SC lawmakers continue studying whether to restructure USC board

State senators on Thursday continued studying whether to restructure the University of South Carolina’s board of trustees.

State Sens. Greg Hembree, R-Horry, and Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, filed separate bills late last year to change the composition of the university’s board. On Thursday, a Senate education subcommittee took testimony and briefly discussed the bills, but did not take a vote.

“The issue is the functionality of the board,” Malloy said. “We know that they have stubbed their toe quite a few times in the last few years. ... We deserve better from our flagship institution.”

USC’s board currently has 20 voting members — the governor’s designee, the governor’s appointee, the state education superintendent, the president of the USC alumni association and a representative from each of South Carolina’s 16 judicial circuits.

Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, chairman of the subcommittee, said the two new bills might rethink that approach.

Hembree’s bill proposes the board would be made up of 13 voting members — seven from each of the state’s congressional districts and four at-large members voted on by the General Assembly, and two at-large members appointed by the governor. The governor, the president of the alumni association and the student body president of USC’s Columbia campus would serve as nonvoting ex officio members.

Malloy’s bill proposes 11 voting members — seven members representing the congressional districts and two at-large members voted on by the General Assembly, and two at-large members appointed by the governor. The president of the alumni association would serve as an ex officio member.

Some legislators last year criticized USC’s board because of the hiring of Robert Caslen as president in 2019 and the buyouts of former head football coach Will Muschamp and men’s head basketball coach Frank Martin. Caslen resigned in 2021 during a plagiarism scandal.

Legislators also criticized the university for alienating two major donors, Darla Moore and Lou Kennedy.

Legislators were so upset that they took no action on reappointing five longtime members whose terms were up last year. The five — chairman Thad Westbrook, C. Edward Floyd, John von Lehe, Dorn Smith and Charles William — were held in a carryover status for nearly nine months. They were voted on and approved by the General Assembly in early February.

Malloy called the situation and the screening process embarrassing.

Legislators considered a proposal to overhaul the board last year, but ended up taking no action.

The bill discussed last year would have reduced the board to 16 voting members — two positions would’ve been eliminated, and another two would’ve lost their voting powers.

“That’s not really much of a shrinkage,” said Malloy, who is advocating for a smaller board.

Pete Oliver, a 1976 graduate of USC, testified at Thursday’s meeting and agreed.

“It needs to be reduced in size,” Oliver said. Oliver was the only person to testify on Thursday.

If either of the bills pass, Malloy said that board members wouldn’t be kicked out immediately. They would likely serve out the rest of their term and new elections would be staggered.