barrett Hightower, Secretary Dana Tedder, SGA Senators Angel Rush and Bridget Ramirez, and Parliamentarian Erica Taylor; USC Sumter SGA: Representatives Erica McLeod, Nelli Sarkuchikova, and Alison Shuman; and USC Union SGA: Vice President Josh Comer, Secretary/Treasurer Robert Jeter, and Senator Jeff Inman.
Chairman Bahnmuller called the meeting to order, welcomed those present, andinvited Committee members and the Administration to introduce themselves. No members of the media were in attendance. Chairman Bahnmuller stated that the agenda had been posted and the press had been notified as required by the Freedom of Information Act; the agenda had been circulated to Committee members; and a quorum was present to conduct business. Chairman Bahnmuller invited those students present to introduce themselves. Following introductions, Chairman Bahnmuller requested reports from each of the represented campuses.
A former student, Roberto Hernandez, who had been a member of the USC baseball team in 1986 and currently played for the Kansas City Royals, had donated $1 million to fund the construction of a new baseball stadium.
USC Aiken also planned to build a new convocation center within the next several years; this several-thousand seat arena would provide classrooms, basketball courts, volleyball courts, training rooms, and various athletic offices which would be shared with the community.
An on-campus health center had been opened this semester; two nurse practitioners who provided basic health services staffed the office. USC Aiken hoped to expand the operation to provide prescription drugs and to relocate the service in a separate facility rather than in the nursing center. In addition, a new convenience store with an attached meeting room had been constructed so that students could gather socially with friends or organizations could hold meetings.
During the next 15 years, USC Aiken will be involved in strategic planning activities. Ten committees had been formed to review the various aspects of university life from the students to the projected image of the campus. Each committee included at least one student member which promoted student participation on the campus.
Last year the USC Beaufort SGA had formed the Activities Executive Committee which was composed of SGA officers and the presidents of each campus organization. AEC members gathered every month to exchange ideas, pool resources, and discuss the various club activities; students were encouraged to attend these meetings to offer suggestions or to present problems. A Board of Events within the AEC was also instituted to plan and coordinate events. Currently, USC Beaufort listed 15 organizations functioning under the auspices of the SGA. In addition, a Last Lecture Series sponsored by a different club or organization was initiated by the SGA.
The USC Beaufort SGA sponsored various fall events including a "Welcome Back to School" in August; during the first two days of classes, student representatives distributed donuts and juice in the morning and chips and soda in the evening. The Club Fest event was held in September; all of the campus organizations set up information booths for new students. In October, the SGA distributed food during the Beaufort Shrimp Festival and sponsored a Haunted House to raise money for the Rape Crisis Center of the Low Country and for a new scholarship fund.
During the past several months, the SGA and other campus organizations had been involved in the "Relay For Life" which raised money for cancer research. They had sponsored numerous fund raisers including several bake sales and a USCB yard sale. These activities also provided opportunities for campus visibility and community involvement in the Beaufort area.
In December, the Student Government Association will host a Rest and Re-Energize event; each day during finals, a representative will distribute snacks or "pick me ups" to the students.
Tentative spring events included continuation of the Last Lecture Series; sponsoring a Founder's Day, or possibly a Founder's Month, to celebrate the founding of the Beaufort College, now officially designated as USCB; and hosting a camp out and barbecue on Pritchards Island for students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the community.
The campus student newspaper, Lil' Shrimp, had been revitalized during the previous SGA administration; hopefully, by the conclusion of the Spring semester, it would be printed in a newspaper format, rather than as a newsletter.
Gamma Beta Phi, the campus honor society, had been involved with the Boys and Girls Club; it had sponsored a Halloween Carnival and was in the process of planning a Christmas party for this club. In the spring, USCB will host the Gamma Beta Phi State Convention.
In closing, Mr. Lettich praised the tremendous student involvement on the USCB campus and optimistically forecasted continued growth.
Because of poor voter participation during this past election, creative and comprehensive marketing strategies had been formulated to address this very important issue. In the future, debates between candidates would be scheduled to discuss topics of concern and to respond to questions raised.
