Clemson Board of Trustees Fall meeting focuses on research ascension

With an overarching focus on the second pillar of Clemson Elevate — the research ascension of Clemson University — the 2024 Fall Quarterly Meeting of the Clemson Board of Trustees was held October 17-18. 

During committee meetings over two days and a full board meeting on Friday, October 18, the Board received updates from Clemson President James P. Clements and senior University leadership about ongoing research, education, student support, fundraising and statewide outreach.

STUDENTS

Doug Hallenbeck, vice president of student affairs, provided the Board with an update from his first few months in the role. Hallenbeck highlighted several fall traditions, such as the First Friday Parade and Welcome Back Festival, held in conjunction with the city of Clemson, fostering community beyond the campus. Despite disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene, our student leaders showed resilience by completing their homecoming floats two days early — with 35 student organizations working around the clock.

The Fall Career Fair saw significant participation from both students and employers, with over 3,800 students checking in. The Michelin Career Center continues to be a cornerstone of student success receiving a 97 percent on the First Destination survey.

The presentation highlighted the extensive involvement of students in extracurricular activities, with over 20,000 unique students participating in at least one of the university’s 519 student organizations. The fitness centers also reported high engagement, with over 582,000 student visits.

A mainstay of each Board meeting is an opportunity to meet Clemson students. Student Government Association President Kellan Fenegan and John Philips, a Lyceum Scholar and economics major graduating in December, each discussed their path to Clemson and the impact their experiences have had. 

RESEARCH

Tanju Karanfil, senior vice president for research, scholarship and creative endeavors, shared that Clemson has achieved a 5.6 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate in Total R&D Expenditures over the past decade — exceeding the average of other Carnegie R1 institutions (4.6 percent).

Over the past decade, Clemson has diversified its portfolio with large gains in funding from numerous federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy and others.

In Fiscal Year 2024, Clemson earned $237 million in competitive research awards, submitted $951 million in proposals and posted competitive expenditures of $198 million.

Zoran Filipi, director of the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, provided an update on the VIPR-GS research center (Virtual Prototyping of autonomy-enabled Ground Systems). The project involves 87 faculty members and more than 100 graduate students across 10 departments and currently has 44 active research projects.

Thao Tran, assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Science, presented on her research that uses chemistry to unlock advances in energy and quantum computing. Tran is working to advance quantum materials research at Clemson and currently advises 14 undergraduate students, six graduates and two postdocs and has more than $2.4 million in research funding.

ACADEMICS

As part of its regular practice of reviewing programs to ensure the goals of the University and the state of South Carolina continue to be met, the Board approved recommendations from the administration to add, terminate and change several programs.

Clemson will soon offer a new Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Special Education, add a German concentration to three Modern Languages Education Programs and add an online modality option to the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

FINANCE AND FACILITIES

The Board received a fiscal year 2024 update, including the University’s rating from Moody (Aa2), S&P (AA+) and Fitch (AA), and a capital plan update which included all main and off-campus construction. Clemson’s Advanced Materials Innovation Complex, the University’s 143,000 square foot, cutting-edge facility crucial for supporting research and education, is 45 percent complete. Its cutting-edge research and teaching laboratories, synergistic classrooms and collaborative spaces for exploration are set to open in 2025.

The Board of Trustees also approved the following construction improvements with budgets less than $10 million:

• HVAC upgrades to replace two 49-year-old units to the Poole Agricultural Center using $1.65 million in Maintenance and Stewardship Funds.
• The installation of a new emergency generator to replace the existing 24-year-old generator at the Biosystems Research Complex using $2.1 million in Maintenance, Repair and Renovations Funds and Maintenance and Stewardship Funds.
• The construction of a new 300-space parking lot and site improvements at Old Stadium Road using $4.1 million in Parking Improvement Funds.
• HVAC equipment and controls maintenance to replace 31-year-old equipment for Holmes Hall using $4.9 million in Housing Improvement Funds.

The administration requested and the Board approved a $150 per semester student fee to support intercollegiate athletics. Athletics plays an important role in the student experience, not only from intercollegiate athletics successes but also through the maintenance of intramural fields and access to athletics facilities for major events. Clemson has long been one of the only national universities to not derive financial support to athletics through its student population — either through a fee or ticket expense — and is one of the few to offer free admission to students at every athletic event. Seven other NCAA Division I South Carolina public universities charge an athletic fee, averaging $1,082 per semester. 

The fee, which will go into effect next academic year (2025-26), will reflect the institution’s commitment to a healthy and vibrant athletic program and an investment in the student experience. The athletics department continues to aggressively explore all available options for generating revenue, both short and long-term. This includes record-breaking fundraising efforts and innovative business strategies to help even the financial playing field of intercollegiate athletics and support all 21 sports and 600 student athletes.

The Board also approved the adoption of a policy related to the classification and management of approximately 3,265 total acres of ecologically sensitive areas of the Clemson Experimental Forest to create old growth, ecologically diverse forests and provide unique opportunities for research and education.

PRESIDENT CLEMENTS

On Friday, the full board approved a five-year contract extension for President Clements. The 15th president in Clemson’s history, Clements assumed the role on Dec. 31, 2013, and the University has accomplished extraordinary successes under his leadership during the past decade-plus, including record-breaking numbers in admissions and enrollment, retention and graduation rates, fundraising, research, athletics and national academic awards.

FUTURE MEETINGS

The next quarterly meeting of Clemson’s Board of Trustees is scheduled to be held in Clemson on February 5-7, 2025.