The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met on Friday (Aug. 18). Here’s a look at the actions that occurred during the meeting.
Academic actions taken
The Academic Excellence and Student Experience committee, and later the full board, approved three new faculty hires with tenure and granted eight honorary academic titles to faculty at the Columbia campus. Two new programs at that campus also received approval – a B.S. in data analytics and a B.S. in data science – and the On Your Time office will be renamed to the Graduation and Retention Network.
In the system, USC Aiken received approval for a new faculty hire with tenure, and an honorary academic title was granted at USC Upstate.
Brain Health Center to join health sciences campus
The board approved the creation of the Brain Health Center at the BullStreet District. This approval was the first step in establishing the project, which received funding from the state legislature in the most recent budget cycle. This project will comprehensively renovate and expand the MedPark 15 building to become the Brain Health Center, which will serve as the hub for the forming Rural Brain Health Network, a statewide network of community clinics.
Other approvals
Reviews of several board policies and minutes from past meetings were approved, as well as three contracts: a license agreement between University Libraries and Sage Publications, Inc., an employment agreement for new USC Upstate Athletics Director Matthew A. Martin, and a two-year contract extension for USC Columbia head baseball coach Mark Kingston. The board also passed a resolution honoring outgoing Faculty Senate chair Audrey Korsgaard, as well as approved the annual review of President Amiridis.