UofSC Board of Trustees meets, receives update on presidential search
Posted on: August 20, 2021; Updated on: August 20, 2021
By Abe Danaher, adanaher@mailbox.sc.edu
The university’s Board of Trustees, as well as three board committees, met Friday,
Aug. 20. Here’s an overview of the actions taken during the meeting.
Funk & Associates provides update on presidential search
R. William Funk & Associates, the consulting firm assisting the University of South Carolina in its presidential search, provided an update. The firm reported holding 27 different listening sessions with various groups across campus this past week. Through these sessions, it identified the keen interest that faculty, staff, students and alumni have in the ongoing search and recorded the qualities that these groups expressed wanting the university’s next president to have.
In addition, Funk & Associates started making preliminary calls to prospective presidential
candidates to gauge interest in the position. While it did not disclose the names
of those called, it expressed great optimism in the search and said that the individuals
it spoke with had great respect for the institution and a strong belief in its potential.
Interim President Pastides shares report on university
Interim President Pastides provided a report of the university's current standing. He stated that the freshman class’ enrollment numbers were “very strong,” and that it is the second-largest freshman class ever at South Carolina. Other highlights shared by Pastides included:
- The opening of the new Anne Frank Center and Gamecock iHub;
- Three current students being selected as Fulbright scholars, five as Hollings scholarship recipients, and a 29th consecutive year with Goldwater scholars;
- Four College of Engineering and Competing faculty having now received engineering’s
highest distinction, election into the National Academy of Engineering.
Various contracts approved
The board approved a variety of contracts, proposals and agreements during the meeting. These included:
- Two academic program modifications;
- Four dual degree programs, including a Master of Science in analytics and multiple doctorates in business administration;
- A 100 percent online Bachelor of Arts in history at USC Beaufort, offered through Palmetto College;
- Civil engineering contracts allowing a select list of firms to be awarded small projects;
- A graduate student work experience agreement with Prisma Health that will provide exercise science students and others the opportunity to gain professional experience at Prisma;
- Leasing of a new location in North Charleston by the Darla Moore School of Business for a regional PMBA site;
- Trial of commencement events across the university system being managed by units and persons other than the Board of Trustees.
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