By Knox H. White

One of the first major meetings Jim Barker attended as president of Clemson University almost a decade ago was the Greenville-Clemson Summit — a combination brainstorming session, focus group and task force meeting involving Greenville and Clemson leaders. The goal of the summit was to develop a collaboration strategy that would benefit both parties. Out of that and many subsequent meetings, a vision emerged: Clemson University is Greenville’s research university.

As a result of that vision, the distance between Clemson University and the city of Greenville has grown considerably shorter. Today, Greenville is home to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, which has generated more than $215 million in public and private investments and created 500 jobs; a Translational Research Facility located at Greenville Hospital System’s Patewood campus, where Clemson, GHS and Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas are collaborating to advance biomedical research; and the Renaissance Center, a business consultancy made up of Clemson faculty and students located in downtown Greenville.

Clemson has developed new partnerships with Furman University and Greenville Technical College, increased its presence at the University Center, and 10 years ago, at my request, was involved in developing plans for revitalizing the Reedy River corridor.

In each endeavor, Clemson’s academic strengths aligned with community and industry needs for the mutual benefit of all parties.

Now, Clemson is stepping up to meet the needs of working adults seeking advanced degrees, small business owners and entrepreneurs looking for advice, and business executives trying to stay at the leading edge of their professions. Pending final state approval, Clemson will locate a comprehensive business graduate and professional education center in the former Bowater building in downtown Greenville. On Nov. 13, Clemson’s Board of Trustees approved the project.

Clemson’s College of Business and Behavioral Science boasts one of the nation’s top undergraduate programs, ranked 27th among public universities according to Business Week Magazine. But severe space limitations and location hinder Clemson’s ability to serve the growing needs of graduate business students, small businesses and entrepreneurs, and executives. Clemson’s vision for the college is to support economic development and increase per capita income by offering:

• One of the nation’s top 20 Master’s of Business Administration programs, to enhance the marketability and income potential of both full-time graduate students and part-time students who are already in the workplace.
• A broader range of professional development, executive education and continuing education opportunities.
• Consolidated and easily accessible resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Upstate, which are among the leaders in job creation.

The infrastructure is in place: Clemson has the faculty, the curriculum, a Professional and Continuing Education program, the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and the Small Business Development Center. Downtown partnerships have already been developed through the Renaissance Center.

The demand from the marketplace is there: Clemson could double the size of its MBA program without changing admissions standards. The support from the business community is there, as clearly shown by a $1 million commitment from one of Greenville’s leading employers — ScanSource, Inc. — to support the initiative.

All that’s needed is a facility that will give Clemson enough elbow room to double its MBA program and that is within walking distance of the shopping, dining, accommodations and entertainment needed to attract CEOs for executive education. These amenities — all offered by downtown Greenville — will position Clemson to become a leader in executive and professional education. In turn, having an executive and professional education center in downtown Greenville, minutes from I-85, will enhance the Upstate’s image as a business-friendly climate and attract more talented young people and future entrepreneurs to the city.

The business plan calls for no new university funding or additional state appropriations to support the program. Private gifts, tuition paid by MBA students, and fees generated from professional development and continuing education programs will make the program self-supporting.

On behalf of the city of Greenville and the broader business community, I strongly encourage the Commission on Higher Education, the Joint Bond Review Committee and the State Budget and Control Board to add their endorsement to Clemson’s business graduate and professional education center in downtown Greenville.

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Knox White has been mayor of the city of Greenville since 1995. Write to him at kwhite@greenvillesc.gov.