USC’s presidential search will not result in formal sanctions, school says

The University of South Carolina will not face formal penalties from its accrediting body after the controversial presidential search this summer, the school said Tuesday.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or SACS, began investigating USC for allegations of “undue influence” after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster pressured board members to vote on Bob Caslen as the school’s president.

The accrediting body forbids “undue influence” in how the university operates, according to a previous article from The State.

“We are pleased (SACS) examination did not find that the imposition of sanctions against the university were warranted,” USC Board of Trustees Chair John Von Lehe said in a statement. “The Board sees the review as an opportunity for reflection and to reaffirm our commitment to meeting the highest standards of ethical, transparent and accountable board governance.”

Determining whether McMaster had “undue influence” on the presidential search was complicated by the governor’s status as a voting ex-official member of the board, according to a previous article from The State.

SACS will continue to monitor USC and will conduct a site visit at the school in 2020, according to USC’s statement.

Amid the fallout from the presidential search — which spawned protests from faculty, students and political leaders — USC hired the Association of Governing Boards to review the school’s governing practices, according to a statement from USC.

“We are grateful for all of the hard work (SACS) put into its review of university processes and for the work they will continue over the next year,” Caslen said in a statement.

“This represents a tremendous opportunity to work together, using feedback from (SACS) and (Association of Governing Boards), to make our university stronger than ever,” Caslen said.

Since USC announced four finalists for president in April, the search has drawn controversy. Students and faculty protested that the finalists included only one person of color and no women. Students then protested Caslen because they saw him as the wrong fit for USC president.

After the opposition, the USC board decided to reopen the search. But about two months later, the process drew additional criticism once McMaster began pressuring board members to vote on Caslen, who was chosen on an 11-8 vote.

Afterwards, text messages and emails among board members and the governor’s staff showed political concerns factored into Caslen’s election.

“The Democrats hate us. We took their castle,” said McMaster Chief of Staff Trey Walker in a text message to a board member.

As a result of the search, some protesters lawmakers have called for a change to how USC’s board is structured.

Bethany Bell, an associate professor of social work at USC who has been critical of the presidential search, said she is “disappointed” SACS didn’t require USC to make substantive changes to its board, such as removing the governor’s ex officio status as board chair, she said.

“This isn’t a verdict of not-guilty,” Bell said. “All the things that happened still happened and we can’t lose sight of that.”

This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 1:12 PM.