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When Charles Jeffcoat reminisces about his 26-year career working in facilities management at the University, he's apt to use a large aerial photograph of the Columbia campus as a visual aid that also jogs his memory.
The imposing size of the blow-up accurately reflects the scope of the work done on the University's physical plant since the director of campus planning and construction first joined the staff in 1981 as manager of design and engineering.
Nowadays, as Jeffcoat contemplates his impending retirement at the end of March, he marvels at the variety of the projects he's been involved in and the dynamism of the University's work environment that meant there was never a dull moment on the job.
"Never have I had a boring day," said Jeffcoat, adding, "It's been a very comprehensive career and I feel extremely fortunate to have served here. I don't think there's an architect anywhere who could have been exposed to a wider variety of projects."
Those projects included a comprehensive University master plan in 1991 that provided the blueprint for the campus' future growth; the association with the renowned planning firm Sasaki and Associates of Watertown, Mass., an invaluable partner in USC's development; the completion of some 54 projects on the Columbia campus; and planning and construction support for each of the system campuses.
All together, the total amount of construction undertaken has represented hundreds of millions of dollars, including: the new quad residence halls, the National Advocacy Center, the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, the Colonial Center, the Greek Village, Innovista, several major additions to Williams-Brice Stadium, the Graduate Research Center, and untold numbers of renovations and modifications to existing buildings that have helped the University grow and adapt to the constantly changing needs of its educational mission.
The volume of the work meant Jeffcoat had to rely on trusted colleagues to help juggle and coordinate everything. "Over the years, the campus planning and construction staff has varied from 28 to 32 individuals, all of which have done their important part of developing the University's physical plant," he said.
"With all of their help, we've been able to get a lot of construction in place on campus, but its taken a tremendous amount of coordination," Jeffcoat said. "There's no way a single individual could have ever kept up with the tasks. I learned to empower the people who work with me to get the jobs done. The sad part about leaving will be saying farewell to an awful lot of personal and professional friends."
Jeffcoat has several interests ahead, including woodworking, spending more time on his boat at Lake Murray, and an upcoming cross-country motorcycle trip that he's dreamed about for years.
He owns a 2006 Honda Goldwing equipped for long-distance touring and in early May is planning on taking off for a month-long ride out west with friends. The itinerary includes Route 66, the Grand Canyon, San Diego, the Pacific Coast Highway, Seattle, and Yellowstone, then an eastward jaunt to Maine.
The trip is something he's wanted to do since high school, he said, "but when you're working fulltime and married and raising a child it's hard to get enough time away to take two weeks off, much less a month. That's my goal now."
2/08
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Charlie Jeffcoat pauses outside the Colonial Center, one of the many landmark construction projects he was involved in during his tenure as director of campus planning and construction.
