Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
News

Governor Had ‘Undue Influence’ Over U. of South Carolina Presidential Search, Accreditor Finds

By Eric Kelderman January 17, 2020
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools found “adequate evidence of undue influence from” Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina in the U. of South Carolina’s presidential selection.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools found “adequate evidence of undue influence from” Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina in the U. of South Carolina’s presidential selection.Sean Rayford, AP Images

The University of South Carolina and its Board of Trustees must answer questions about how the institution will be protected from political pressure in choosing its leadership, according to its accrediting agency.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges sent a letter this week to the university regarding the appointment of its president, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., in July. “There appears to be adequate evidence of undue influence from the governor during the presidential-selection process,” said a letter from Belle S. Wheelan, president of the accrediting agency.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

The University of South Carolina and its Board of Trustees must answer questions about how the institution will be protected from political pressure in choosing its leadership, according to its accrediting agency.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges sent a letter this week to the university regarding the appointment of its president, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., in July. “There appears to be adequate evidence of undue influence from the governor during the presidential-selection process,” said a letter from Belle S. Wheelan, president of the accrediting agency.

The commission has not put any kind of penalty on the university, but will require a monitoring report in the fall.

The university’s board had halted a search process in the spring, when it couldn’t settle on a finalist. Within a few weeks, Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, began calling board members to urge them to vote for Caslen. The board approved the former superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point on a split vote that prompted student protests.

The university had already been asked by the accreditor to show whether it was meeting the commission’s standards — a special report from the university did not satisfy the commission.

“The current report is only partially responsive to steps that will be taken regarding board education and related processes,” said the letter from the commission. “The institution has not yet demonstrated that its governing board protects the institution from undue influence.”

The governor’s office disputed the accreditor’s findings. A prepared statement, reported by the The State, said that McMaster’s advocacy had been well within his role as an ex-officio board member. “To suggest that he can’t make phone calls to fellow board members about such an important decision is ludicrous,” the paper quoted the governor’s statement as saying.

Through a representative, the university declined to comment on the accreditor’s latest determination, but re-sent a statement it originally issued in December, following the commission’s decision not to issue any penalty: “The board sees the review as an opportunity for reflection and to reaffirm our commitment to meeting the highest standards of ethical, transparent, and accountable board governance, both in word and in action.”

A version of this article appeared in the January 31, 2020, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Leadership & Governance
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
Eric Kelderman
About the Author
Eric Kelderman
Eric Kelderman covers issues of power, politics, and purse strings in higher education. You can email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com, or find him on Twitter @etkeld.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

University of California, Berkeley chancellor Dr. Rich Lyons, testifies at a Congressional hearing on antisemitism, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on July 15, 2025. It is the latest in a series of House hearings on antisemitism at the university level, one that critics claim is a convenient way for Republicans to punish universities they consider too liberal or progressive, thereby undermining responses to hate speech and hate crimes. (Photo by Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP)
Another Congressional Hearing
3 College Presidents Went to Congress. Here’s What They Talked About.
Tufts University student from Turkey, Rumeysa Ozturk, who was arrested by immigration agents while walking along a street in a Boston suburb, talks to reporters on arriving back in Boston, Saturday, May 10, 2025, a day after she was released from a Louisiana immigration detention center on the orders of a federal judge. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)
Law & Policy
Homeland Security Agents Detail Run-Up to High-Profile Arrests of Pro-Palestinian Scholars
Photo illustration of a donation jar turned on it's side, with coins spilling out.
Financial aid
The End of Unlimited Grad-School Loans Could Leave Some Colleges and Students in the Lurch
Brad Wolverton
Newsroom leadership
The Chronicle of Higher Education Names Brad Wolverton as Editor

From The Review

Illustration of an ocean tide shaped like Donald Trump about to wash away sandcastles shaped like a college campus.
The Review | Essay
Why Universities Are So Powerless in Their Fight Against Trump
By Jason Owen-Smith
Photo-based illustration of a closeup of a pencil meshed with a circuit bosrd
The Review | Essay
How Are Students Really Using AI?
By Derek O'Connell
John T. Scopes as he stood before the judges stand and was sentenced, July 2025.
The Review | Essay
100 Years Ago, the Scopes Monkey Trial Discovered Academic Freedom
By John K. Wilson

Upcoming Events

07-31-Turbulent-Workday_assets v2_Plain.png
Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times
Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin