5 key things to know:
1. The board discussed options the new School of Medicine campus, but didn't vote on a plan. Developer Bob Hughes is donating 16 acres for the campus out of the old state Mental Health Department property, but Hughes and the board haven't come to an agreement on which 16 acres will be donated. Plan A, favored by the trustees, includes 16 contiguous acres, while Plan B separates the donated acres into two lots. The board will come to a final decision in December, Pastides said.
2.Next came the proposal of a Cocky sculpture project. Vice Provost Dennis Pruitt and the buildings and grounds committee anticipate final approval of a bronze, life-size statue of the university’s beloved mascot. The project would cost about $85,000 and would be placed near the Melton Observatory. About $25,000 has already been raised through the sale of miniature statues, and the remaining money will come from more sales and gifts from USC's parents' association.
3. The board approved the acquisition of 15 acres near the university’s athletic village as well as 14.6 acres from SCANA Corporation. The acquisition is set to cost about $75,000.
4. $16 million will go toward renovations of the Close-Hipp building — $13.8 million from the institutional capital fund and $2.2 million from private gifts.
5. The board also approved officially naming the garnet light top to the Capstone Residence Hall the “Gamecock Achievement Tower.” The tower is lit to honor specific athletic and academic accomplishments at the University of South Carolina, most recently to celebrate a Rhodes Scholar Jory Fleming and the women's soccer team.