(A) South Carolina State University is managed and controlled by a board of trustees, composed of thirteen members, twelve of whom are elected by the General Assembly, one member from each congressional district and five at large for terms of four years each and until their successors are elected and qualify. In electing members of the board, the General Assembly shall elect members based on merit regardless of race, color, creed, or gender and shall strive to assure that the membership of the board is representative of all citizens of the State of South Carolina. The Governor of the State or his designee is ex officio, the thirteenth member of the board of trustees. In case of a vacancy on the board, the Governor may fill it by appointment until the next session of the General Assembly. Members of the board are entitled to subsistence, per diem, and mileage authorized for members of state boards, committees, and commissions.

Each position on the board constitutes a separate office and the seats on the board are numbered consecutively, one corresponding in number to each congressional district and Seats Eight-Twelve at large. The Governor or his designee occupies Seat Thirteen. Effective July 1, 2012, the member from former Seat Seven is transferred to Seat Eight, the member from former Seat Eight is transferred to Seat Nine, the member from former Seat Nine is transferred to Seat Ten, the member from former Seat Ten is transferred to Seat Eleven, and the member from former Seat Eleven is transferred to Seat Twelve.

The terms of the present members of the board who are elected by the General Assembly expire on the thirtieth day of June of the year in which the terms are scheduled to expire. The General Assembly shall elect successors to the elective trustees not earlier than the first day of April for a term to begin the following July first. Elections to fill vacancies on the board which are caused by the death, resignation, or removal of an elective trustee may be held earlier than the first day of April of the year in which the unexpired term terminates, but the term of the person elected to fill the vacancy expires on the last day of June of the year in which the term of the former member would have expired.

(B) Beginning with members elected to the board during 1992, terms of members are four years. In 1993, members from Seats 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11 must be elected, and the term of the member elected in 1993 from Seat 3 shall be one year, the terms of the members elected in 1993 from Seats 1, 2, and 4 shall be two years each, the term of the member elected in 1993 from Seat 11 shall be three years, and the term of the member elected in 1993 from Seat 5 shall be four years. Thereafter, successors to the members of the board elected in 1993 and successors to members of the board provided six-year terms by the provisions of this subsection must be elected for terms of four years each.