The board of trustees met today to discuss the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on USC.
According to University President Bob Caslen, there are currently 53 total cases of COVID-19 from USC. Students account for 47 of those cases, and four faculty and two staff account for the others.
Ninety-six students are still on campus, and 821 people are still working on campus. There are 7,754 people working from home across the USC system, including Columbia and other campuses.
When discussing the possibility of returning for the fall semester, Caslen said a decision will be made by or around May 15 and no later than June 15.
Caslen estimated a financial impact of around $20 to $40 million on the university when it came to extending online learning through the summer, but the lost revenue can be made up for.
In order to maintain “cost control,” bigger projects like the Campus Village, which would defer $240 million on its own, as well as other capital and maintenance projects are being deferred. These other capital projects besides the Campus Village will defer around $88 million.
Other actions discussed by Caslen during the meeting included the partial hiring freeze to non-essential personnel, negotiating the food contracts the university has and eliminating overtime.
USC will also be receiving $35 million in support from the federal government through the CARES Act. Half of this money will go toward emergency aid for students, and the other half will go toward the institution. Caslen said he is not expecting support from the state.
In regards to athletics, Caslen said decisions on what will happen with sporting events will be made in conjunction with the NCAA and South East conference. However, these possible football interruptions could be a “game changer” for the university financially, according to Caslen.