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Baton Rouge, Louisiana | |
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State News
EA Sports Sets Up Shop at LSU August 20, 2008, CNNMoney Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. will set up its first North American testing site at Louisiana State University, where college students will be paid to test sports games, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Wednesday. Tuition Hike Passes the House June 10, 2008, Times-Picayune The second time was the charm for a statewide college tuition bill that cleared the House of Representatives with plenty of votes to spare Monday, days after falling two votes shy of the necessary supermajority. With the 83-18 vote, House Bill 734 now moves to the Senate, where higher education leaders promise to continue their lobbying efforts in the only state that requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers to increase tuition and fees at public colleges and universities. Bill to Hike State College Tuition Fails June 2, 2008, WWL-TV June 3, 2008, Times-Picayune June 3, 2008, The Advocate June 3, 2008, Houmatoday.com A proposal that would allow four years of increases in tuition costs for public college students was narrowly rejected Monday by the Louisiana House, falling two votes short of the two-thirds vote needed for passage....
LSU honored at Louisiana capitol May 1, 2008, Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE - The national championship parade continued Wednesday as it reached the Louisiana Capitol. LSU football coach Les Miles, whose team won the national championship last season, was honored with proclamations on the floors of the state Senate and House of Representatives. "We could not have done it without you and all our fans," Miles said to the Senate as the LSU fight song was piped in over the speaker system. "The passion that surrounds Tiger Stadium and this great state is spectacular. My plan is to try to keep doing that for as long as I can."
House leaders seek $250 million in budget cuts April 9, 2008, Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's $30.1 billion budget proposal is facing a challenge from House leaders, who have asked every state agency to demonstrate how they would absorb a 5 percent cut in their state general fund budget allotment. The goal is to trim up to $250 million from the spending plan that Jindal presented to the Legislature in February. House Speaker Jim Tucker said the leadership wants to reduce the state's reliance on one-time, non-recurring money to balance its books in the fiscal year that starts July 1. Analysis: A 5% budget cut for LSU would equal $11.7 million. The University's proposed budget increased by only $5.2 million, leaving $6.5 million to be cut from the existing operating budget. President John Lombardi responded to the House Appropriations Committee-Education Subcommittee request a recission plan. House Speaker Jim Tucker wants the cut to remove one-time funds used as recurring revenue. The request is atypical in that such directives usually emanate from the Governor's Office, the leading agency for the executive branch of government and the one in which LSU's budget is reported. If the budget cut survives the House, it must also make it past the Senate. Tuition and fee increase bills are under consideration that could replace the loss of state funding to the University.
News about tuition and fee proposals Higher fees aim to help students, April 8, 2008, The Reveille LSU officials seek fee increase, March 27, 2008, The Advocate Boosting tuition at LSU on agenda, March 28, 2008, The Advocate BR Chamber backs tuition increase, April 24, 2008, The Advocate Proposed College Tuition Increases, April 23, 2008, WDSU Change needed in setting tuition fees, April 25, 2008, The Daily Advertiser
Our Views: 2008 goal: A great LSU Jan. 9, 2008, The Advocate While LSU fans across the nation and the world have a lot to be proud of on the football field, the university’s lasting contribution to Louisiana and the nation is made in classrooms and laboratories. That’s why we believe that 2008 should be a championship year for LSU. Not just on the field, but where it counts for the long term. January 9, 2008 is LSU Day in Louisiana Jan. 9,2008, Governor's Office BATON ROUGE - To honor the Louisiana State University and its victory Monday in the BCS National Championship, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco proclaimed Wednesday, January 9, 2008 "LSU Day". The Tigers defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 38-24 before a record crowd in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to clinch the national championship.
Higher ed group: Keep raising funds Dec. 1, 2007, The Advocate The state must continue to increase funding for colleges and Louisiana should also permanently reserve more dollars for higher education and health care, college and business officials said Friday. The three-hour discussion occurred at the first meeting of a 37-member higher education group of Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal’s Economic Growth Transition Advisory Council.
