Trustees’ Winter Quarterly Meeting focuses on future, facilities

At its 2022 Winter Quarterly Meeting held virtually on Feb. 2, the Clemson University Board of Trustees received updates from University administration on the Spring Semester, approved the creation and restructuring of several academic programs and provided approvals for a host of facilities projects.

“The vision of our Board, and their focus on our students and the citizens of the State of South Carolina, continues to guide our University and their actions today position us for continued success into the future,” President Jim Clements said.

During his report to the Board, President Clements highlighted the outstanding achievements of several students and faculty, and discussed the successful delivery of in-person classes through the Fall and Spring semesters. His report also noted Clemson’s student retention rate remains at a record 93.6 percent and the six-year graduation rate reached an all-time high of 85.5 percent.

Among the capital projects the Board approved were phase I approvals of Lehotsky and Tillman Hall renovations, phase II approval of the Alumni Center project and approval of new investments in women’s gymnastics and lacrosse facilities.

The Board also approved the naming of the newest club space within Memorial Stadium set to open for the 2022 football season as the Masters Club in recognition of Ansley and Greg Masters’ generous Cornerstone Partner gift of $2.5M to IPTAY and Clemson athletics. The Cornerstone Partner initiative, which began in 2014, has propelled Clemson athletics to one of the most transformational decades in its history.

As part of its continued efforts to preserve and honor those buried at Woodland Cemetery, the Board of Trustees adopted a set of guiding principles establishing: 1) burials in Woodland Cemetery will not be disturbed, and 2) Clemson will honor and respect all graves through an appropriate preservation plan. The Board authorized the board office to move forward with burials of eligible deceased persons in accordance with those guiding principles, and new reservations remain suspended at this time as the board office explores potential expansion options. To learn more about the Woodland Cemetery and the historic preservation project, visit the Woodland Cemetery Historic Preservation website.

ACTION ITEMS 

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS 

• Initial funding to establish a new Center for Agricultural Technology (CU-CAT) in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS), which will leverage the University’s agriculture strengths and facilities and promote collaborations with other educational institutions and private industry.  
• Moving forward on the transition to an all-Clemson M.S. in Historic Preservation, which would move the program from its current joint affiliation with the College of Charleston. 
• A new Ph.D. program in Construction Science and Management for the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities (CAAH), the sole program of its type in the state of South Carolina, which will address the 11 percent growth in the construction science industry.  
• Adding online options to in-person instruction within the M.S. degree in Bioengineering, further supporting the dual degree initiative with Claflin University.  

ACADEMIC FACILITIES 

• Lehotsky Hall – phase I approval of $50 million renovation.  
• Tillman Hall – phase I approval of renovation funded through $11.5 million in maintenance and stewardship funds. 

CAMPUS FACILITIES 

• Alumni Center – Phase II approval of the development and Alumni Center project; bond resolution to finance a portion of the project. 

ATHLETIC FACILITIES 
Women’s Sports Expansion:

New Women’s Gymnastics training facility of approximately 21,000 square feet. Includes training gym, locker room, coaches’ offices, sports medicine and student-athlete amenities. 

New Women’s Lacrosse operations facility of approximately 9,000 square feet including locker room, coaches’ offices, sports medicine and student-athlete amenities. Also includes an artificial turf field with stadium seating. 

The next quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for April 28-29, 2022.