Meeting Minutes 05/08/2024
Aiken County Commission for Higher Education
May 08, 2024
Business and Education Building, Room 276
ACCHE Members Present: Jackie Busbee, Teresa Haas, LaWana McKenzie, Clearence Jackson, Jackie Busbee, Sallye Rich, Chip Marvin, Clarance Jackson, and Dan Heimmermann
USCA Staff Present: Brian Enter, Mary Driscoll, Todd Wilkinson, Cam Reagin, Christen Engel, Ernest Pringle, and Julie Radford.
ACCHE Members Not Present: Tim Simmons, Joe Lewis, King Laurence, Sharon Marra
Chair Haas called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m. She stated that notice of the meeting had been published in accordance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.
Motion from Mr. Chip Marvin to approve minutes from the last meeting. Mr. Clarance Jackson seconded the motion. The motion was approved.
Chair’s Report: The recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Machine Shop and Maker space had great attendance, with Jim Tunison, the president/CEO of the Aiken Chamber, performing the ribbon-cutting honors. Commencement was also a well-attended event, with around 400 students participating. The Aiken Scholars Academy received recognition in the US News and World Report rankings, securing the second spot among the best high schools in the state and 28th in the nation. Efforts have been made to secure funding for USC Aiken's nursing program, including reaching out to Senator Graham for assistance. Although his portal closed at the end of April, the initiative to secure three and a half million dollars for the nursing program remains ongoing. Additionally, Pacer Life garnered attention by being featured on ABC news, highlighting the university's impactful initiatives and programs.
Executive Committee: No Report
Finance Committee Report: Mr. Chip Marvin requested everyone's attention to review the statement of financial position. As of March 31st, it was noted that we were out of balance in accordance with our investment policy. In response, Teresa Haas and Chip Marvin collaborated on a conference call with Vanguard to address this issue. Through their efforts, cash was reallocated and added to the fixed income position, thereby bringing the overall allocation back into compliance with our policy. Currently, our cash position stands at approximately 4%, with our target goal being around five plus or minus one percent. The allocation towards stocks is intended to be 80% or less, and it is currently at 77%, while the bond fund stands at 22%. The primary expenditure from the funds was directed towards the machine shop, totaling $100,000.
Buildings and Grounds: The AMC remains on schedule for spring 2025, while the National Guard Cyber Integration Center is in the design phase. Concurrently, the library renovation for the Academic Resource Center is underway, aiming to enhance student support. Throughout the summer, various roofing projects are ongoing, alongside the installation of new flooring at the Etheredge Center. The softball field is also undergoing development, including the construction of dugouts, pouring of footings, and installation of artificial turf.
Mr. Brian Enter provided updates on the facilities master plan, led by Scott Garvin from Columbia. Recent discussions focused on progressing towards completion, with upcoming meetings planned with key stakeholders, including the Commission. These meetings will address key priorities such as land usage and opportunities for commercial development. The plan is expected to be finalized by fall, with input sessions involving public officials, state legislators, department chairs, and possibly student representatives.
During the meeting, Chair Haas inquired about major items in the plan for the next decade. Dr. Heimmermann highlighted plans to integrate the AMC with the South Carolina National Guard and Cyber Integration, necessitating infrastructure upgrades. Additionally, proposals include an engineering building and expansion of the nursing facilities to support the growing health science program. In case of legislative approval, there are plans for a collaboration lab within the science building to advance chemical and electrical engineering.
Chair Haas also mentioned arranging a tour of the AMC for an upcoming update, facilitated by Sharon Marra
Chancellor’s Report: Dr. Heimmermann provided updates about the DOE building in downtown Aiken, revealing various plans being implemented by Dr. Scott McKay. He requested that Dr. McKay's handout be emailed to all Commissioners after the meeting. The primary goal for the building is to contribute to workforce development starting from kindergarteners and to offer a comprehensive narrative of the activities conducted by the entities housed in the downtown Aiken facility.
During a meeting, Teresa Haas requested Ernest to provide further details about his team's collaboration with the FBI. Over the past two years, the team has been working with the Cyber Operations Center, which is operated by our students, to monitor network traffic. This initiative garnered positive publicity, leading to the FBI field office expressing interest and requesting a meeting. During discussions with the Cabinet, it was decided that it would be beneficial for the students to collaborate with the FBI to provide reports on network activity and contracting information. As a result, the South Carolina FBI headquarters has now tasked us with identifying potential threats to our network, particularly from foreign countries. They have requested that we share information on countries probing our network with other field offices nationwide, and eventually with authorities in DC to safeguard the United States from cyber threats. The aim is to develop a model that highlights the type of cyber activity occurring on college campuses, which are often vulnerable points for cyber-attacks. Currently, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) are in place with the town of Wagner and Aiken County public schools to address these vulnerabilities and provide students with real-world experience in cybersecurity.
The Chancellor shared the start of the May semester and the recent commencement. He noted that May semester classes are typically shorter and include a few study abroad courses. The outlook for the fall semester is positive, with freshman enrollment up by 3%, and promising numbers for transfers and graduate students. Enrollment remains competitive as we directly compete with Columbia, Clemson, and Augusta. He shared a legislative update, indicating positive progress. The Senate is working on a state employee raise of 2.75%, which could potentially increase to 3% after negotiations. The current priority is the athletic fields, which must be funded. Although they requested $4 million for an engineering building, the request did not gain traction, and the funds are now being allocated to the athletic fields. The nursing expansion will be put on hold, despite a $20 million assistance request. For tuition mitigation, $2.9 million has been allocated, down from the $4.9 million requested, and assistance from Bill Taylor has been sought in this area. Efforts are ongoing with Columbia to address staff salary adjustments concerning equity, adjustments, and salary compression. Regarding faculty, plans are in place to secure their raises, which will be shared once the report is finalized.
Dr. Heimmermann informed the commissioners about his recent retreat with the Aiken Chamber of Commerce in North Augusta. One of the areas focused was strategic planning for USC Aiken. Jim Tunison, the President of the Chamber, expressed strong support for USC Aiken and its development plans. The discussions included the anticipated growth at USC Aiken, particularly with the addition of the South Carolina National Guard Cyber Integration Center, which is expected to attract more students and foster community growth. They also addressed how this growth would impact the community and the need to ensure adequate accommodation, such as daycare facilities, to support the increasing population.
Chip asked for more information from Mary Driscoll's report and asked if she could provide more details about her area, Development and Alumni Affairs. Mary shared that they are close to securing $2.5 million, including two separate $100,000 gifts for the School of Nursing. Pacer Life is gaining significant traction, with many people interested in starting new scholarships, contributing to the total of $36,150,316. This year marks the first time that alumni gifts have exceeded contributions from the community. She emphasized that the staff works diligently to ensure the success and profitability of these efforts.
There are strides being made with our equestrian team and community. Dr. Heimmermann has had several meetings with various equestrians in our community. The equestrian team finished in the top four losing to Virgina. The support is needed since they technically are not under the NCAA, so they are technically a club and not under athletics. The goal is twofold, to make it more organized and to help support them. They won a national title and competed with celebrated and division one programs.
Additional Updates:
Chair Haas announced that this is the last meeting before the summer break and that the dates for the fall meetings have been added to the agenda.
The new Provost will begin on July 1st. Additionally, the Center for Engaged Teaching, led by Tim Linter, will open. There will also be a Faculty Advising Academy established to help students navigate college and receive guidance.
Motion to adjourn meeting by Mr. Chip Marvin, Seconded by Ms. Jackie Busbee. The meeting adjourned at 5:50 p.m.