South Carolina State University is considering reopening old dormitories and building new ones to alleviate the campus housing crunch.

The university is studying the possibility of reopening the Miller Hall dorm, which would add about 68 rooms, President Andrew Hugine Jr. told trustees during their meeting Thursday.

This year saw the biggest incoming freshman class in the history of the university, with more than 1,300 freshmen coming to the school. Total undergraduate enrollment is 4,312.

The university found itself overwhelmed by the number of students seeking on-campus housing last month, with some students arriving on campus only to be told to return later.

With the university planning to further increase enrollment, board members suggested that S.C. State must find ways to accommodate new students.

Hugine told the board that the university generally houses about 50 percent of its student body. He said S.C. State plans to increase enrollment to 6,000 in the near future, leaving it a few hundred beds short of being able to provide housing for the surge.

"We will be able to serve them. We are looking at these things going forward," Hugine said to the board. Hugine said building a dorm is a 15- to 30-year commitment for the university.

Vice President of Student Affairs Kevin Rolle told the board he hopes the new residence life policy he is drafting will become a selling point for the school.

Trustee Jonathan Pinson said the university should have a firm deadline for students to apply for housing.

"You miss the deadline, you miss the housing opportunity," he said.

Rolle said he has been in contact with local real estate agents about available rental property for students and that would help alleviate the housing situation that plagued the school this year.

Trustee Dr. Shirley Martin asked Rolle what the university has done to apologize to people inconvenienced by August's housing shortage. Rolle said his office had sent out e-mails apologizing to parties affected by the shortage.

Hugine issued a report to the board to illustrate where S.C. State stands relative to other schools.

Among the nine public non-research universities in the state, S.C. State ranked fifth in graduating 53.8 percent of its students. According to U.S. News and World Report, the school ranked third in the nation in economic diversity, with 69 percent of its students receiving Pell grants.

Washington Monthly magazine ranked SCSU as the tenth-best national university.

"We are doing quite well, but we definitely need to do more," Hugine said.

In other business:

* Chairman of Biological and Physical Sciences Dr. Judith Salley-Guydon gave an update on the Project Export partnership between S.C. State and the Medical University of South Carolina to promote minority health. Salley-Guydon said the project is informing faculty and students alike on the risks of obesity and heart disease and encourages everyone to use screenings available on campus.

Salley-Guydon also talked about the President's Health Initiative, which is a part of Project Export that advocates the entire S.C. State family living a healthy lifestyle.

* Board Chairman Maurice Washington gave a presentation on the Lowcountry Classic II, where SCSU will play North Carolina A&T on Nov. 17 in Charleston. Festivities will include a celebrity golf tournament, a step show featuring hit rapper Soulja Boy, a silent auction with Malcolm Jamal Warner of the Cosby Show fame and tailgating before the game.

* Hugine and Washington presented trustee Lumus Byrd with the Order of the Silver Crescent, awarded by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford for years of outstanding community service.

* Hugine presented awards to the departments of treasurer, residential life and housing, academic affairs, facilities management, student success and retention programs, registrar, financial aid and admissions and recruitment for excellence during the 2007 school year.

* The board discussed the use of credit cards by the faculty. Members of the board expressed concerns that 125 faculty members have access to school credit cards. Washington charged the board with bringing forth recommendations at the next meeting.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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