A Review of the Office of Economic Engagement of the University of South Carolina and its Affiliation with the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator and the South Carolina Research Foundation
December 2024

REPORT (PDF)   SUMMARY (PDF)

Members of the S.C. General Assembly requested that we conduct an audit of the economic and business activity of the University of South Carolina's (USC's) Office of Economic Engagement (OEE), the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator, and the South Carolina Research Foundation (SCRF). 

Objectives

• Determine if OEE's administrative and project management practices comply with USC's policies, state and federal laws and regulations, and conform with best practices.
• Determine how OEE's approach to collaborating with external partners affects economic growth, student learning, and student employment opportunities and conforms with best practices. 
• Determine whether controls exercised by USC in its relationships with SCRF and the Incubator are effective in minimizing the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse and conform with best practices.