| Sanford urges privatization AIKEN - South Carolina has too many colleges and universities competing for too few state dollars, Gov. Mark Sanford said Friday, offering schools the option of becoming private institutions. Making a carrot-and-stick proposition during an appearance at The Citadel, Mr. Sanford said he wants to stop waste and duplication in higher education by either strengthening the existing Commission on Higher Education or replacing it with a board of regents system. Those uncomfortable with a higher degree of state control can become non profit, private schools, he said. But they'd have to give up state dollars to do so. There are 33 public colleges and universities in South Carolina and "scarce dollars with which we've got to fund all of them," Mr. Sanford said in a statement. Some of the state's larger schools, such as Clemson University, are less reliant on state money than others, said Mr. Sanford, and might be enticed to go private because of the resulting freedom from state regulations. Clemson gets about a quarter of its budget from the state. "Those schools are displeased because they only receive a small amount of funding from the state but they are still subject to regulations," said Will Folks, the spokesman for the governor. "Some schools may be displeased with that arrangement, and this gives them another option." Charlie FitzSimmons, a spokesman for the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, said getting some of the larger schools to leave the system would give schools that remained more money. "If a school wants to leave and become private, the state will give them the land and the buildings, but they will no longer receive state money," he said. "That money could help lower tuition at the smaller schools that choose to remain in the system." University of South Carolina President Andrew Sorensen said the university might look into the offer. "The complex proposal will require comprehensive study and analysis by the university's administration and Board of Trustees," Mr. Sorensen said in a prepared statement. "We will work with Gov. Sanford and his staff and the General Assembly in assessing these recommendations in the coming months." Mr. FitzSimmons said the universities and colleges that leave the system will have to increase their tuition to offset the lack of state appropriations. "The other institutions that remain in the system may not be able to double their tuition," he said. "My suspicion is that in general Board of Trustees of many schools will meet to discuss this, but not very many would benefit from the deal." Reach Peter G. Gilchrist at (803) 648-1395.
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