DECEMBER 2007
Campus Link

President Andrew Sorensen Announces Retirement Plans – December 19, 2007

Happy holidays from the Office of Parents Programs at the University of South Carolina! We hope that you are enjoying the first few days of the winter break with your student!  

On Friday, President Andrew Sorensen announced his retirement plans, and we want to share that information with you. Below is the statement he made as well as his letter to the chairman of the Board of Trustees. Additional coverage of Dr. Sorensen's announcement is available online at http://uscnews.sc.edu/ADMN338b-07.html. 

Best wishes for a happy holiday season! 
Office of Parents Programs
University of South Carolina
www.sa.sc.edu/parents
parents@gwm.sc.edu
1-800-868-6752  

December 14, 2007

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT ANDREW SORENSEN

The past 5½ years at the University of South Carolina have presented numerous challenges and opportunities: There have been dramatic increases in the test scores and grade point averages of students entering all of our baccalaureate institutions, while simultaneously enrolling a substantially larger number of South Carolina residents than ever before; new buildings on each of these campuses; an entirely new campus in Bluffton; extraordinarily talented scholars joining our faculty - not restricted to the nationally eminent Endowed Chairs, and a remarkable escalation of external research funding.

We also have seen the launching of the Inn at USC, the Innovista, the Student Success Center, the Gamecock Guarantee program - enabling students from poverty-level families to attend four full years at Carolina tuition-free, the Bridge Program with all 16 of our state's technical colleges, the integration of the Colleges of Pharmacy of our University and the Medical College of South Carolina - a merger unprecedented in the annals of pharmacy education - the incorporation of Midlands Tech and Greenville Tech into our Small Business Incubator program, and the creation of Health Sciences South Carolina - a non-profit corporation composed of all three state's research universities and the four largest teaching hospitals. 

These are just a few of our recent accomplishments. But none of these would have occurred without the full participation of a terrific team working together as one: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. By uniting as members of one Gamecock family we have wrought truly marvelous things. And the last four of these endeavors were made possible only by close collaboration with Presidents Ray Greenberg and Jim Barker of our sister research universities - the Medical University of South Carolina and Clemson - and Barry Russell, of the Technical College System.

But in order to build on the momentum that has been generated, it is absolutely essential that we expand our philanthropic support. Our faculty and students quite appropriately demand the latest in technological innovation. The salaries of our staff and faculty lag behind peer institutions; our need for substantial scholarship support is more urgent than ever, and in the absence of capital bonds being issued, our deferred maintenance needs continue to pile up.

One simply cannot sustain the noteworthy improvement of recent years without ramping up a very substantial capital campaign. That requires a two-year silent phase, followed by at least five years - and perhaps more - in the public phase. Our university requires a president who can see that campaign through from start to finish. 

Although Donna and I have immensely enjoyed our service to the Gamecock family, after considerable discussion we have come to the inescapable conclusion that it is time to pass the baton of the presidency. We could not have asked for, nor been granted, a more caring and supportive community. You all have been consistently gracious and wonderfully accepting. Upon being selected as your President in the spring of 2002, I truly did not imagine that we could have come this far so soon.

I thank each and every member of our University family for unstintingly translating myriad dreams into reality, and giving stout legs to ambitious aspirations. I stand in your collective debt, and wish you Godspeed in all your endeavors. I look forward to returning to the faculty upon stepping aside as President, and renewing a life of scholarship and teaching - perhaps with some administrative responsibilities. I am considering several alternatives and will announce my plans for the future in January, 2008. Donna and I are excited about remaining in this great community, and I pledge full support to my successor. I should now like to read the letter I sent earlier today to the Chairman of our Board of Trustees, the Honorable Herbert Adams:

December 14, 2007  

The Honorable Herbert C. Adams
Chairman, Board of Trustees
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina 29208 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

As you know from our many conversations, this letter is to inform you and the Board of my decision to step aside from the duties and responsibilities of President of the University of South Carolina on July 31, 2008.

I understand that it is your desire, should a long-term successor not be in place by August 1, 2008, that I remain as President until the next President is in office. I will be happy to do so.

The period since July 1, 2002, when I assumed this prestigious office, has been one of the most exciting and fulfilling of my career. Thus, I make this decision with some mixed feelings because I have relished my work and feel that we have, together, made significant progress. However, I also believe that the next great challenge facing Carolina is to undertake a major capital campaign. That is, at the very least, a seven year process which should continuously be led by a single chief executive officer. 

It has been a pleasure to serve as President with this Board and my esteemed colleagues in this administration and on the faculty and staff. Donna and I have made many friends in Columbia and we look forward to maintaining those and new relationships in the years to come.

I also look forward to continuing to serve the University in the forthcoming years with certain administrative responsibilities and service on the faculty. I thank you and the Board as we finalize the details of our future relationships in the days to come. 

I am excited by the prospect of continuing to contribute to the progress that is underway, and the very bright future we face together. I assure you that my dedication to Carolina's future is undiminished.

Yours truly,
Andrew A. Sorensen 

University of South Carolina Parent Updates – December 6, 2007

Carolina parents, 

The end of the semester is quickly approaching! Friday, Dec. 7 is the last day of classes, and exams start on Monday, Dec. 10.  December commencement will be held on Monday, Dec. 17.

 *Winter Break Residence Hall Information

University of South Carolina residence halls (with the exceptions listed below) will officially close at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, and will re-open at noon on Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. Residents are requested to leave as soon as possible after their last scheduled exam. Please encourage your student to do the following before leaving for the holidays: close and lock all windows and security screens; unplug all

appliances; clean out the refrigerator, prop the door open and place a towel under the door (in case of power failure); empty the trash; pull the blinds and curtains closed; turn the heat to a low setting; turn off all lights; and lock the room.

 (The following residence halls will remain open during the break: Bates House, Bates West, East Quad, French House, Green Quad, Horseshoe Apartments, The Roost and South Quad.)

 You will soon receive a newsletter in the mail regarding on-campus housing for next year.  Please take some time during the break to have a conversation with your student about living on campus for the 2008-2009 academic year. 

 *Parents Annual Fund

If you have made your gift to the Parents Annual Fund this year, thank you! Your gift will make a difference! If you haven't, there's still time to help today's students. The Parents Annual Fund provides quality programming for Carolina students, including Dinner Dialogues, which gives your student the opportunity to have dinner at his or her professor's home.  Visit http://giftsonline.sc.edu/contribute.asp to make a contribution and put your gift to work for students today! On the online form, make sure to note "Parents Annual Fund" in the gift description box. If you have any questions about giving to student affairs, please contact Jane Barghothi at 803-777-3236 or by e-mail at janeb@sc.edu. Remember that your gift will count as a tax deduction in2007.

 *Office of Parents Programs Holiday Hours

The Office of Parents Programs will remain open through Thursday, Dec. 20 at 5 p.m.  We will close briefly for the holidays and will re-open on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 8:30 a.m.

 Finally, the December e-newsletter is attached. It includes articles on discussing academic performance, staying healthy,  making career choices, giving back over the holidays and preparing to have your student home for the winter break.

As always, we are only a phone call or e-mail away, and we encourage your feedback! Have a wonderful holiday season! 

 Office of Parents Programs
University of South Carolina
parents@gwm.sc.edu
1-800-868-6752