Education and General Budget Priorities

To compete in the digital age of next-generation computing, the state requires a technologically advanced workforce that can harness the most recent innovations. With accelerating advances in cybersecurity, digitization, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, sensors and semiconductor technologies, we need talent at the intersection of hardware and software. It is precisely at this intersection, where disciplines converge, that the most relevant and impactful work is happening, driving innovation, shaping industries and ensuring the competitiveness of our state in the decades to come.

Goals:

• Continued focus on the School of Computing and electrical engineering programs to maximize use of existing facilities while also creating state-of-the-art teaching, learning and research environments that are critical needs for the University and the disciplines to be housed in the Complex.

Current State:

• The College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences welcomed its largest first-year class in history in Fall 2025, a milestone that underscores the popularity and importance of these majors.
• Clemson graduates 60 percent of all engineers and computer science majors in the state. These students need access to a facility that enables pioneering work with local industry.
• The School of Computing and the Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are two of Clemson’s strongest programs and among the fastest-growing research portfolios — in excess of $20M.
• One hundred percent of graduates with bachelor’s degrees either continue to advanced study or begin their careers with top-tier companies at starting salaries averaging $85K.

What will this $60M do?

• The proposed 165,000-square-foot facility will meet the projected student needs: By 2030, projected enrollment will approach 3,000 students, alongside a 20 percent increase in faculty and postdoctoral researchers.
• Investment in this facility will strengthen the state’s leadership in next-generation computing and directly improve the competitiveness of local industries, attract new companies and allow existing ones to thrive. 

Clemson, in accordance with state processes, conducts thorough long-term planning for capital projects as well as ongoing minor renovation and renewal projects. Thanks to state leadership, the capital projects process is streamlined, efficient and cost-effective, allowing for maximization of University sites and increased stewardship of state capital funds.

Goals:

• Clemson strives to have some of the nation’s best and most cost-effective facilities, providing students, faculty and researchers with cutting-edge resources that support innovation, collaboration and discovery.
• Continued investment in planned maintenance, which is critical to maintaining campus infrastructure in a cost-effective manner for our students, faculty and staff.

Current State:

• The University’s 10-year renovation and renewal plan is valued at $160M.
• A system-by-system inventory of all E&G buildings on campus identified three high-priority maintenance projects:
  • Riggs Hall (HVAC/Electrical) — $7M
  • Tillman Hall (HVAC) — $8M
  • Poole Agricultural Center — $10M

What will this $25M do?

• Investment will enable the University to accelerate implementation of the 10-year renovation plan and enable bunding for procurement and mobilization efficiencies.
• Accelerating and bundling these projects would result in almost $2.5M in savings over the next 10 years.

Recent investments and expansions by leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have brought recognition to South Carolina as a top destination for life sciences industries. With a talented and innovative workforce, top research institutions and world-class hospital systems, the Palmetto State boasts an expanding biotech infrastructure. Clemson has also experienced significant and sustained enrollment growth in biological sciences. Current facilities for these disciplines were not designed to accommodate modern laboratory and research needs. A new, modern facility will give much-needed expansion space for the Department of Biological Sciences, including housing instructional laboratories, classrooms, research spaces, seminar and meeting areas, and offices.  

Goals:

• Construction of a new 140,000-square-foot, five-story College of Science Lab Building, housing biological sciences, microbiology and genetics majors.

Current State:

• Enrollment growth in these majors and Clemson’s growth of students who need general education biological sciences classes have outpaced the available teaching and research space on the main campus.
• Modern teaching laboratories and research environments require specialized infrastructure for safety, equipment and technology that cannot be accommodated within the existing facilities.
• Clemson’s ability to attract top faculty and staff and research funding is limited by its current laboratory facilities.
• The state and nation need more graduates trained in biosciences, microbiology and genetics to address pressing challenges in human health, animal sciences (in partnership with the new Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine), agriculture and environmental sustainability.

What will this $35M do?

• Enhance student experience through inquiry-driven, hands-on learning in modern labs.
• Support faculty and student research that contributes to solutions for global challenges in health, food security and the environment.
• Strengthen Clemson’s competitive position in attracting research funding and top talent.
• Expand the pipeline of skilled graduates ready to meet workforce needs in critical scientific fields.

Clemson’s Center for Human Genetics (CHG) aims to advance and disseminate knowledge of the principles and mechanisms by which genetics and environmental factors affect human health and disease through discovery, education and engagement to benefit the health and well-being of the people of South Carolina, the nation and the world. Investment from public and private partners will enable Clemson to become a nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence for discovery, education and engagement in human genetics.

Goals:

• Build upon the March 2023 three-phase “Clemson University Precision Medicine Initiative” with a vision to establish an engine for precision medicine in South Carolina. Improved health outcomes and reduced health care costs will be enabled by a deidentified data repository of South Carolinians capturing whole genome sequences and oral microbiome data linked to participants’ electronic health records information, lifestyle and environmental data.

Current State:

• The CHG opened its state-of-the-art facility in Self Regional Hall on the partnership campus of the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC) in Greenwood, South Carolina, in 2018.
• Clemson University established CHG’s approximately 16,000-square-foot (gross) building of combined wet lab, computational lab and office space on nearly 17 acres acquired from the GGC.
• The GGC, founded in 1974, is a nonprofit organization advancing medical genetics and caring for families impacted by rare genetic diseases and birth defects. The special partnership between CHG and GGC fuels the GGC partnership campus as a place where innovation and health care exist side by side.
• This partnership accelerates the translation of new knowledge, decreasing time from bench to bedside, by collocating clinical, diagnostic and research centered on human genetics and focused on improving health outcomes.

What will this $20M do?

• Expand research capacity at the CHG in Self Regional Hall.
• Funds will be used to solicit detailed architecture plans for Building 2 and to conduct initial site preparation.

Recurring — $2M
Nonrecurring — $1.7M

Clemson University serves a dynamic campus population that exceeds 30,000 during the week and surges to more than 80,000 during major events, like football Saturdays. Clemson also hosts events throughout the year that range from small community events to nationally prominent speakers, requiring resources to ensure the safety of the campus population, visitors and local, state and national representatives.

Goals:

• Strengthen campus safety, ensure a secure learning environment and provide resources for emergency planning and incident response capabilities.

Current State:

• Clemson, like peer institutions, is charged with the safety of its students and community in an ever-changing world, requiring thoughtful upgrades to safety personnel, technology and infrastructure.

What will this funding do?

• Expand and support public safety operations on campus in three key areas:
  • Expansion of Clemson University’s police force to include K-9 units
  • Campus emergency communication upgrades
  • Modernizing Clemson’s access control infrastructure