Trustees approve new Clemson University Center for Human-AI Interaction, Collaboration, and Teaming and additional funding for College of Veterinary Medicine  

The 2024 Winter Quarterly Meeting of the Clemson Board of Trustees was held February 1-2 in Charleston, South Carolina, and board approvals were granted for the formation of a new Clemson University Center for Human-AI Interaction, Collaboration, and Teaming, two program modifications and key facility project authorizations, leases and improvements.  

During committee meetings over two days and a full board meeting on Friday, February 2, the Board received updates from Clemson President James P. Clements and senior University leadership about ongoing research, education, student support, fundraising and statewide outreach. Updates and presentations centered around the University’s strategic plan — Clemson Elevate. The Board received construction updates on two major main campus projects, the Alumni and Visitors Center and the Advanced Materials Innovation Complex and gained a status update on the Tillman Auditorium’s renovation.  

New Academic Center  

The University’s Board of Trustees approved a new Clemson University Center for Human-AI Interaction, Collaboration, and Teaming (CU-CHAI), which is projected to be self-supporting by its second year as part of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. The Center’s focus will be the exploration of how humans and AI can coexist and collaborate, provide interdisciplinary research in real-world settings and address growing concerns over workforce replacement and negative societal impacts.  

Degree Changes 

Clemson University’s Board of Trustees approved the following two changes: 

• A major within the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, the Master of Science in Management, was changed to the Master of Science in Sports Operations and Analytics. The relaunched degree will serve the growing student demand in sports-related careers in a field that enjoys a strong market for its graduates.  
• A major within the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, the Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering, was changed to the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. The change is consistent with peer institutions and changes within industry and better reflects the scope of the University’s curriculum. 

Facility Project Authorizations, Leases and Improvements 

For the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Board approved the following requests: 

• Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Phase 1 budget: $232,000 for design work for the PSA Animal Farms 
• Clemson PSA Phase 2 budget: $15,466,000 to construct the PSA Animal Farms 
• Clemson University Phase 1 budget: $10,000,000 for design work for the Education & General (E&G) portion of the College of Veterinary Medicine Project 
• Clemson University Phase 2 budget: $95,000,000 to complete design work for the E&G portion of the College of Veterinary Medicine Project, begin initial site work and to award early release packages for long lead time items such as HVAC equipment, electrical transformers and switchgear, and structural systems for the E&G facility project. 

The Board approved the University to enter a new seven-year lease at Clemson Centre to begin July 2024. Adjacent to the main campus, the lease supports the University’s initiative to move administrative functions to the periphery of campus to open spaces on main campus for student-facing initiatives. 

Also, the Board approved Phase 1 and Phase 2 construction capital projects of the following projects with budgets less than $5 million: 

• The $4.2 million Kite Hill Parking project, initiated in March 2024, with a projected completion date of August 2024, will create parking and transit improvements, adding approximately 430 parking spaces, an easier connection from an outer area of campus and a connection to the newly installed multi-modal path.  
• The $4.9 million Research Infrastructure renovation project, initiated in May 2024, with a projected completion date of November 2024, will improve utilities on the southeast side of campus to upgrade existing infrastructure and increase capacity for future development growth. In addition to replacing the aging and deteriorating steam piping system to Godley-Snell, the project will create capacity to service approximately 200,000 sq. ft. of anticipated new construction on the southeast side of campus. 

The next meeting of Clemson University’s Board of Trustees will be April 4-5, 2024.