Bill would create board for research universities

By JEFF STENSLAND
Staff Writer

Members of the S.C. House of Representatives joined the presidents of the state's three research universities Tuesday to tout legislation that would allow more private partnerships at the schools.

The bill calls for the creation of a new state agency, the South Carolina Research Oversight Council, to coordinate the efforts of the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Supporters say the move is one of the most promising economic development initiatives in years and would help the schools to tightly focus on the type of research that can draw industries to the state and create jobs.

"This has the potential to raise the standard of living for all South Carolinians," said House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, at a State House news conference Tuesday.

Officials at the three schools picked up support from key House leaders early on and dozens of Republicans and Democrats signed on as co-sponsors to the bill Tuesday.

The bill would eliminate some regulations that make it difficult for universities to work with private businesses who want to use university research for commercial products.

While a cost analysis on the proposal isn't complete, supporters say the bill likely will save taxpayer money in the long-run.

The proposed Research Oversight Council would be led by an executive director and a nine-member committee mostly comprised of trustees from USC, Clemson and MUSC.

"This (bill) will give us an accountability and focus we had not always had in the past and it recognizes that we have a different mission than the rest of the institutions in South Carolina," said Clemson president James Barker.

But critics of the bill fear spinning off the three schools from the existing Commission on Higher Education (CHE) would only fragment the state's higher education system.

Already, other state colleges have asked to leave the CHE.

On Tuesday, officials from the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education formally requested that legislators free the state's 16 technical colleges, too.

"It doesn't seem appropriate to deal with just one sector and not the other sectors," said James Hudgins, executive director of the state technical college board. "We feel the state (technical college) board is just as capable of providing good leadership as the research institutions."

House Ways and Means chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, said the technical college proposal is "on the table."

John Small, interim director of the CHE, said if the research universities and the technical colleges leave the CHE, the other four-year colleges will follow suit.

"I can't figure out how having three different state agencies for higher education, ones that aren't necessarily coordinated, can benefit students," Smalls said.

Backers of the Research Oversight Council bill introduced Tuesday say they expect it will get approved by the full House later this legislative year.

Gaining approval from the Senate and Gov. Mark Sanford could be more difficult.

Sanford spokesman Will Folks said the governor, who during his campaign supported a single governing board for all of higher education, is intrigued by the bill, but has "strong reservations" about it.

"He believes there needs to be a statewide vision for higher education that enforces accountability for all colleges and universities, not just a few," Folks said.