The board of trustees moved to create new degree programs and expand the current ones during Henry Jolly and Reid Sherard's first meeting as board members on Friday.
Jolly is a dentist and alumni of USC who replaced Toney J. Lister in South Carolina’s seventh Judicial Circuit. Sherard, who is also a USC alumni and an attorney practicing family law in Greenville, is replacing Mack I. Whittle Jr. in the 13th Judicial Circuit.
“After this long process, I’m just glad to be here to serve my university and my alma mater,” Jolly said.
Six members are also returning until 2026 after the state legislature re-elected them in early February. Both new trustees and those re-elected start their term after serving in "carry-over" status since Spring 2022.
The board discussed a range of topics, from expanding cyber intelligence programs to offering an accelerated masters program for dance studies. The group also touched on introducing modifications in eight different programs in undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, nursing and within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Program expansions will come at no additional cost to students, according to Provost Donna Arnett.
After unanimous approval by the board of trustees, program expansion will be implemented upon approval by the South Carolina commission on higher education.
The board also approved honorary degree recipients and commencement speaker for this year’s graduation during an executive session which was closed to press. An official announcement for who will be speaking at graduation will be released closer to May.
"Stay tuned," USC President Michael Amiridis said. "I think that we'll have a great March."