UofSC President Bob Caslen offered to submit resignation over the weekend, but it was not accepted

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– A spokesperson for the University of South Carolina says President Bob Caslen offered to resign over the weekend, but it was not accepted. This comes after Caslen received criticism over the weekend for mishaps in a speech delivered at a commencement ceremony for the class of 2021.

Caslen used a popular quote in his speech without mentioning where the quote was from. On Monday evening, Caslen released a statement, saying “I am truly sorry. During my remarks in our weekend commencement ceremonies, I shared a well-known quote from Admiral William McRaven and failed to cite him as its original author and speaker. I was searching for words about resilience in adversity and when they were transcribed into the speech, I failed to ensure its attribution. I take full responsibility for this oversight.”

During the same speech, Caslen incorrectly referred to the University of South Carolina as the “University of California.” The University of South Carolina Assistant of Communications and Public Affairs released the following statement regarding the mix-up of words.

“The president speaks at 15 separate ceremonies all across the state during spring commencement season, congratulating thousands of University of South Carolina system graduates. It’s a joyous time for our graduates, their families and the entire university community. President Caslen apologizes for accidentally saying “California” instead of “Carolina” at the end of Friday night’s ceremony and regrets any attention it may have drawn from the accomplishments of our graduates.”

ABC Columbia will continue to follow the story and provide updates.