Sanford Wants To Let Public Colleges Privatize

Gov. Mark Sanford was in Charleston Friday to discuss a proposal to allow South Carolina's public colleges and universities to privatize and become not-for-profits.

The proposal makes the schools that privatize free from state regulation by the Commission on Higher Education. Sanford said it would give the schools more flexibility to exercise self-governance in areas like procurement, human resources, capital planning and fund-raising.

Sanford says it also would free the state to devote funds to other educational needs in South Carolina.

Under the proposal, all buildings, real estate and capital improvements would be transferred from the state to the schools that choose to accept the offer.

Those schools would forego any direct appropriations from the state and agree to charge a preferred tuition rate for qualified South Carolina residents.

"A big part of that is that the sheer number of schools we're trying to support. Obviously, anything we can do to encourage schools that get a small percentage of funding from the state to privatize is going to go a long way toward keeping tuition reasonable," Sanford said.

South Carolina has 33 public colleges and universities.

"We are a state with four million residents, yet we are a state that has an architecture program at both USC and Clemson. We are a state of four million residents, that has nine schools of journalism within 13 major colleges. We are a state with four million residents and yet we have two medical schools," Sanford said.

House Speaker David Wilkins said he has some reservations about the plan.

"I think we need to study it and study it carefully. I can't see how this would be a benefit to our students and our citizens. That has to be the question, 'Does it help them afford education, or does it hinder it?'," Wilkins said.

In a statement, Clemson President Jim Barker said "Until we have done considerably more research, we cannot know if privatization would be the best way to the state, our students, alumni and other constituents."

WYFF News 4's Beth Brotherton was in Charleston for the announcement, and will have more on this story at 5 and 6.