Dr. Andrew Hugine served as Student Government Association president during his junior year at S.C. State. When his term ended, he recalled, "a vocal minority group" dissuaded him from seeking re-election.

He won anyway, thanks to a write-in effort by his supporters, whom he called the "silent majority."

After graduation, he got a job teaching at Beaufort High School, but a year later, the S.C. State administration invited him to return and work in a student support position.

Success in that job led to an opportunity to work with an acknowledged expert in institutional research at a university 10 times bigger than S.C. State -- and 10 times farther away from his hometown.

Then a great need arose at his alma mater: a self study, essential for re-accreditation, needed new leadership, he said. "In a crisis, who was called, but Andrew Hugine?"

Naturally he took the job. "I'm a Bulldog at heart," he said.

Hugine recalled interacting with such legendary university luminaries as Maceo Nance and Algernon Belcher during his career. Hugine eventually became assistant vice president for academic affairs.

The arrival of Dr. Albert Smith as president in 1986 changed Hugine's career trajectory. "I made a decision to tender my resignation and return" to the classroom as a math professor, he said.

He immersed himself in college and community affairs: working on three university self-studies, serving as Faculty Senate president, serving as lead author on five textbooks, serving on a laundry list of committees, serving as executive director of a presidential search and serving as chairman of the local school trustee board.

"I have been involved in the very fabric of South Carolina State University," he said.

Fast forward to 2002: Hugine's alma mater grabbed a golden opportunity to offer the interim presidency to a widely known and well-respected retired state Supreme Court justice and civil rights pioneer with plenty of charisma and powerful friends.

Ernest A. Finney Jr. brought a lot to the table -- but virtually no experience in academic administration. Once again, S.C. State turned to Hugine, who accepted the newly created position of interim executive vice president, to Finney's delight.

When six candidates for president were identified, some onlookers were surprised not to find Hugine's name on the list. The search was reopened, and Hugine's name ultimately appeared as one of the three finalists.

"I was encouraged to (apply) by a number of faculty and community supporters at the university that perhaps if the opportunity presented itself that I should apply for the presidency, given my length of time here, giving my knowledge of the university, given what the university needs at this point in time," Hugine said Tuesday.

Addressing the faculty and staff, Hugine said he is not seeking the presidency "because I am a graduate of S.C. State. I do not seek this position because I am a longtime employee of South Carolina State University. I do not seek this position to return it to the glory days that some would have it, because what worked five, 10, 15 years ago would not necessarily work today."

"I seek the presidency ... because of the challenges which this university encounters today. I feel that given my experience and knowledge, the internal review and assessment that I've made, I'm in a unique position to help the university address the challenges."

"And the challenges are real," he said. Most prominent and urgent of them is the "$4.4 million shortfall, which the university is going to face as of July 1. That's an issue that must be addressed, not a year from now, not six months from now, but that must be addressed now."

"The question you have to ask yourself is, 'Who is it that you would like to address it?' "

Hugine described his management style as "leading by example, setting high expectations and holding people accountable." He said he does not presently have authority over personnel decisions.

As president, "I think you all know that I would be as forthright as I possibly can. I'd be fair, honest and responsive," he said. "The measure of a man is not where he stands in good times, but where he stands in adversity."

"I will make the hard decisions that will be in the best interests of South Carolina State University, not any particular individual, because the university is greater than all of us collectively."

Deferred maintenance, particularly health and safety issues, need to be addressed immediately, he said. SCSU's engineering and science facilities are "disgraceful," and Turner Hall has seen "no major renovations since I was a student here."

But, in addition to money, he said construction and renovation projects take time.

Only now are people seeing the school renovations made possible by the $48 million bond referendum which passed when Hugine was chairman of the Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 Board of Trustees.

Outlining his vision for SCSU, Hugine sees the day when enrollment tops 5,000. "As a land grant institution, it's our mission to improve access and opportunity, and it's just good business" to maximize resources, he said.

Hugine envisions the day when the institution will "be known for excellence in all of its programs and services. ... People will come from miles and miles around to see what's going on at South Carolina State University."

SCSU will be centered on the students, who will achieve, will be satisfied with the quality of their education, will "become recruiters for us" and will readily make financial contributions, Hugine said.

Hugine envisions the day when SCSU's service learning program is campuswide; the faculty and staff are "highly diverse"; national magazines rank SCSU in the "top tier"; academic policies are reviewed and revised; academic programs meet real world needs; a Student Cabinet and a Faculty Cabinet meet monthly with the President's Cabinet; SCSU reaches out to other minorities, such as Hispanics; and SCSU has a $2 million rainy-day fund.

Hugine longs for the day when "people understand the worth and importance of what we do" and the Legislature acknowledges that SCSU is "essential to this state" for its ability to address and solve problems.

Improving SCSU's image "is not the news media's responsibility. It's our responsibility," Hugine said, adding that image is most affected by "our conversations and interactions with each other."

Hugine said he is eager to "tell the South Carolina State story" to potential benefactors, students and employees, but "you've got to get your house in order first."

"Our first task is to deal with the $4.4 million shortfall ... and make sure we're solvent," Hugine said. "It doesn't matter what else you do, the money's got to be right."

T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552.

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