Hear! Hear! I’d go farther. What does out vaunted “research university” USC actually do for the State of South Carolina, or even the SEUS region, beyond the basic education of students the same as Francis Marion, Winthrop, South Carolina State, etc. I would argue that Clemson (another research university) and the smaller universities with some significant research efforts–College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, and private Wofford–do more for the state and region. Snooty USC, especially in the sciences, views itself as “too good” for work in its own backyard, except for the coast and there simply because coastal studies are trendy and faddist.

I’d withdraw considerable investment from USC and put it in colleges with some interest in understanding and improving or helping their own state and region.

I personally or by family have not a dollar to gain here. I am just kind of sick of seeing so little interest by USC in South Carolina. They would of course point out this or that small but worthy project located here, in objection to my claims, but the bottom line is it is not very much proportionally. No one wants USC to be a provincial or trade school, but it wouldn’t kill them to have, say, one out of five professors with interests and projects in the state or region.

No, I’m not surprised. Just continually wishing for a better legislature.