H*5318 Concurrent Resolution, By Wilkins, Allen, Allison, Altman, Askins, Bales, 
Barfield, Barrett, Battle, Bingham, Bowers, Breeland, G. Brown, J. Brown, 
R. Brown, Campsen, Carnell, Cato, Chellis, Clyburn, Coates, Cobb-Hunter, 
Coleman, Cooper, Cotty, Dantzler, Davenport, Delleney, Easterday, Edge, Emory, 
Fleming, Freeman, Frye, Gilham, Gourdine, Govan, Hamilton, Harrell, Harrison, 
Harvin, Haskins, Hayes, J. Hines, M. Hines, Hinson, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, 
Jennings, Keegan, Kelley, Kennedy, Kirsh, Klauber, Koon, Law, Leach, Lee, 
Limehouse, Littlejohn, Lloyd, Loftis, Lourie, Lucas, Mack, Martin, McCraw, 
McGee, McLeod, Meacham-Richardson, Merrill, Miller, Moody-Lawrence, J.H. Neal, 
J.M. Neal, Neilson, Ott, D. Owens, Parks, Perry, Phillips, Quinn, Rhoad, Rice, 
Riser, Rivers, Rodgers, Rutherford, Sandifer, Scarborough, Scott, Sharpe, 
Sheheen, Simrill, Sinclair, D.C. Smith, F.N. Smith, G.M. Smith, J.E. Smith, 
J.R. Smith, W.D. Smith, Snow, Stille, Stuart, Talley, Taylor, Thompson, 
Townsend, Tripp, Trotter, Vaughn, Walker, Webb, Weeks, Whatley, Whipper, White, 
Wilder, Witherspoon, A. Young and J. Young
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE BOUNDLESS GRATITUDE OF THE GENERAL
 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO DR. JOHN MICHAEL PALMS FOR HIS
 HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL TENURE AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND
 FOR HIS COUNTLESS NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY AND THE
 STATE, AND WISH HIM WELL AS HE LEAVES THIS GREAT INSTITUTION TO PURSUE OTHER
 EXCITING CHALLENGES.

   05/23/02  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-6
   05/23/02  Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence SJ-6

TO EXPRESS THE BOUNDLESS GRATITUDE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO DR. JOHN MICHAEL PALMS FOR HIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL TENURE AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND FOR HIS COUNTLESS NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY AND THE STATE, AND WISH HIM WELL AS HE LEAVES THIS GREAT INSTITUTION TO PURSUE OTHER EXCITING CHALLENGES.

Whereas, Dr. John Palms concludes his highly successful tenure as the twenty-sixth president of the University of South Carolina; and

Whereas, his distinguished credentials and experience justifiably anticipated numerous contributions to both the University and the State; and

Whereas, Dr. Palms has exceeded the state's expectations and its excitement at the good fortune of the University in attracting him to its helm in 1991; and

Whereas, during his outstanding leadership of the University of South Carolina into the Twenty-first Century and its Bicentennial Year, Dr. Palms orchestrated countless notable accomplishments in student achievement, faculty achievement, the capital campaign, and facilities improvements; and

Whereas, among the highlights in student achievement since 1991 are record number of applicants, in spite of increasingly more stringent admissions requirements; constant improvement in SAT averages for incoming freshmen; award to USC students of more than one hundred seventy-four national and international awards, including Rhodes, Truman, and Marshall Scholarships, totaling more than four million dollars for advanced study; and adoption of the Carolinian Creed, establishment of the Preston Residential College, and numerous improvements to the quality of student life; and

Whereas, notable faculty achievements include: a one hundred forty-six percent increase since 1991 in research productivity, totaling more than one hundred twenty-three million dollars last year; attraction of more than six hundred faculty, most holding doctorates from AAU Institutions, and tightening of tenure and promotion criteria throughout the colleges; and re-accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1991 and 2001; and

Whereas, the University's capital campaign has resulted in: the receipt of seventy gifts of one million dollars or more (only one private gift of that magnitude had ever been received before 1991) and total receipts in excess of five hundred million dollars; an increase in the University's endowment by more than five hundred percent; and an increase in Alumni Association membership of more than three hundred percent, having recently surpassed thirty thousand; and

Whereas, much of an ambitious facilities master plan was adopted and has led to: classroom improvements in nearly every college; completion of the Graduate Science Research Center and the South and East quad residence halls; property acquisition and construction of the Greek Housing Village; completion of the School of Music building and wholesale renovations of McMaster, Sloan, and Calcott classroom buildings and Maxcy and Preston dormitories; construction of the Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center, slated to open in February; numerous athletics facility improvements, such as completion of the basketball practice and volleyball competition center, stadium improvements, and soon-to-be completed basketball arena; and Internet access in every building on campus; and

Whereas, one of the proudest accomplishments of this Phi Beta Kappa scholar is the recognition of the USC libraries as thirty-first among the public institutions of higher learning in the country and forty-seventh among all the nation's colleges and universities; and

Whereas, Dr. John Palms leaves the University poised for even greater contributions to the State of South Carolina through education, research, and service. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly express their boundless gratitude to Dr. John Michael Palms for his highly successful tenure as President of the University of South Carolina and for his countless notable achievements on behalf of the University and the State, and wish him well as he leaves this great institution to pursue other exciting challenges.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Palms.