Cardon Crawford

The Board of Visitors conducted sessions on legal matters, personnel matters (including Honorary Degree and non-cadet Palmetto Medal nominations), and received reports from the President and various committees. Key discussions included campus revitalization efforts, Class of 2030 recruiting success, managing ROTC scholarship changes, financial reviews showing an E&G surplus, and the proposal of initial tuition and fees for the upcoming year, which were subsequently approved for the Corps of Cadets and The Citadel Graduate College. Capital renewal projects updates were provided. The Education, Leadership and Development Committee addressed cadet stress management and reported higher initial first-year attrition. The Provost highlighted competition, faculty productivity via grants, and the benefits of The Citadel Graduate College. The Strategy, Vision and Governance Committee discussed proposed changes to the mission statement, ultimately adopting an amended version focused on educating principled leaders and citizen-soldiers. The Communications and Community Relations Committee detailed challenges with increasing digital advertising costs (CPM) and competition. The Legislative report covered state appropriation requests and federal funding efforts, including ROI on federal initiatives. Additionally, the Board reviewed the potential opt-in to the House settlement regarding athletics funding and deferred a final decision until the following month. Minutes from five previous meetings were approved.

The Board of Visitors conducted a teleconference that included an executive session for contractual matters and discussions on other Board matters. Key topics included reporting the extension of the loan for the Big Red flag, announcing the pending retirement of the Director of the Cross Country and Track and Field programs in 2026, and discussing a Florence County School District initiative to open a military high school as a School of Innovation, for which the Board gave guidance to continue exploration. Additionally, the Chair reported that fundraising efforts for the capital campaign had already exceeded the goal a year early.

The Board of Visitors held a teleconference session which included an executive session dedicated to personnel matters. Key actions taken included authorizing the awarding of the cadet Palmetto Medal to two candidates and the awarding of a Posthumous Undergraduate Degree to one candidate, both as discussed during the executive session. Additionally, the Board authorized the awarding of Honorary Degrees to the Commencement speakers. The Chair provided an update regarding the Presidential Search Committee, noting that the committee is working to review nominations and will present four finalists for interviews and selection.

The teleconference meeting focused on three primary actions. The first action involved a motion directing the President and Director of Athletics to opt-in to the House settlement, with support from The Citadel Foundation and The Citadel Brigadier Foundation. Following this, the Board entered an executive session to consider a personnel contract. Upon returning to the regular session, a motion was approved directing the Chairman to negotiate a personnel contract based on the parameters discussed during the executive session.

The Board of Visitors meeting primarily focused on providing an update regarding the East Side Stands construction project. Key discussions included the status of the Request for Bids (RFB), which were due on February 5, 2026, with an available budget of $6.4M. Concerns were raised regarding project delays attributed to prolonged negotiations with the city over stormwater regulation issues. The board also addressed potential schedule impacts due to a possible aluminum shortage and contingency plans if the stands are not completed before the 2026 football season begins. Furthermore, it was reported that the new proposed mission statement has been approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and updated on all Citadel websites. The fundraising success of The Citadel Foundation (TCF) was also noted.