ISSUE: S.C. State board

OUR VIEW: Ouster of chairman illustrates board turmoil, lack of communication with stakeholders

The South Carolina State University board is in turmoil. In a surprise move this past week, divided trustees ousted the chairman less than a year after electing him.

The vote came after an executive session about which no trustee would discuss details publicly. That is not unusual for the board, which does much of its business behind closed doors, citing various provisions of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act in doing so. It shouldn’t be that way, as university stakeholders want to know why decisions are made.

The chairmanship decision is a prime example. Beyond public generalities such as moving in a “different direction,” there was only ousted Chairman Lumus Byrd’s public utterance after the 9-4 vote, “That’s that.”

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant has worked to get trustees to discuss the decision. He has had no success getting anyone on the record with specifics.

But that doesn’t mean there are no details to be had. Provided to him anonymously was a letter sent by Byrd to the chairman of the S.C. State Advancement Foundation seeking a change in the compensation package for the university president. Apparently the letter was sent without board approval, an action that angered some trustees. After ousting the chairman, the board then approved the compensation package change later in the meeting.

Also provided to the reporter was a list of other complaints about the chairman – complaints that more than one trustee confirmed privately were factors in the decision but will not confirm publicly. Among them was excessive legal fees attributed to Byrd.

Byrd won’t talk about the complaints nor discuss his ouster, but records obtained from the university by The Times and Democrat show the board was billed $19,925.53 for legal advice from June 30, 2008, to July 30, 2009. Too much? No trustee will elaborate.

While it remains unclear just how much any actions by Byrd or complaints aimed at him could have led to his ouster, it is equally unclear whether any similar actions by another chairman would have raised eyebrows in such a way.

Public explanations are in order, but don’t expect them to be forthcoming. Trustee Walt Tobin says nothing will change as long as board members continue to constantly fight with each other.

The new chairman, Jonathan Pinson, promises a new day for the board, hopefully one that won’t see trustees cited by the school’s accrediting body for overstepping bounds of involvement with school affairs – and one that will see a new commitment to a closer working relationship among trustees.

However, based on the divisions apparent this past week, and without public understanding of what is really taking place with the board, there is reason to skeptical.

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