1. (A) South Carolina State University is managed and controlled by a board of trustees, composed of thirteen members, twelve of whom are elected by the General Assembly, one member from each congressional district and six at large for terms of four years each and until their successors are elected and qualify. In electing members of the board, the General Assembly shall elect members based on merit regardless of race, color, creed, or gender and shall strive to assure that the membership of the board is representative of all citizens of the State of South Carolina. The Governor of the State or his designee is ex officio, the thirteenth member of the board of trustees. In case of a vacancy on the board, the Governor may fill it by appointment until the next session of the General Assembly. Members of the board are entitled to subsistence, per diem, and mileage authorized for members of state boards, committees, and commissions.

   Each position on the board constitutes a separate office and the seats on the board are numbered consecutively, one corresponding in number to each congressional district and Seats 7-12 at large. The Governor or his designee occupies Seat 13. Of the three present members of the board who reside in the sixth congressional district, the member with the longest remaining current term shall be the resident member selected from that congressional district occupying Seat 6. The two remaining members not determined to be the resident member from the sixth congressional district shall be considered at-large members of the board occupying Seats 8 and 12, respectively. The terms of each of these three members shall not be affected by the provisions of this paragraph.

   The terms of the present members of the board who are elected by the General Assembly expire on the thirtieth day of June of the year in which the terms are scheduled to expire. The General Assembly shall elect successors to the elective trustees not earlier than the first day of April for a term to begin the following July first. Elections to fill vacancies on the board which are caused by the death, resignation, or removal of an elective trustee may be held earlier than the first day of April of the year in which the unexpired term terminates, but the term of the person elected to fill the vacancy expires on the last day of June of the year in which the term of the former member would have expired.

2. (B) Beginning with members elected to the board during 1992, terms of members are four years. In 1993, members from Seats 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11 must be elected, and the term of the member elected in 1993 from Seat 3 shall be one year, the terms of the members elected in 1993 from Seats 1, 2, and 4 shall be two years each, the term of the member elected in 1993 from Seat 11 shall be three years, and the term of the member elected in 1993 from Seat 5 shall be four years. Thereafter, successors to the members of the board elected in 1993 and successors to members of the board provided six-year terms by the provisions of this subsection must be elected for terms of four years each.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 22-552; 1952 Code Section 22-552; 1942 Code Section 5800; 1932 Code Section 5800; Civ. C. '22 Section 2819; Civ. C. '12 Section 1879; Civ. C. '02 Section 1293; 1896 (22) 174; 1954 (48) 1722; 1960 (51) 1529; 1966 (54) 2149; 1983 Act No. 130, Section 14; 1983 Act No. 132, Section 10; 1984 Act No. 354, Section 8; 1988 Act No. 510, Section 14; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 6; 1992 Act No. 392, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 47, Section 1.