Claflin committed to prosperity with facilities, Warmack says

President Dwaun J. Warmack speaks with student reporters on Nov. 11. (Panther photo)

New buildings are planned for both on and off campus at Claflin University, President Dwaun J. Warmack said.

During a Nov. 11, 2025, press conference with Panther reporters, Warmack said improving the campus and the community is a priority, including Claflin acquiring properties.

“We’re developing a robust master plan. I am unapologetically committed to seeing people of color prosper,” Warmack said.

“Too often in our African American communities, they’re gentrified, putting in all sorts of liquor stories, vape shops, all of that in our community,” Warmack said. “So any time a property comes available, we’re actively going for it.”

Starting Dec. 1, the old social science house will be torn down in preparation for “a new nursing building with the student health center being inside the building,” Warmack said.

The facility will also allow students pursuing a master’s degree in nursing to get practicum hours in the student health center.

In addition to the new nursing facility, Claflin plans to build a new social science building next to the health center. A separate biotech facility is also planned to support biotechnology, computer science and computer engineering majors.

Warmack said “that facility is our key one for next year” and will be under construction soon.

Off campus, Claflin is in discussion to use the historic Kress building in downtown Orangeburg “as an incubator space, accelerator space,” Warmack said.

Asked about students’ access to places where they can pursue a business while pursuing an education, Warmack said the Kress building can be used to develop businesses.

“What better place to put that, folks who are entrepreneurs, minority women businesses, having a salon suite? So if you’re a beautician, you can rent this space out for a very low rate,” Warmack said.

Warmack said the projects are government funded, “so none of them come out of tuition and fees.”

Early conversations about a new residence hall are underway, Warmack said.

“We will roughly house 250 beds, all single-occupancy, suite-style,” Warmack said. “Federal grants do not fund residential buildings, so we have to figure out how to raise that money.”