University of South Carolina

A Chicago donor has given USC's Cooper Library a collection of William Shakespeare's plays published in 1664.

The South Carolina Senate appears to have a different idea on how to revamp the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. The Senate's plan approved Thursday by a subcommittee still kicks all the trustees off the board at the end of June 2023 and trims the number of seats similar to the House version. The version of the bill passed Thursday by a Senate subcommittee would no longer have the trustees come from districts. Instead, the plan cuts the current 20-member board to 17 voting members. The House version trimmed the board to 13. Lawmakers are upset at how some trustees have interfered in athletics and other daily affairs.

Five University of South Carolina trustees who some powerful lawmakers feel are responsible for interference in daily affairs won't be allowed to run for reelection next month. The legislative board that screens university trustees is refusing to send chairman C. Dorn Smith as well as trustees Thad Westbrook, C. Edward Floyd, John von Lehe and Charles Williams to a May 4 election by the General Assembly. The decision comes as the state Senate prepares to review a House-approved bill that would fire all current trustees at the end of June 2023 and redraw their districts, cutting the board from 20 members to 13.

The State House of Representatives this week voted overwhelmingly to replace and restructure the University of South Carolina’s governing board. The 113 to one vote follows a growing lack of confidence by many lawmakers in the current Board of Trustees. Those trustees are elected by the legislature, but botched presidential searches, million dollar payoffs to fired coaches, and public spats with some of the college’s largest donors led to the action on the bill.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has gone through a consequential year of success, both on and off the basketball court. Along the way, Staley has become the voice of leadership and direction in the women's game. She jokes often that she never planned to get into coaching before accepting the job at Temple even though she has always had in her. Staley's role as an elite point guard was to serve as the coach on the floor. She won her second NCAA Tournament crown — the first Black coach to accomplish the feat — with a 64-49 victory over UConn. Her success has given Staley the platform to champion issues off the court. She continues to speak out about gender equity, diversity and opportunities for women.

A proposal to fire all trustees from the University of South Carolina board has been put on a fast track by the South Carolina House. Tuesday's move came a week after a hearing where lawmakers didn't hide their anger about spending and what they felt is interference in daily affairs. House Speaker Jay Lucas introduced the bill and requested it skip committee and head directly to the House floor. The bill cuts the number of voting members from 20 to 13 and kicks all trustees off the board at the end of June 2023. It also redraws the districts for the trustees using U.S. House districts instead of judicial districts.

A small group of powerful lawmakers is refusing to approve reelection bids for five University of South Carolina trustees. They are upset over $10 million loaned to the athletic department buy out a football coach's contract and a secret plane trip to meet with a presidential candidate. Trustees eventually hired retired Army General Bob Caslen who flamed out after 22 months on the job, writing in an email on his way out "this place sucks so bad." The trustees are all incumbents and have no opposition for reelection. If the state College and University Trustee Commission doesn't approve them, their seats would become open.

Combining traditional requiem texts with a contemporary libretto by Dr. Robert Walker, Will Todd’s “mini opera” for soloists, choir, and chamber orchestra is a dramatic journey through the stages of grief. Dr. Alicia Walker will conduct the premiere performance in Columbia on Saturday, March 26th.

Series artistic director Mike Harley reflects on Southern Exposure’s beginnings, development, and role in Columbia—and shares why he's excited about the Bang on a Can All-Stars performance that will conclude its 20th anniversary season Thursday evening.

A recent paper on work by the University of South Carolina's Mind & Brain Institute shows promise for identifying autism predictors a year earlier than is currently possible.