During a 10-month period from July 2007 to April 2008, South Carolina State University trustees spent $24,669.61 on travel and accommodations to attend national board conferences, board meetings and football games, according to university documents.
For state Rep. Jerry Govan, the expense “just doesn’t look good,” especially considering the 6 percent tuition increase students will face next year.
“I’m not sure that it sends parents or students the right signal, particularly in these harsh economic times,” he said.
The Times and Democrat first submitted a written S.C. Freedom of Information Act request on March 27 to review the S.C. State board’s travel records. Under FOIA laws, an organization has 15 business days to issue a response to an information request.
After repeated calls to S.C. State officials and their attorney Charles Boykin regarding the request, The T&D was allowed view the board’s travel expenses on June 13.
Outgoing Board Chairman Maurice Washington called The T&D’s reporting on travel records an unnecessary and unprecedented witch-hunt.
“This act by The Times and Democrat is becoming old and dated and we are ready to be positive,” Washington said.
The records show that during the 10-month span, Chairman-elect Lumus Byrd spent $9,210.78, almost double the amount spent by any other trustee. That includes expenses for trips to Colorado and Virginia to attend Bulldog football games.
The university gave Byrd permission to travel to five away football games last season at a cost of $4,073.62, according to records released through the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. The following is a breakdown of how much the university paid for Byrd to attend football games last season:
* $783.96 for airfare to the Air Force game in Colorado.
* $558.09 for airfare to the Bethune-Cookman game in Daytona, Fla.
* $436.80 for airfare to the Norfolk State game in Virginia.
* $1,421.06 for airfare to the Hampton Game in Virginia and a room at the Newport News, Va. Marriott Hotel.
* $873.71 for airfare to the Howard game in Atlanta.
Reached by phone, Byrd said he had no comment other than to say the expenses were above board and transparent. Byrd will take over as chairman on July 1.
Byrd was not the only trustee to use university funds to travel to away football games last fall. Washington, Vice Chair Jonathan Pinson and Dr. Shirley P. Martin did as well.
Documents show that plane tickets were purchased for Washington and Pinson to attend the Air Force game, and Martin was compensated $630.45 for driving to both the Bethune-Cookman and Hampton games last season.
A document shows that a plane ticket was purchased for $727.61 for Washington to attend the Air Force game, but Washington said he did not attend that game.
“When I do attend, I normally arrive on my own gas and my own dime,” he said.
He said it is not his job to monitor the travel of other trustees, but rather it is the duty of the administration. Both former President Dr. Andrew Hugine and current interim President Dr. Leonard McIntyre approved the expenses for trustees to attend football games. Some of the expenses were not approved until months after the games.
Speaking for himself, Washington said that trips to football games are appropriate if a trustee is acting in an official capacity such as meeting with alumni groups.
“We have to be visible,” he said.
At the board’s June 2007 retreat at the Charleston Place Inn, Washington checked into a $679.31 VIP hotel suite with university funds for a three-night stay.
Washington, who lives in Charleston, said he did not want to bring board activities into his home and he needed to be on-site to meet with professional staff as chairman.
Aside from Byrd, Board Vice Chair-elect Dr. John Corbitt and Dr. Shirley Martin spent the most university money for travel among the university’s trustees, spending $4,334.30 and $4,164.99, respectively.
Byrd, Corbitt and Martin attended two Association of Governing Boards conferences during the 10-month period in Boston and Arlington, Va. The AGB has over 1,200 member colleges and universities and seeks to advance the practice of citizen trusteeship, according to its Web site.
In total, $6,701.90 was spent on airfare to send the three trustees to those conferences.
On his way back to his native Greenville from visits to campus and board meetings, Corbitt checked into the Columbia Courtyard Downtown USC Hotel for the night on three occasions with university funds totaling $382.95. Corbitt declined comment on the issue when reached by phone.
Trustees Martha Smith and Karl Green did not spend any university funds for travel during the period.
T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060.