Bill that would restructure USC’s board of trustees is one step closer to passing

A bill that would restructure the University of South Carolina’s board of trustees is one step closer to passing.

H. 4752, sponsored by House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, passed a subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday. The bill would remove the governor and the superintendent of education from USC’s board and reduce the number of board members from 20 to 12.

USC’s board members and McMaster faced criticism last year for the governor’s involvement in the search for a new university president, according to previous articles from The State. As criticism of the governor’s role and the board’s selection process grew, so did calls for state lawmakers to overhaul how the board is run.

The board voted in July to hire Bob Caslen as president. Caslen, a former superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was one of four finalists for the job in April. But after reviewing the finalists, the board decided to reopen the search. After McMaster’s involvement, the board reversed course and voted for Caslen

“This is a very clear indictment of the board, the administration and the bureaucracy of USC and their apparent failures,” said S.C. Rep. Kirkman Finlay, R-Richland, a sponsor of the bill.

Finlay hopes the bill and the increased attention on USC’s board will create “intense electoral problems” for those who currently hold a seat on the board, he said.

Several candidates have filed to challenge USC’s board of trustee members. Given that this bill would change the structure of the board, it has the potential to affect the General Assembly’s election of board members. For now, Finlay is focused on getting the bill passed, then worrying about how to solve any issues with the board election, he said.