The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met Monday (March 17), approving several contracts, academic initiatives and fiscal items ahead of the 2025-26 academic year and advancing a handful of facilities projects.
Contracts, budget and facilities approvals
The Board of Trustees approved nine contracts, including:
- Employment agreement for football strength and conditioning coach Luke Day.
- Academic collaboration agreement between the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management and Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar.
- Master services agreement between the Division of Administration and Finance and Transact Campus.
- Two Department of Information Technology contracts, including a software licensing agreement with Service Now and a master service agreement with Ellucian.
- Service platform agreement between University Libraries and PASCAL Share Library.
- Carolina Consortium member agreement between University Libraries and John Wiley & Sons.
The Arnold School of Public Health Center for Community Health Alignment had two contracts approved with South Carolina Health and Human Services. One allows for the purchasing and provision of services improving health outcomes for the uninsured and the other is for purchasing and services related to the continuation of a community health worker pilot program.
Two fiscal items were approved ahead of the 2025-26 academic year: housing and meal rates and the budget for Audit and Advisory Services.
Four facilities projects were also approved:
- Upgrades to the chilled water loop.
- Light tower painting at Williams-Brice Stadium.
- Exterior maintenance at the Graduate Science Research Center.
- An increase to the budget for exterior maintenance to 1800 Gervais St.
New programs established, others modified
USC’s Board of Trustees approved four new programs during Monday’s meeting:
- Communications (B.A.)
- Two postbaccalaureate certificates: Artificial Intelligence in Business and Public Safety Executive Leadership.
- Leadership in Public Safety Executive Leadership (M.S.).
The board approved adding concentrations to six programs, including: B.A., English; B.S., Environmental Science; B.S.B.A, Management; B.S., Music Industry Studies; B.M., Music; Ph.D., Health Services Policy and Management.
Five programs had curriculum changes approved Monday: B.F.A., Art Studio; B.A. Dance; B.S. Retailing; M.S., Environmental Health Sciences; Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences.
The board approved 100 percent online delivery for three postbaccalaureate certificates: Health Communication, Behavioral Health in Athletic Training, Critical Incident Management and Primary Care in Athletic Training.
Two program terminations were approved: a graduate certificate in Counselor Education and a post-master’s program in Library and Information Science.
Other approvals
Along with approving key program additions and modifications, the board approved six new hires with tenure and three honorary academic titles. It also approved changing the name of the Economy Policy and Innovation Center to the South Carolina Economic Policy Center.
The board approved a voluntary separation program in the College of Education as well as seven gift namings. Confidential candidates were approved for honorary degrees along with the first approval for revisions to the board’s bylaws.
System approvals
One new program – B.S., Electrical engineering at USC Aiken – and one honorary title at USC Beaufort were approved Monday. USC Sumter added three high schools as dual enrollment sites as well: Lee Academy, Wilson Hall and Hammond School.
Phase I approval was given for a pair of USC Upstate facilities projects: construction of a nursing center and the acquisition of the Rampey Building. Phase II approval was given for building expansion at USC Sumter’s Nettles Building.