Article archive / August 1, 2010
Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 12. Source pages: 1, 5.
“Impact will be enormous” LA Higher Education Faces “Shattering” Budget Cuts
State colleges and universities will be hit with more and deeper budget cuts in 2011-2012 unless conditions change in the state’s financial crisis.
Dr. Charles Zewe, communications VP for Louisiana State University System called the cuts “shattering.” He noted, “Louisiana colleges and universities could face more than $600 million in budget cuts in two years if nothing is done to spare higher education…” The LSU System includes LSU (Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Shreveport, Eunice), UNO, Pennington, and LSU Health Sciences Centers and hospital programs. According to University of Louisiana System President Randy Moffett, campuses are continuing to plan for worst-case scenarios while hoping for revenue relief from the Legislature. The UL website reports UL campuses have laid off almost 500 employees and eliminated hundreds of positions. They have eliminated over 300 courses and terminated 33 degree programs. The University of Louisiana System includes Grambling, LaTech, McNeese, Nicholls, Northwestern, Southeastern, and University of La at Lafayette and Monroe.
The Southern University System has been dealing with reductions for several years, according to internal sources.
LSU System President, John Lombardi, said the projection “… leaves no doubt that Louisiana’s higher education system will become a fundamentally different enterprise by the end of the three year cycle covered by our revenue model if nothing changes. The new system will be smaller, it will serve fewer students, it will have a much narrower range of opportunities for students…”
Louisiana Tech’s President Dan Reneau led a forum with Chancellor Martin, “Future of Louisiana Research Universities,” in April, as reported by Times-Picayune. Reneau said research universities are failing to make the case for themselves for funding priorities.
Edward Ashworth, director of the Louisiana Budget Project, a watchdog organization for middle income citizens, was critical in his May 13th article of cuts only approach. He wrote, “Louisiana is not alone. Thirty-three other states are facing similar declines, but have responded with revenue increases in combination with spending cuts. Louisiana is distinctive in its decision to respond to the crisis solely with spending cuts.”
LSU Chancellor Michael Martin wrote to Lombardi in July saying, “… we can state unequivocally that the overall impact will be enormous.” And he said, “… LSU and the state it serves will have to live with the consequences of these decisions for decades to come.”
LSU System info: http://www.lsusystem.edu/media/budget/
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