May 4, 2005

FACT SHEET

CLEMSONUNIVERSITY

SANDHILLRESEARCH & EDUCATIONCENTER

CLEMSON INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development was created by the University’s Board of Trustees in 2001. It has built a network of some 60 public agencies, universities and non-profit organizations that provide a variety of services to communities. This collaboration works to utilize resources more efficiently and to assist communities as the state moves from a manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy and from a rural to an urban population base. The institute also administers the Palmetto Leadership Program that has served more than 52 communities in 36 counties and has helped prepare more than 4,200 citizens for leadership positions in their communities.

The institute is in a position to bring the best of Clemson’s Extension, teaching, research, regulatory, student outreach and service projects directly to communities across our state. It is also building an unprecedented partnership between Clemson and the University of South Carolina to address both the environmental and civic challenges facing our state.

SANDHILLRESEARCH & EDUCATIONCENTER

Established in 1926 for agricultural research, the focus of the Sandhill Research and Education Center has evolved to meet the changing needs of the state. Land for the center was paid for entirely with funds generated by the sale of agricultural crops produced by Clemson University farms; no state funds were used.

In the 1990s, research and Extension programs at Sandhill moved from traditional agriculture to environmental horticulture, based on extensive input from citizens in the area and across the state. Today, the demonstration gardens at Sandhill are visited by thousands of school children, civic groups, families and landscaping professionals each year. The gardens include the Conservation Station Outdoor Classroom, the Children’s Garden, the Cottage Garden, the Compost Garden, and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat area.

By 2001, northeast Columbia had been designated as one of the fastest growing urban areas in the Southeast by the US Census Bureau. In view of the changing land-use in the surrounding area and across the state, the Clemson University Board of Trustees authorized the sale of 300 acres of land at Sandhill and a new mission of economic and community development for the center. The new mission created the Institute for Economic and Community Development, as well as a focus on natural resource and environmental conservation and sustainability.

In 2001 sold 300 acres of land formerly used for agricultural research as Clemson’s Board of Trustees authorized a new mission of economic and community development for the Sandhill Research and Education Center. The new mission heralded the creation of the Institute for Economic and Community Development, as well as a focus on natural resource and environmental conservation and sustainability.

In 1927, Clemson purchased property in Columbia with funds it generated through the sale of crops. No state money was used to purchase this land. At the time, the area was primarily an agricultural center, so Clemson built a research and education facility dedicated to peaches and other relevant crops.

In 1999, the University’s Board of Trustees approved the sale of approximately 300 acres of this land, due to the changing nature of Northeast Columbia, one of the fastest growing areas of the state. The Board approved using $8.5 million of the proceeds to construct new facilities and endow new programs at the center. In addition, up to $5 million is designated to endow community service scholarships to serve the citizens of South Carolina.

As a result of extensive community input, the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development was established at Sandhill. The first action taken at the institute was to establish a Collaborative Colloquium that includes representatives from almost 60 state agencies and non-profit organizations that provide services to communities. They meet on a regular basis to discuss collaborations, share information, and connect to community needs. This type of collaboration is exactly what our state needs, according to the S.C. Competitiveness Initiative by Michael Porter of the Monitor Group.