In-depth reporting on Student Government corruption, university administration failures, and institutional accountability.
USC's Student Government codes require senators to assess constituent needs 'in good faith.' There is no definition of what that means, no enforcement mechanism, and no consequence for ignoring it entirely. Most peer universities have the same problem. A few don't.
USC's Student Government finance codes grant student senators the power to suspend organizations, compel document production under threat of perjury, and distribute mandatory fees with almost no guardrails. Federal courts have spent decades telling public universities this is exactly how you get sued.
A decade of USC budget documents tells a story the administration would rather not headline. Tuition stayed flat for in-state students, sure, but everything else crept up — and nobody asked permission.
A TikTok story accused an opposing candidate of sexual assault. The accusation was false. The campaign found guilty of election fraud won the election. The punishment was a 24-hour social media ban.
Student Government approved funding for a charity event benefiting Camp Cole, let the organizers move forward, then branded the request fraudulent. It's a pattern.
South Carolina provides 13% of USC's budget yet elects 80% of its governing board. Students and families fund more than half of operating revenue, yet have no representation.
