Post by Aggie One on Apr 27, 2012 9:21:20 GMT -5
From The State newspaper: www.thestate.com/2012/04/26/22510....nk=omni_popular
SC House moves to sack S.C. State board
Thursday, Apr. 26, 2012
By ANDREW SHAIN - ashain@thestate.com
Two days after a pair of S.C. State University board members resigned, state House members moved a step closer to ousting all the trustees of the Orangeburg school.
Meanwhile, work continues on an internal investigation at S.C. State, led by former SLED chief Reggie Lloyd, who mentioned findings of unspecified criminal issues in March.
Several trustees and administrators reportedly are under investigation for “misconduct and self dealing,” board member Matthew Richardson wrote in a letter to the board that same month.
Richardson and retired Army Gen. Walter Johnson resigned Monday as trustees, saying they “no longer believe the board can reform itself or effectively govern.”
In an interview, Richardson said the resignations help start the process of replacing the historically black college’s board.
Richardson said he thinks leaders under investigation should step down. “You can’t be a trustee under that cloud.”
Lawmakers said Lloyd’s preliminary findings were enough to justify replacing the board. A bill that would end the current terms of all 13 board members by June 30 won initial approval last week and received a second OK Wednesday. One more vote would send the measure to the state Senate, where a similar bill has been introduced.
“There needs to be some changes, there needs to be reform,” state Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, the bill’s main sponsor, said from the House floor. “Doing nothing is not an option.”
Govan objected to an amendment from state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, that would have allowed the governor, and Senate and House leaders to choose an interim seven-member board if lawmakers can’t appoint replacements by July 1. The interim board would stay in place until June 2014.
“It would be a politically appointed board that would have unprecedented power to appoint a president and run the institution,” Govan said from the House floor.
The school needs a new president after George Cooper stepped down at the end of March.
Cobb-Hunter said Lloyd told lawmakers the board “is the problem and micro-manages the university.” She said Lloyd said the board abdicated its responsibility by not ending undisclosed abuses. Efforts to reach Lloyd were unsuccessful.
“Time is not on the university’s side,” Cobb-Hunter said. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the university to leave all this stuff out there.”
John Corbitt, the board of trustees’ acting chairman, declined comment through a university spokeswoman. The board meets today. The agenda does not include any items about the investigation.
Read more: meacfanszone.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sz&action=display&thread=14584#ixzz1tFb0l3rH
SC House moves to sack S.C. State board
Thursday, Apr. 26, 2012
By ANDREW SHAIN - ashain@thestate.com
Two days after a pair of S.C. State University board members resigned, state House members moved a step closer to ousting all the trustees of the Orangeburg school.
Meanwhile, work continues on an internal investigation at S.C. State, led by former SLED chief Reggie Lloyd, who mentioned findings of unspecified criminal issues in March.
Several trustees and administrators reportedly are under investigation for “misconduct and self dealing,” board member Matthew Richardson wrote in a letter to the board that same month.
Richardson and retired Army Gen. Walter Johnson resigned Monday as trustees, saying they “no longer believe the board can reform itself or effectively govern.”
In an interview, Richardson said the resignations help start the process of replacing the historically black college’s board.
Richardson said he thinks leaders under investigation should step down. “You can’t be a trustee under that cloud.”
Lawmakers said Lloyd’s preliminary findings were enough to justify replacing the board. A bill that would end the current terms of all 13 board members by June 30 won initial approval last week and received a second OK Wednesday. One more vote would send the measure to the state Senate, where a similar bill has been introduced.
“There needs to be some changes, there needs to be reform,” state Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, the bill’s main sponsor, said from the House floor. “Doing nothing is not an option.”
Govan objected to an amendment from state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, that would have allowed the governor, and Senate and House leaders to choose an interim seven-member board if lawmakers can’t appoint replacements by July 1. The interim board would stay in place until June 2014.
“It would be a politically appointed board that would have unprecedented power to appoint a president and run the institution,” Govan said from the House floor.
The school needs a new president after George Cooper stepped down at the end of March.
Cobb-Hunter said Lloyd told lawmakers the board “is the problem and micro-manages the university.” She said Lloyd said the board abdicated its responsibility by not ending undisclosed abuses. Efforts to reach Lloyd were unsuccessful.
“Time is not on the university’s side,” Cobb-Hunter said. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the university to leave all this stuff out there.”
John Corbitt, the board of trustees’ acting chairman, declined comment through a university spokeswoman. The board meets today. The agenda does not include any items about the investigation.
Read more: meacfanszone.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sz&action=display&thread=14584#ixzz1tFb0l3rH
