Odom, a 35-year faculty member at USC, will return to teaching and research in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He became the University’s chief academic officer in spring 1997.

"I always considered myself as a faculty member temporarily displaced as a provost," Odom said. "It's been a great seven years, and that's a long time to be a provost. I felt like I was missing out on things at home and it was time for a change.”

President Sorensen called Odom’s tenure as provost “stellar.”

“Jerry Odom has served this University at nearly every level since he joined the chemistry faculty in 1969. Over this period, he has earned the trust, confidence, and respect of faculty and administrators throughout USC,” Sorensen said. “His knowledge of the University and his insights have been invaluable to me over the past 14 months, and I have relied on him heavily, not just for his perspective as provost but also as a former dean, department chair, and faculty member.

“I also appreciate his sense of humor. I wish him well as he returns to teaching next August and applaud the good fortune of the chemistry students who will have the incomparable opportunity to learn from him.”

In a letter to the Board of Trustees, Sorensen wrote: “Jerry’s contributions to this University are legend. They begin with his many years of service. He is an award-winning teaching professor. He is a renowned chemist and continuously published researcher. His administrative service as a department chair, dean, and provost is stellar.

“He has been a leader of the most progressive academic accomplishments of the University in modern times, including chairing the Strategic Directions and Initiatives Committee, serving as the leader of numerous successful searches for talented deans and a talented vice president underway, and pressing for progress in faculty recruitment, hiring, higher standards for tenure, the creation of post-tenure review, and countless other steps that are the foundations for making the University of South Carolina truly a great institution in the years to come.

“I appreciate Jerry’s willingness to serve as provost for another academic year, continuing to lend his stable management to our efforts to move forward.”

Sorensen soon will announce a search committee to conduct a national search for a provost who can take office before the beginning of the next academic year.
Concerning the possible merger of the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science and Mathematics (see story on page X), Sorensen said joining the two colleges could bring the University greater national prominence.

“In the U.S. News and World Report ranking, we were rated as the 55th best public university in the United States. I’ve stated often that I would like to see us in the top 50, not for the sake of being in the top 50 but for the recognition of the excellence that we have at the University,” Sorensen said.

“I believe that, if we can find a way to better coordinate the research and teaching and learning in all the fields that are represented in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science and Mathematics, we can do vastly better here and what we do here will be recognized more widely.”

Concerning the University budget, Sorensen plans to present a proposal for an aggressive information campaign directed at state legislators and state government administrators. The message of the campaign, which will involve faculty, staff, and students, will be that the University cannot continue to operate with reduced state funding, decreased faculty and staff, and an increased student population.

He cited these numbers:
• From fiscal year 2001 to 2004, the University’s state appropriations have been cut by $61 million. The Budget and Control Board recently requested all state agencies to set aside an additional 1 percent, which will be $1.3 million for the Columbia campus. Another mid-year budget cut of 3 or 4 percent is possible this fiscal year.
• Senior tenured faculty dropped over a two-year period from 732 to 672, a loss of 60 positions. Full-time, tenure-track faculty positions dropped from 971 to 935. Adjunct faculty increased from 329 to 435. Through a reduction in force, 47 classified positions were eliminated. FTE vacancies for faculty and staff are up from 423 on July 1, 2001, to 786 this fall, nearly a 100 percent increase.
• As faculty and staff positions decreased, the student population increased. The FTE count was 19,832 in fall 2001. This fall the number is 21,508.

“What’s the result? You’re working harder; you’re teaching more,” Sorensen said. “We can’t keep going in this direction. We’ve got to change this.”

During his comments, Odom said that 3,451 freshmen are on campus this fall. Their average SAT score is 1145. The SAT goal, set by Sorensen, for next year is 1160. The goal for the following year is 1175.

The new Child Development Center will open to children from USC and S.C. ETV Sept. 15. The center will open to other children Sept. 22.

A brief Faculty Senate meeting followed the General Faculty Meeting. The next General Faculty Meeting will be held at 2 p.m. April 29 in the Law School Auditorium. The next Faculty Senate meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Oct. 1 in the Law School Auditorium.