THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The General Assembly adjourned their regular session on Thursday, May 11. Governor McMaster has called legislators back into session to finish their work on May 16. Since this is the first year of a two-year session, bills that did not pass this session will retain their current status and be carried over to the 2024 session.
S.314 (Higher Education Permanent Improvement Projects) was amended and passed by the Senate. It is now pending in the House Ways and Means Committee.
S.173, which clarifies language regarding the procedures for promulgating regulations related to Clemson’s plant regulatory services is pending in the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
The State Budget Process
The budget conference committee members have been named and are expected to begin their work tomorrow.
The members of the budget conference committee include:
Senate:
Senator Thomas Alexander (R-Oconee)
Senator Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee)
Senator Nikki Setzler (D-Lexington)
House:
Rep. Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville)
Rep. Bill Herbkersman (R-Beaufort)
Rep. David Weeks (D-Sumter)
As a reminder, the current versions of the budget include the following specifically for Clemson University and Clemson PSA:
Clemson E&G
Recurring Requests
– Base Appropriations Increase (In State Tuition Mitigation)-CU requested: $12.1M (Senate recommended $13M) (House recommended $18M)
– College of Veterinary Medicine – CU requested: $2.5M (Senate recommended $12.5M) (House recommended $7.5M)– Experiential Learning – CU requested: $3.5M (Senate recommended $3.5M in the lottery) (House recommended $1)
Nonrecurring Requests
– Planned Maintenance and Renewal Projects- CU requested: $15M (Senate recommended $15.6M) (House recommended $2)
– College of Veterinary Medicine – CU requested: $30M (Senate recommended $75M) (House recommended $1)
Clemson PSA
Recurring Requests
– Employee Retention & Recruitment – CU requested: $2.3M (FUNDING IS LOCKED)
– Statewide Program Support – CU requested: $1M (FUNDING IS LOCKED)
– Problematic Wildlife – CU requested: $954,400 (Senate recommended $0) (House recommended $954,400 nonrecurring)
Nonrecurring Requests
– Poultry Science Research Facility – CU requested: $4.5M (Senate recommended $4.5M) (House recommended $3M)
– Critical PSA Research Infrastructure and Dam Improvements – CU requested: $8.2M (Senate recommended $4M) (House recommended $2.1M)
– PSA Animal Farms Infrastructure: CU requested: $15.4M (Senate recommended $15.4M) (House recommended $1)
Background: Clemson University College of Veterinary Medicine
– Clemson has requested funding from the SC General Assembly to establish the College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University.
– The total cost of to establish the College is $285 Million in nonrecurring and 20.5 million in recurring funding.
– Last year the General Assembly funded $10 million in nonrecurring funds to conduct a feasibility study, begin the site selection process, and hire a dean. The feasibility study was completed and approved by the Clemson Board of Trustees in February 2023. The search process for a dean of the college is underway.
Money Provisos Impacting Clemson:
– DHHS: Rural Health – Directs that at least $1M is recommended for rural health initiatives at Clemson University
– DAODAS: Addiction Research – Directs $3M for a SC Center for Excellence in Addiction for a collaboration between Clemson, MUSC, and USC
– DHHS: Alzheimer’s Research – Directs $10M to be used by the collaboration between Clemson, MUSC, and USC to achieve the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center designation
The budget includes several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University:
– $4.1 million in recurring lottery dollars for students with intellectual disabilities attending college transition programs
– $10 million in recurring lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools
$2500 compensation increase for state employees earning less than $50,000 and a 5% compensation increase for state employees earning more than $50,000 (this funding is locked). The language (in proviso) that allows institutions the flexibility to reward based on performance remains in the bill.
The budget includes an increase in the cost of health insurance and an increase in retirement contributions for state employees and employers. The employee portion of both will be paid by the state. The employer portion of both will have to be covered partially by the university.
From a state budgeting standpoint, Clemson is considered two separate state agencies: a research university that receives an educational and general (E&G) state appropriation for teaching and student support, and a land-grant Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) division that receives a state appropriation to support agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension, research and regulatory programs.
The university also has auxiliary operations, such as athletics, student housing and dining services, which receive no state funding and must generate all of their own revenue.
NEWS AND FYI
Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter. Current news coverage of interest may be found here.