Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EHK VOL. LXIV NO. 66 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, COLUMBIA. S.C. 29208 June 19, 1974 AnIhi Micha INTERVIEW/PHOTO, BY KATHY EDWARDE Michael J. Mungo, Columbia business magnate and University Trustee, was born on April 7, 1928 in Bethune, South Carolina. lie attended the University of South Carolina and was graduated in 1950. Mungo also did graduate level work in the area of political science. lie was in the Army on two separate occasions. Mungo married Mary Meech and they have two children: Michael, 21, and Steven, 14. GAMECOCK: Since your election to the Board of Trustees, you have proposed a reorganization for the USC administration. This included a chancellor for academic 'affairs and a president for business af fairs. Do you still feel this plan should be put into practice? Mungo: Yes, of course. I am at present chairing a committee of distinguished businessmen, some members of the Board, certain members of the faculty and student representatives which is making a study of the reorganization of the entire University. We will make specific recommendations to the Board to effect whatever system this committee feels is best for the University. GAMECOCK: Since President Patterson only has two years before he has to retire at age 65, would it be implemented at that time? Mungo: Not necessarily. It is my impression that it will be im plemented immediately whatever recommendations they (the Board) approve. This thing is all subject to Board approval. And whatever the Board decides to do, I suspect would be im plemented immediately because it 'may be inteet future, but not as pre University. A job like t for people more incline r With ungo Mungo: The way it is done is tha the General Assembly elects us and I'm afraid that that probabl3 t isn't the best of systems. Anc going to the people would probably be even worse. The reason is thal the University is a very special type business. I am not sure at all that the best way to run ar organization of this peculiar ' mature is by popular election. Sheriffs and attorney generals ought to be appointed. And we (the Board members) should be ap. pointed for our specific interests and ability to perform these jobs. They are so specific in nature, anc a popularity contest with the public really doesn't have anything to d< with the qualifications. I am not saying do away with democracy. It is fine in a representative s democracy in the sense of the General Assembly. I think we probably ought to be appointed by the Governor with, maybe, con firmation by the General Assembly. GAMECOCK: With the reorganization of the ad ministration, would there still be a need for a Board of Visitors from outside the University? Mungo: The Board of Visitors is not really in conflict with the reorganization. It merely suggests that a distinguished Board of Visitors be established. The whole purpose of that is to broaden the political and economic base of the University. Simply put, you take a lot of people that are VIP's and have a lot of money, and alot of political and economic contacts, and you do them the honor of placing them on the distinguished Board of Visitors. And they are impressed to the point that they will go out and work for you. That's really what it's all about. GAMECOCK: What about the student activity fee. Is there to be any change in the way it is operated? le of life. Like Arthur asident of South Carolina Gas Company erViei el J.M wouldn't deal so mucn with per sonnel per se as with the structure GAMECOCK: Does Mr. Marchan oppose that plan? Mungo: No, as a matter of fact, h asked me to chair the committee. don't think any of the member oppose anything. We all realiz that the University is the state', second largest business. The high way department is the largest. W( are handling -$80 million a yeai which is alot of money. It therefor< means we are also operating a very large business. It from timf to time needs simplifying an< reorganizing because that is the only way you can function ef fectively. GAMECOCK: Since one of th provisions for the reorganization is for a businessman like yourself would you be under consideratio: for it? Mungo: No way. GAMECOCK: Any politica future? Mungo: I may be interested in political future, but not a: president of the University. - A jol like that should be for people more inclined toward the academic sid< of life. Like Arthur Williams president of South Carolina Electric and Gas Company, wh< wishes to come back to the University and teach when h( retires. And he will retire relatively young man. A man lik< him would be a very capable President because he has grea rapport with the Genera Assembly. He could get the thing$ we need as a school and yet he is at excellent businessman. And wE have lots of people like that. GAMECOCK: Do you think tha the Board memberships should be run in a more political campaign like you did? Do you think they should be out in the open and taker to the people so the people hav more voice in it? n. a political academic si4 ;ident of the Williams, pr Ibat should be Electric and di toward ihe MUNGO: "Out of the $ million of it comes from th( 20 percent that the studi education." Mungo: Out of the $80 million budget, only $15 million of it comes from the students. This is less than 20 per cent that the student actually pays for his education. I think we should have one fee for going to the University. It is listed in the catalog as "X" numbers of dollars to attend the University. The University then says your fee is set at so much is for this and so much is for that. That should be eliminated in its entirety, and I have been a strong advocate and intend to harass them until they do this. What should be done is just very simply, charge "X" numbers of dollars to go to the University including all fees. GAMECOCK: Then it's wrong to say the fees are really a fixed amount? Mungo: Yes, because they really aren't. The reason that's done, and this is never really understood, is the way we borrow money . Sometimes, this money goes to pay off the indebtedness. I am sure that the reason for the student activity fee is the same thing. It is used to retire indebtedness. .Were we to eliminate all of these figures, I think there will be a lot less pressure now from the student body, from people who do not want their money used, or listed, for athletic fees, now that all sports and women and other clubs are being endowed with money. Ac tually, I am not on the athletic committee, but I would defend it to this extent. The students fees are not abused. All of that money is totally audited not only by the internal auditing, but by an outside audit. And all of this money is used for the benefit of the University. No one is taking it home. And the money that is not used for ac tivities is put right back in to some project of this nature. The athletic department has its budget, which is public knowledge. All these things can be checked under the Freedom of Information Act and you can see exactly where every dime goes. GAMECOCK: Will there be any change of regional campuses. to the four-year status? Mungo: We just approved Con way, Coastal Carolina to take four year courses. The formula is already set up that nce the pas 0 million budget, only $15 students. This is less than ant actually pays for his 1,000 students, they may go to a four-year college. What they are doing, and I am sure what they will continue to do, is to become four year colleges functioning under the University system. GAMECOCK: Do you really think that students over 21 should have parental permission to live in the co-ed dorm, Bates West? Mungo: No, I disagree entirely with the fact that anyone over 21 should have permission from anyone to do anything. GAMECOCK: What is the real opposition to the medical school? Mungo: Provincialism is the best way I know to put it. If we aren't interested in public service, we should get out of it. It totally amazes me that people would oppose a second medical college for fulfilling the medical needs of the people of South Carolina. I think there were only two questions involved here. The first part is, is there a need that exists in South Carolina for the people, medically? Do we not have enough doctors? Well, that is pretty obvious. I went to a doctor's office yesterday. I get pretty good VIP treatment. I went into this doctor's office. I sat there 30 minutes. I went back to the desk and I told the lady, "You'll have to give me another appointment." There were 10 people still in front of me after 30 minutes and there is just no way I would wait like that. They have a "god" complex. They really do. Now I think it is blatant ignorance and stupidity, and those are the only words you can use, for people to come out and say we are going to have a surplus of doctors. The greatest thing that could ever happen to the American public is to have a surplus of doctors. People could actually be seen. You wouldn't have to wait a month to get a doctor. For God's sake, I don't care if the medical college runs it. I don't care whether we run it. Is there a need, and if there is a need, then I think the General Assembly has an obligation to see that need filled. Now, I am not one of these persons who jealously guards and is possessive about everything that Please Turn To Page 2