To address state budgetary concerns, four student committees had been formed: (1) University Impact; (2) Economic Factors; (3) Political Activism; and, (4) Miscellaneous. Student lobbying efforts would begin in January when the legislature convened. The first committee was tasked with the responsibility of researching the effects on the University of a pending budget cut; the second committee would promote the message that higher education and its promotion was critical to the economic well-being of the state. The third committee was charged with the responsibility of encouraging student letter-writing to the various state legislators. The fourth committee would enlist the participation of alumni and parents. This campaign would also involve the support and coordination of students in higher education across the entire state.
A Campus Activist Network will be established to increase communication among student organizations. This network will be used to coordinate budget cut efforts in addition to disseminating pertinent information about University events.
Other SGA activities included discussions and negotiations with University administrators to endorse an academic forgiveness policy and approval of a Carolina Productions fee increase.
As Vice President of the Student Government Association, Nithya Bala also served as President of the Student Senate. Legislation approved during the Fall semester included a student resolution which urged the administration to consider the formulation of an Academic Forgiveness Policy; and an amendment to the Election Codes which would require all candidates to disclose their campaign expenditures to the Elections Commission in order to cap expenses. It was hoped that more students would seek office without the fear of having to spend a large amount of money to be viable candidates.
Student Senate projects and events included a forum conducted by the Academics Committee to address academic advisement concerns and inconsistencies in The Darla Moore School of Business, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Math and Science. This committee was also researching the possibility of incorporating on-line teacher evaluations in addition to on-line syllabi.
The Student Services Committee recently sponsored the kickoff for "Clean Carolina," a campus-wide community service program patterned after the "Adopt a Highway" campaign. The Chair of the Athletics Committee, Chris Odom, had been working closely with the Athletic Ticket Office to coordinate student ticket distribution for football and basketball games. The blackout at the USC/Florida game for which Carolina fans were urged to wear black in support of the football team was sponsored by this committee in cooperation with the Student Gamecock Club.
Hydrick Harden, Treasurer of the USC Columbia SGA, explained that his office had been reviewing the allocation of student activity fees at the University. This analysis had revealed that graduate student organizations had been receiving a substantially disproportionate amount of fee allocations; graduate assistants were not required to pay the fee. In addition, law school, medical school, and pharmacy school student organizations had been awarded a disproportionate sum. As a result, legislation will be drafted which would require the allocation of student activity fees based on the relative contribution of activity fees from each group of University students--undergraduates, graduate students, and professional students.
Freshman Council Co-Advisor Manasi Sinha reported that, in the past, this organization had refurbished and painted various areas on campus: two years ago they had painted the tunnel near the Coliseum; last year they had tackled the stairwell in the Russell House; and, this year, they were painting the walls of the Russell House University Union Game Room with USC logos to give the area a more spirited look.
The School Spirit Committee had been involved in "Rally ‘Round the Gamecocks" pep rallies which USC alumni organized. Held every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. near the Williams-Brice Stadium, these rallies supported the football team before the scheduled games. In order to increase student participation, shuttle service from the Russell House had been provided to these events. Before the Florida game on November 10, more than 400 people had attended the pep rally.
The Freshman Council had also initiated a "Gamecock of the Week" award; an individual selected from nominations submitted by members of the Carolina community will be featured on a stanchion in the Russell House.
And, finally this organization was in the process of developing a website to highlight activities and achievements of the freshman class; it was hoped that all of the classes would have this venue available in the near future.
Responding to Mr. Staton's question regarding parent involvement in the upcoming lobbying effort to protest state budget cuts, Mr. Ford indicated that the SGA would encourage students to solicit their parents' support; he hoped that as many parents as possible, as voters, would write letters of protest and contact legislators. Chairman Bahnmuller urged all campuses to support this effort.
On October 8, the SGA began selling raffle tickets for the USC vs. Florida football game; all proceeds were donated to the March of Dimes. On November 13, USC graduate and Carolina Panther Jamar Nesbit visited the campus and spoke to students. On November 28, a Career Fair had been scheduled; various businesses would be available to talk with students about job opportunities.
Ms. Gaither explained that her objective as a candidate for the SGA presidency had been to increase student and faculty interaction; therefore, during the Spring semester, a student forum was planned which would include the deans and faculty members so that students could discuss problems and concerns with them. In addition, the faculty would gather in one area during spring registration to answer questions about the classes they taught.
