H.3414 would continue a legislative push begun in 2014 by allowing Board of Trustees of the College of Charleston (COC) to designate the institution a research university. Last year’s push began shortly after outgoing Lieutenant Governor (and former Senate President Pro Tempore) Glenn McConnell became President of the College. As the Nerve pointed out in a story last September designating the COC a research university would potentially allow the college to use the South Carolina Research University Infrastructure Act to gain millions more in new funding. Using the act a research university can finance “research infrastructure projects” with state general obligation bonds, bonds that must be paid pack by all state taxpayers. Despite some claims of poverty the majority of South Carolina’s public universities are doing quite well financially, and the few that aren’t are suffering because of gross financial mismanagement. Lawmakers should be easing colleges and universities off state support, not increasing the size of their subsidies.
(Related S.377 )