| Greenville News
This story will be updated during the board meeting.
Clemson University’s trustees approved 17 contracts for football coaches – including a two-year deal and $ 300,000 for former Clemson standout and new running back coach CJ Spiller – as part of their quarterly winter meetings.
Curators met virtually to approve a myriad of items, including the yet to be announced name of the softball stadium and the purchase of a new building.
The committees met in the two weeks prior to Friday’s board meeting.
$ 100 million in budget cuts, uncertain state funding discussed
Clemson University has overcome the financial difficulties caused by the pandemic better than most, according to vice president of finance Tony Wagner. But officials still operate on an “appropriately conservative” budget, as they face an uncertain state budget and an unknown timetable for widespread vaccine launches.
“Clemson remains very, very strong, and that is not the trend in all higher education,” said President and Curator of Finance and Facilities, David Dukes.
Clemson cut $ 100 million from Clemson’s billion-dollar budget in an effort to contain the impact of COVID-19 on finances.
Clemson also reduced the number of positions in Student Affairs from 26 to eight, eliminating vacant positions for undergraduate and graduate students, according to Wagner’s presentation. No one has been fired, but empty positions will not be filled, spokesman Joe Galbraith told Greenville News and the Independent Mail.
Wagner said the university did not continue employee leave this spring.
More than $ 80 million in state and federal funds helped the university pay for unexpected pandemic expenses, such as exams, accommodation and meals reimbursement and student aid based on need, according to Wagner.
During committee meetings, the state legislature’s 2021 budget was on the table. Governor Henry McMaster recommended that the school be given $ 18 million for capital improvements, but nothing in the bucket of recurring funds, which the school was planning to use to prevent tuition costs from rising and to fund a rural health program.
“This was somewhat general, related to higher education, and not just specific to Clemson,” Angie Leidinger, vice president for external affairs, told the Research and Development committee on January 27.
Wagner told the council that the school’s projected $ 38.4 million in stimulus funds will help make up for the state’s lack of funds.
The school was reimbursed in more than $ 42.5 million in COVID expenses with state funds under the CARES Act, more than half of which helped pay for student accommodation and meal reimbursements, Leidinger said.
“As you all know when we started this journey, how much we were concerned about finances. And what I would say is that the state of South Carolina helped us protect against cuts and ultimately helped to reimburse us for a series of losses that we saw related to COVID, “she told the Research and Development committee last week.
Softball stadium called IPTAY has record year
Here are some highlights from the committee meetings:
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The name of the softball stadium was announced after a $ 2.5 million donation. The name will be revealed Friday afternoon.
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Student Affairs is eliminating the positions of student worker and full-time to save money. No one was fired, however.
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Football coaches received contract extensions totaling about $ 825,000 in increases. Athletic director Dan Radakovich said it was because other programs wanted to hire Asst. Coach Tony Elliott and other members of Dabo Swinney’s team.
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IPTAY had its best fundraising year in 2020, despite the pandemic. The independent support operation raised $ 73 million, most of which will go to scholarships and improvements to facilities.
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Campus housing has an occupancy rate of 87%.
Zoe covers Clemson – just don’t ask about touchdowns or tackles. It covers everything other than sports. Find her at [email protected] or @zoenicholson_ on Twitter. Be careful, she is a black belt in karate.