The University of South Carolina’s board of trustees met on Sept. 26 to discuss AI, the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year budget and a new center in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.
The board convened on USC Aiken's campus, a USC system university. The meeting was the first for new board member Strom Thurmond Jr., who was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this month. Thurmond Jr. is the son of former South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond.
AI at USC
USC Vice President of Information Technology Brice Bible spoke to the board about USC’s ongoing $1.5 million partnership with OpenAI. Under the partnership, USC students have free access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the company’s AI model.
According to Bible, over 14,000 USC Columbia students and faculty have signed up for access. USC faculty and staff have also created 700 “custom GPT" modified AI chat bots for use across campus, he said.
“We’ve got Cocky Scholar, which is in the Student Success Center,” Bible said. “It gives 24/7 access to students for tutor support.”
Cocky Scholar is a “personalized, on-demand study partner powered by ChatGPT,” according to a university press release. Bible also said three newly-hired educators are working on AI training programs for USC Columbia.
The board unanimously adopted a statement on AI principles. It states USC will harness AI to prepare students for the future and benefit the community, be a national leader in AI innovation and follow high ethical standards with AI, according to a university press release on the meeting.
Center for autism research
The board officially designated the Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. The center was founded in 2019 to improve the lives of people with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, according to the university press release on the meeting.
The center’s 350 students and faculty have generated $80 million in research funding for USC,
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Anne Fitzpatrick said.
“The return on our investment has been really, very exciting,” Fitzpatrick said. “The center provides valuable research mentorship, professional education and experience for students.”
Other board actions
The board approved the university’s 2026-2027 fiscal year budget with an allocation of $28 million for tuition mitigation. USC will not increase in-state tuition costs for the seventh straight year, according to the university press release on the meeting. The budget also allocates $25.2 million to USC's under-construction neurological hospital and rehabilitation center.
USC President Michael Amiridis announced the hiring of Sarah Kirby as USC Associate Vice President for Clinical Affairs. Kirby was recommended by Lexington Medical Center and Prisma Health for the position, and she will help with the operation of USC’s neurological hospital and rehabilitation center, Amiridis said.
The board extended the university library’s agreement with Sage Publications for access to over 1,000 academic journals. The $1,112,000 contract will last for three years.
The board also terminated the bachelor of the arts in chemistry program due to lack of enrollment.
The board of trustees will meet again on Oct. 24 at 9 a.m. in the USC Pastides Alumni Center.