After a long day teaching, I turned on my cellphone to find a series of messages from my fellow S.C. State alumni. Some expressed disbelief. Others were simply disgusted. Regardless of how they felt, they were all reacting to the same thing: state lawmakers had threatened to close our alma mater.
Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee voted 3-to-1 to close S.C. State for one year so they could help right the financial wrongs that have plagued the Orangeburg-based institution for decades. The subcommittee is not impressed with the plans set forth by current S.C. State President Thomas Elzey, and they’ve given the school 90 days to come back with a proposal they can sink their teeth into.
I’ve seen comments from my fellow S.C. State Bulldogs that suggest we’re somehow being picked on or that this is a “race thing.” As convenient as that would be, I believe those views are misguided at best and asinine at worst, not to mention the fact that this way of thinking marginalizes the seriousness of the situation.
When it comes to S.C. State’s troubles, I don’t believe that blame can be placed at the feet of any one person. Our financial woes have been dogging us for years, and while the buck stops with the school administration, we alumni are just as culpable.
I graduated from S.C. State in 2005, and in that time I’ve been both a semi-faithful member of our local alumni chapter and an off-and-on season ticket holder for the school’s football program. In those 10 years, our chapter has never had more than a couple hundred active members, and, admittedly, that number might be generous. Even now, my best friends and I — all in our 30s — are still some of the youngest members of the chapter. I’d even go as far to say that this is probably the case at many chapters across the nation. Without a strong and active alumni base, previous administrations and Board of Trustees have been free to do whatever they want. As loyal sons and daughters of S.C. State, we’ve done a horrible job keeping tabs on the business of our university and, more importantly, on those who run the show. I can’t blame the government on that one.
Now that we’re in danger of losing our school, suddenly everyone is concerned with the welfare of S.C. State. I saw more talk about donations, rallies, and protests last week than I have in the last decade. While my heart is overwhelmed that the Bulldog family is finally being moved to action, I can’t help but feel skeptical about the efforts. It’s like a man deciding to propose to his girl only after she’s given him the “put a ring on it” conversation. Nonetheless, it’s happening, so I’m thankful for that.
Secondly, and I know that this is going to ruffle some feathers, when President Elzey declared that he would not step down, and the Board of Trustees decided to back him, the school looked bad. To me, Elzey’s move seems to be more of an act of personal posturing than a productive step toward bringing S.C. State back to prominence.
However, I must admit that President Elzey’s five-year, $53 million re-stabilization plan is sound, at least in concept. It suggests that the money from the Ways and Means Committee may be used to do things like provide scholarships for students, upgrade facilities, improve technology on the campus, fund recruiting efforts, conduct staff training and development, and market the school. Elzey’s plan is competent, concise, and describes in detail exactly where all the money is going, which is a far cry from what we’ve seen in the past. Unfortunately, it’s also shortsighted since it doesn’t address the most important matter facing the school: What are we doing to ensure that S.C. State doesn’t have to go through this again?
President Elzey has provided a great road map to get us to a break-even point, but we need someone who can take us to the next level. S.C. State needs a person who has a proven track record for raising massive amounts of capital and can harness the rising surge of support that alumni have shown during this tumultuous time. The school needs a president who can turn all of that passion into a sustainable force that will allow us to become financially secure and self-reliant.
S.C. State needs a leader who isn’t just looking to shore up the shaky foundation of our school. We need a president who sees the opportunities ahead, not just the rubble in the streets.
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