A meeting of the South Carolina State University Faculty Senate was ended abruptly Thursday as faculty members demanded answers about the direction of the institution.

Senate President Dr. M. Evelyn Fields adjourned the meeting only minutes after switching its location, as members sought more information about Tuesday's ousting of President Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr.

As senate member Heyward Stackhouse was making the motion to adjourn the meeting, he was interrupted by a man demanding clarification and answers from Fields about the state of the university and the vacant university president position.

"Sir, we are going to be recognized by the chair," Fields said to the man. "I was listening to Senator Stackhouse. Are you finished, sir?"

As the room became silent, Stackhouse revisited the statement he previously attempted to make.

"The only thing that I know is that the president has been removed," Stackhouse said. "Everything else that I have, I've got it via the newspaper. And I understand that there's a process underway right now to ide.jpgy an interim president, an acting interim president."

Stackhouse said the senate was discussing issues involving the removal of Hugine prematurely. He said there are only a few facts involving Hugine's removal that anyone is aware of and that any conversation should be held at a later date when Fields can come to the meeting with more information.

"Can I make a motion that we adjourn this meeting and then have another called meeting sometime in the near future when you have sufficient information to share with the body?" Stackhouse said.

Grunts, sighs and some profanity filled the room as a handful of members not in support of the motion sat with either their hands raised in the air to be recognized, or their heads hanging in disbelief.

The gentleman who had previously interrupted Stackhouse stormed out of the room as Fields' gavel hit the table, bringing the meeting to an end.

T&D Online News Editor Brian Troutman can be reached at btroutman@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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