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A decision on a new president for South Carolina State University is expected when trustees meet Friday, Chairman Maurice Washington said Tuesday evening.

"There is the possibility if we can reach a consensus, we will be prepared to ... take a vote on the next president,'' Washington said of the 2 p.m. Friday session to consider three finalists. The meeting location is Belcher Hall.

"We will enter into executive session to talk about the candidates and their credentials,'' Washington said. "Obviously, when we come out of executive session we'll have to take a public vote in order to instruct the Budget and Control Board to consider the benefit and salary package.''

Trustees will weight reports from the three finalists' meetings with different university constituencies, including faculty, staff and alumni, Washington said. Also to be considered is the analysis conducted for the board by consultant Tina Walker of Columbia, who rated potential for success or failure and individual strengths and weaknesses.

The reports are being forwarded to trustees ahead of Friday's meeting, Washington said.

"It's a tight race, but I think in the end we'll be unanimous,'' Washington said. "We have three excellent candidates.''

The three are:

-- Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr., interim executive vice president at South Carolina State.

-- Dr. James H. Johnson Jr., dean and professor of civil engineering at Howard University.

-- Dr. Earl Yarbrough Sr., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Virginia State University.

The new president will be South Carolina State's ninth. He will succeed Dr. Leroy Davis, who retired a year ago under pressure from the board.

Interim President Ernest Finney, the retired South Carolina chief justice, has said he will step down on June 1 after nearly a year on the job, Washington said.

"It's been a long process. The university is in need of permanent leadership,'' Washington said, indicating action Friday is needed to ensure the selection is considered by the Budget and Control Board on June 19.

One long-standing issue that should not face a new president is the settlement of the legal battle over construction of a new building for the 1890 Extension program, Washington said.

"We have to take some public action on the long-overdue 1890 lawsuit,'' Washington said. "We entered into mediation last Wednesday and believe that we have come up with a win-win.''

Former S.C. Chief Justice David Harwell mediated. "He did a superb job. Come Friday, we hope that the content of the settlement meets the approval of the board.''

Washington declined to specify terms of the agreement until it is considered by the full board.

It would end a saga that began nearly a decade ago and resulted in a July ruling by the state Procurement Review Panel that S.C. State pay $1.4 million to Hass and subcontractors. The decision has been under appeal.

Ground was broken in November 1994, and the building was supposed to be completed by August 1995. What went wrong has been debated in court ever since.

Contractor Hass Construction invoked the Freedom of Information Act to get documents pertaining to the university's use of federal funds. The firm then filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging that S.C. State misspent federal funds.

The federal government joined the case in March 2000, alleging that SCSU improperly spent approximately $114,000.

More than a year ago, the university -- although not conceding guilt -- said it would pay $140,000 to settle that lawsuit, including $21,000 to Hass.

The university is under orders by the federal government, which provided funding for the building, to finish it. Completion has been forecast for November or December, with occupancy by February 2004.

"We had hoped to bring closure to it prior to appointment of a permanent president, not wanting outside issues such as lawsuits hindering the next president,'' Washington said.

Editor Lee Harter can be reached at lharter@timesanddemocrat.com and 803-533-5520.

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