Date Published: June 5, 2006   

Clemson develops plan to increase minority participation in park

The Associated Press

In response to complaints last year that not enough minority businesses were getting work at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research, the school has announced a plan to encourage vendors and contractors to have at least 10 percent of work done by minority businesses.

"For us to make ICAR truly successful, everyone has to feel included," said Bob Geolas, executive director of ICAR. "If we can create a model that opens up ways in which we can get greater minority participation, that's key to what we're doing."

Some black leaders, however, said 10 percent might not be enough.

"It's kind of a national standard that's used," said Leon Wiles, vice chancellor of diversity affairs at the University of South Carolina Upstate. "But a lot of times, what businesses fail to do is look at the context in which they exist. If you have higher incidences of minorities, you might set those standards much higher."

About one-third of South Carolina's population is black.

"When I initially hear that number, 10 percent doesn't sound like a high figure," said Sheldon Mitchell, Spartanburg executive director of the Urban League of the Upstate.

Geolas said sometimes efforts to use more minority businesses are thwarted by the state procurement code, which requires public institutions to use the lowest bidder on projects.

In 2003, the state Budget and Control Board allowed a portion of the project, tied to BMW Manufacturing, to operate outside some of the state's procurement rules. While cost is still a predominant factor in awarding contracts, it's not necessarily the determining factor.

Geolas said the use of a private organization, Clemson University Real Estate Foundation, may provide more leeway in determining who gets what work in the construction process, he said.

Much of the past construction on the ICAR campus in Greenville has been financed with public money, but more private development is expected in the future.

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Information from: Herald-Journal,