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Alex Conyers is a world away, serving his country in Afghanistan. Despite the mortar blasts, the constant threat of the Taliban and overall uncertainty about tomorrow, Conyers still finds time to think about his alma mater: South Carolina State University.

A 1989 graduate of S.C. State, Conyers is currently a military police officer training the Afghan National Army to run a military prison.

“Alex Conyers, supporting the Bulldogs from the mountaintop at 8,000 feet above sea level and 7,000 miles from Orangeburg,” is a motto that Conyers attaches to the e-mails he sends back home.

During his 10 months overseas, Conyers has kept up with recent events at his alma mater through the Internet, e-mails and his wife, Agatha, also a graduate of S.C. State.

Since the S.C. State Board of Trustees removed former President Andrew Hugine last December, Conyers said he has particularly watched the actions of the board. In his free time, Conyers examined the bylaws of other South Carolina college and university boards. The bylaws are the rules that govern board actions.

“I wanted to look at what makes those universities work and then put forth some ideas that can make S.C. State better,” Conyers said.

Before he submitted his recommendations, Conyers felt compelled to look at the bylaws of the S.C. State trustees.

That’s when he hit a roadblock in his efforts.

While other public universities in the state had their trustee bylaws featured on their Web sites, S.C. State did not.

He then e-mailed S.C. State Board Secretary Gloria Drayton on Feb. 28 to request a copy of the bylaws. Drayton said she could fax the bylaws but could not e-mail them, according to Conyers.

Since Conyers did not have access to a fax machine, he sent his wife to the board’s office on campus. At that point, he says, Drayton told his wife that his request would have to be approved by S.C. State Board Chairman Maurice Washington.

Washington says differently, adding he was not privy to the discussion between Drayton and Agatha Conyers.

He says the responsibility for providing the information falls upon the administration, specifically the president.

“I can’t authorize the release of university information. ... He just made his request to the wrong person,” Washington said.

Conyers said he has never received a response from Washington on the matter. Washington said he made the personal decision to no longer read Conyers’ e-mails because he considers them to be derogatory, accusatory and inaccurate.

However, Washington noted that the board’s bylaws are currently being revised to keep them up-to-date. He feels that releasing the current bylaws would put out information that is outdated and irrelevant.

Carmen Maye, an attorney for the S.C. Press Association, said the board is required to release the bylaws whether they are being revised or not.

“In my opinion, it is clear that they are public documents and as such they have an obligation to release them under the Freedom of Information Act,” Maye said. She added that Conyer’s e-mail request for the documents qualifies as a written request and therefore should have been granted by the university.

The S.C. Freedom of Information Act gives a public body 15 days to respond to a request for information. Conyers said he’s received no response since his Feb. 28 request, other than what his wife was told.

As for when the revised bylaws might be completed, Washington said he’s not sure.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been keeping track of the process. We’ve had pressing issues to deal with the past several months,” he said.

Washington added he sought to establish the board’s presence on the university’s Web site, including posting the board’s bylaws. However, he claims the administration did not carry that out.

Meanwhile in Afghanistan, Conyers said he wonders why his request can not be answered. He says he simply wants to give back to the institution that has given him so much. Both Conyers and his wife received scholarships to attend S.C. State after graduating from Manning High School.

He has served as vice president of the S.C. State National Alumni Association Washington, D.C. chapter and donates money to the institution.

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

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