Coastal Carolina University’s new president is equipped to face the challenges ahead

Coastal Carolina University is preparing for a seamless transition to a new president as David DeCenzo prepares to retire in June 2021.

That’s because Michael Benson, who was named Coastal’s new president earlier this month, will work with DeCenzo over the next several months.

But Benson will still face the tough challenges of declining enrollment and revenue — issues that are largely but not entirely related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Like nearly all U.S. public universities Coastal has turned to sources other than the state for operating revenue, and it has been forced to increase tuition as state financing has dwindled.

While half of Coastal’s students are from outside South Carolina, the fall semester enrollment is 4.7% off what it was last year; in all there are 600 fewer students on the Conway campus.

Enrollment also decreased in 2019 by 15%, so over time the university has made budget reductions, including job cuts and employee furloughs, to reflect the lower number of students.

Ambitious plans

In a recent interview with The Sun News’ Alan Blondin, Benson — who was most recently president at Eastern Kentucky University — laid out his plans to lobby legislators and other leaders for more money, bolster enrollment and gain support for more athletics.

“ The state pie is this big,” Benson said, “and there are encumbrances on that state pie and it’s getting more and more competitive..”

On enrollment

On enrollment, Benson said he’ll be recruiting in Horry County and S.C. counties that have provided the majority of Coastal Carolina University’s in-state enrollment.

He also suggested that Coastal may need to put more focus on recruiting in a state like Texas, which “has a lot of universities but it also has a growing high school population.”

Lack of transparency

While Benson is certainly a solid pick as Coastal’s next president, it’s unfortunate that CCU’s board conducted the search for a new presidency in such a private manner.

The public, including CCU faculty and staff, was not privy to knowing the names of the other finalists in the school’s presidential search — or even if there were finalists.

There was a galling lack of transparency during the presidential search, and it remains difficult to understand why a state university governing board would operate that way.

DeCenzo’s reign

DeCenzo has been CCU’s president since 2007, a period that saw enrollment increase 35 percent and undergraduate academic majors more than double to 94 programs.

CCU also had an ambitious construction program under DeCenzo, and it became a member of the Sun Belt Conference, a major athletics conference, during his presidency.

Overall DeCenzo has been an effective leader for Coastal, and it’s encouraging that Benson — who has also been a president at two Utah schools, Southern Utah University and Snow College — is well-equipped to lead Coastal during a daunting time for all institutions of higher education.

Michael Benson bullet points

▪ He was a student athlete and has been active as a university president in intercollegiate athletics, including a four-year term on the NCAA Honors Committee.

▪ He was 36 years old when he was named to lead Snow College, making him the youngest college president in the history of the Utah System of Higher Education.

▪ He has written two books, including one on President Harry Truman’s role in the founding of modern-day Israel, and is working on a third.

▪ His doctorate in modern history is from the University of Oxford in England.

This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 5:10 AM.