APRIL 2019 PROGRESS: SCSU planning large, small improvements

The university’s strategic priorities include ensuring fiscal responsibility and transparency, transforming curriculum and research programs, improving the campus environment and enhancing the university brand.

"Each of these initiatives will have associated individuals in the cabinet that are working on those," S.C. State President James E. Clark said during an April 10 board meeting.

Improvements are underway. Clark noted that roof replacements and similar investments are being made on campus and will continue.

"There are also larger things that we will need to invest in. Residential halls, student activity, a learning and innovation center ... those things will require tens of millions of dollars in investment and will require capital campaigns over a number of years. But in the short-term, we will be investing in improving what we have. So there's nothing around here that we plan not to touch to improve,” Clark said.

A Lamar Powell Student Success and Retention Center will be located in Moss Hall. It will house an academic tutoring program, a scholarship academy, a Learning 2 Learn program, a multipurpose collaborative room and a veterans’ resource room.

"We've already received a significant grant from the estate. We requested additional funds from the state and we're going to be upfitting that and bringing people in," Clark said.

The university is also developing a more complete customer service excellence plan, he said.

S.C. State has developed a prioritized list of deferred maintenance items totaling $46.9 million. The university should be spending a minimum of $8 million annually to meet those needs, he said.

"In reality we spend ... about a million and a half. And for this year, we actually spent more than that," Clark said.

Roofs were replaced, he said. “There were seven roofs that needed replacement or extensive repair immediately. There's a lot of things that we have to do that you don't get to see, but it's critical that we do this.”

Clark said the university received a $500,000 stabilization grant from the National Park Service for Wilkinson Hall.

"We're going to be applying for more grants to take it to the next level. Over time, hopefully we can make that potentially a one-stop center for your admissions and financial aid (to be) an all-in-one place in a student services center," Clark said.

Teare Brewington, vice president for finance and management, said the plan is to do the roof work in three phases.

Clark said flooding was a big, campus-wide issue that the university will be talking with city and county officials about.

“It really is a regional issue. So our dialogue will in fact be about solving a larger problem because if the large problem is not solved, the best we can is put a Band-Aid on what we have right now. And we have remediation plans for our circumstance … on campus, but until the bigger problem is solved, then we will continue to dialogue," he said.