Mr. Hightower noted that USC Salkehatchie had experienced a 6 percent enrollment increase. Because the campus was relatively small, the SGA tried to sponsor activities which provided students the opportunity to interact with others. Both Walterboro and Allendale had hosted "Back To School" parties in the fall; had organized chile cookoffs including a hot chile pepper eating contest, pizza parties, basketball tournaments, and cookouts; and had sponsored a bonfire to celebrate homecoming. In Walterboro during the previous day, the Student Government Association had provided a Thanksgiving dinner for faculty, staff, and students.
Many students were also involved in community service activities; for example, the baseball team frequently visited elementary schools in the area to provide tutoring assistance and to read stories to various classes.
Halloween activities had included a hayride and ghost walk sponsored by the Allendale SGA; the Walterboro SGA had participated in the Colleton County Chamber of Commerce Halloween Festival and had prepared candy bags for the preschoolers in the area.
In addition, the Allendale SGA hosted a home beauty and fashion show to raise money for the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts; in conjunction with this event, the baseball team sponsored a car wash. As a result of these efforts, more than $400 was donated to the Red Cross.
And, finally, the SGA hosted the American Red Cross Bloodmobile; all blood collected on that day would be included in the tally of the USC vs. Clemson University blood drive competition.
During the first week of the school year in the Fall semester, activities had been planned for each day: on Monday, an opening convocation had been scheduled; on Tuesday, the students had been treated to an ice cream party; on Wednesday, a "Making College Count" seminar had been offered on Wednesday; on Thursday, a "Three Gs" cookout had been planned at which faculty served the food and students greeted the faculty and staff, grabbed the free food, and grubbed (or ate) the free food; on Friday, Carnival Day with musicians, singers, and an artist who had drawn caricatures had been held.
To honor those individuals who had lost their lives during the September 11th terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C., and New York City, the campus had held a Day of Remembrance on September 14th, the National Day of Prayer.
Ms. McLeod noted that Andrea King had been hired as the new Director of Student Life at USC Sumter; SGA members were looking forward to the opportunity of working with her in the future.
And, finally, Ms. McLeod commented that the USC Sumter Gospel Choir was representing the campus in the Southern Gospel Music Convention scheduled for this day and the following day in Charleston.
On October 12, a Department of Juvenile Justice Conference had been held on the campus; several SGA members had provided assistance during the meeting. On October 22, the Student Government Association had sponsored a blood drive; more than 20 individuals participated. Currently, SGA members were collecting canned goods which would be donated to the Salvation Army before the holiday break.
In addition, the Union Student Government Association hoped to participate in the "America's Promise" reading program in the Spring semester; various members planned to read to children at an elementary school every week for one hour. And, a tree trimming event was scheduled on the campus at the end of November.
Union campus had experienced not only an increase in enrollment, but also increased student participation. Everyone was anticipating a very productive Spring semester.
President Palms stressed that "the salvation at the end of this budget crisis that we are in, is that education is the most important thing that we can do for the citizens of this state." During a ceremony on the Horseshoe the previous day, he noted that the date of the terrorist tragedy, September 11, had, in 1963, heralded the opening of the University to three African-American students, an important step toward the educational goal of serving all people of this state. Only 15 percent of South Carolina citizens had earned a college degree; therefore, those individuals who earned a college degree would play a major role in this community.
President Palms commented that many of the Board members at this meeting had been involved in student life activities during their college years. USC alumni, of which there were approximately 190,000, who were leaders in their communities, had frequently remarked that they "had gotten their start in student government." He believed that those leadership traits would serve the students well in the future.
President Palms further described these SGA activities as enobling activities. "If you want to feel good in life, you try to do enobling things; that's where you get your satisfaction from. Reaching out to your fellow students and building a sense of community should give you gratification that's hard to obtain in any other way."
President Palms also requested continued student support protesting upcoming legislative budget cuts; last year, the students had actively and successfully campaigned against the threat of a major higher education budget reduction. "That cut was reduced considerably because of the activism of our students."
And, finally, President Palms congratulated USC Beaufort; voters had passed a tax increase which would be used specifically to build a new campus in that area.
Chairman Bahnmuller reminded students that they had Trustee representatives on the Board to serve and assist them.
There being no further business to come before the Committee, Chairman Bahnmuller called for a motion to adjourn. Mr. Staton so moved, and Chairman Bahnmuller declared the meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas L. Stepp
Secretary