Published: February 25. 2011 2:00AM 

Clemson University President Jim Barker wants to be perfectly clear about one thing: A bad economy and state budget cuts notwithstanding, he’s tired of playing defense. That’s a very odd position for him to be in, and so he’s ready for Clemson to “get back on offense.”

Continuing to move Clemson ahead during less-than-perfect times won’t be easy, but then there’s no choice unless one of the country’s Top 25 public universities will accept the possibility of giving up some hard-won ground. And that, as Barker and David Wilkins, chairman of Clemson’s board of trustees and former speaker of the state
House of Representatives, made clear last week, isn’t going to happen.

In a packed town hall meeting last week with university faculty, staff and students, Barker outlined a long-term strategic plan that calls for some proposed investments in faculty, staff, programs and facilities; “divestments” in some areas such as low-enrollment programs and sale of the university airplane; and new sources of revenue that will come from Clemson being more self-reliant and more aggressive in generating revenue.

That’s a tall order, especially when the state Legislature still is in a budget-cutting mood because of lingering economic challenges facing South Carolina. Although many details must be filled in for Clemson’s new plan for the future, Barker told Greenville News editors and reporters that the “critical difference is we’re not seeking money from Columbia to do this. We’re not going to build a plan on the backs of students and parents.” That will be a reassuring note to Clemson students and parents who — like students and parents at all hard-hit state colleges and universities — have seen one tuition increase after another as the Legislature has reduced public funding for higher education.

The “divestments,” as Barker recognized last week, will be the most controversial part of the new strategic plan. These reductions will be painful, but as any public or private enterprise knows, such cuts are necessary occasionally to free up resources for  more promising initiatives. Clemson can’t be “all things to all people,” as Barker said last week, and tough choices must be supported by the Clemson family and especially state legislators.

There will be what Barker called “targeted” severance incentives. Some low-enrollment degree programs will be eliminated. Other cuts will be needed. And some non-core services will be outsourced.

All of this will be necessary to free up money for investments in the future. Those investments will include faculty to fill endowed chairs funded through the state’s Centers of Economic Excellence program that will support economic development in key areas such as energy, transportation and health.

Clemson also plans to hire 80 new faculty members over the next five years in what Barker called “emphasis areas.” And it’s not surprising that much of the hiring will be done in areas where federal dollars are being spent.

Other investments will include competitive scholarships and graduate stipends; improvements in facilities, technology and infrastructure; and targeted raises that are performance-based and designed to reward faculty and staff for ideas that generate revenue or reduce costs.

New sources of revenue will come from ideas that include more public-private partnerships, some of which may require regulatory reform from the Legislature; increased revenue in areas such as summer school programs and online programs; and increased revenue from research activities. 

Strong research universities are absolutely critical to South Carolina. Such universities are needed not only to keep the brightest young minds in our state, but also to attract top professors and researchers who can spur on economic development in a state that desperately needs more well-paying jobs.

Clemson has an aggressive plan for the future. Barker’s right; it’s time to start playing offense