His tenure as dean is coming to an end but among the things Dr. Hugh Rowland will take with him when he leaves USC-Union will be recognition of his service by the South Carolina Senate.

In a motion from District 13 Sen. Shane Martin, the Senate voted earlier this month to issue a certificate that “honors, recognizes, commends and congratulates” Rowland:

For his outstanding leadership at the University of South Carolina-Union Campus and his commitment to his community by allowing the campus facilities to be utilized by citizens to participate in the open political debate process.

The senator extends warmest best wishes for continued success in all of his endeavors.

Martin said he made his motion to honor Rowland for allowing USC-Union to be used as the site of the March 20 debate between the candidates for the Republican nomination for the Fourth Congressional District and for his efforts to improve USC-Union and enhance its role in the community.

“When I’ve had conversations with the governor about keeping USC-Union open as the only option for higher education in Union County, it made my efforts a lot easier knowing that we had somebody as dean who was community-oriented and willing to work with other institutions to bring the best education possible for our students,” Martin said. “This also opens the door to allow industry to have a seat at the table so the university can give our students the skills that hiring bodies need. Dr. Rowland saw the need for this and so he reached out to other institutions to help provide that education.”

Martin said that Rowland’s decision to make USC-Union the venue for the congressional debate was another example of how he wants the campus to serve the needs of the people of Union County.

“USC-Union is a central part of Union County and his decision to open it to the debate allows the residents of the county to come to a central location and hear the candidates who are vying to represent them in Washington,” Martin said. “This gives the people of Union County the opportunity to get more involved in the process.”

During Rowland’s three years as dean, USC-Union partnered with Spartanburg Community College to develop and operate the Union County Advanced Technology Center; purchased a building on Main Street to provide an additional 10,000 square feet of space for the campus; initiated its master planning process; and saw its student body grow to over 500, breaking enrollment records.

Rowland, who is resigning as dean as of the end of the current fiscal year, said he was deeply touched by the honor and praised Martin for his support of USC-Union.

“It was one of those few occasions where you are so caught off guard it literally brought tears to my eyes,” Rowland said. “In teaching government I am always talking with my students about politicians doing that very hard service of making tough decisions about scarce resources. When I saw that Sen. Martin had initiated this with the SC Senate I was doubly honored. I appreciate it, because I think Sen. Martin is going to be a really good friend to USC-Union.”