In His Own Words Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal was interviewed by the Baton Rouge Business Report about possible changes in government. High on the list was the higher education funding formula, a research and development (R&D) tax credit,and accountability.
Our Views: Hard Times, New Choices Aug. 20, 2007, The Advocate When a delegation of Baton Rouge civic leaders makes its trip to Portland to see the economic development progress of that Oregon city, it will be the fourth visit to a place that was a failure. No, Portland was hardly a wasteland 20 or 30 years ago, but neither was it a world-beater in terms of growth. What changed? The backbone of its economy collapsed. As in many other cities in the South, Baton Rouge looks for the secrets of success. Most of the “secrets” are pretty well-known and understood, as economic development experts have advised the state and the city for many years. Education and work-force development, investments in quality of life and transportation are the tolls for growth. Regents Approve Bigger Athletic Budgets, LSU Says, "No Thanks" The Board of Regents passed a resolution permitting universities to spend a larger percentage of their budgets on athletic programs. The new rule allows up to 3% of a college's budget may be used for athletics, but LSU will not spend any state money on athletics. Under the new guidelines, LSU could spend up to $8.2 million from state general fund dollars. Instead, the self-sufficient LSU Athletic Department will return $3.5 million to the university next year. Without LSU's $8.2 million, public universities will spend about $44 million of state dollars on athletic programs.
LSU Honors' Home in Disrepair On the inside, however, roof leaks, broken floors, wall holes and an unusable third floor paint a different picture for the facility that houses the LSU Honors College... Baton Rouge Paper Backs Higher Ed Funding They are asking for support for one of Gov. Kathleen Blanco's bigger policy recommendations in the 2007 session, a roughly $200 million infusion of new money into state colleges and universities.... Governor Writes on Go Grants The rising cost of college and university tuition places a financial strain on all our students and shuts the door on many Louisianans who simply cannot afford the price tag. Too many students are forced to take time off from their studies to work while others incur large personal debts to cover the cost of tuition and other expenses. In fact, Louisiana is ranked 12th in the nation in student debt, with our graduates owing on average more than $18,000. Such costs leave countless students behind. ... Panel friendly to higher ed Analysis: For LSU, that includes a 5% faculty pay increase, covering of mandated personnel costs, and $19.2 million in quality enhancements to focus on faculty, students (esp. graduate students), and information services. Provide quality education, jobs will come Go Grants' cost concern lawmakers Even several supporters argued Monday that the program with its $15 million initial price tag could be even bigger. It is expected to cost $41 million four years from now.
College officials endorse budget plan College, university officials eye extra money Regents' Go Grant Approved, Waiting on Appropriation The $15 million program must next go through the state House Appropriations Committee. Blanco Pushes Major Boost to Schools Analysis: Impact on LSU will be announced today by the Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc. LSU Proposes 'Pelican Promise' Aid Program Higher Education Rolls Out Wish List The recommendations to the Governor's Office include fully funding the state's higher education funding formula for the first time since 1981, increasing faculty pay by 5 percent and starting a student financial aid program based on need, not academics.
Analysis: With a 5 percent pay increase, LSU faculty pay would be very close to the SREB average. The funding formula is based on the state appropriations difference between an institution and its comparable peers in the Southeast. The most current formula iteration shows LSU's appropriations $19 million away from the regional average. The formula does not take into consideration tuition revenue, which are also used for general operating expenses. In fact, when combining tuition and state approprations, LSU receives $85 less per student than UAB and only $22 more per student than the University of Southern Mississippi. The colleges that receive more revenue per student than LSU include Texas Tech, Georgia State, U. of North Texas, and U. of South Florida. As for the remainder of the wish list, a plan for distribution has not been released to the colleges. It is known that LSU's campus represents about 23 percent of the total deferred maintenance estimated at $189 million.
LSU Strives to Get to Top of the Class As part of the conversion to what LSU leaders call a flagship school, the university's admission standards have been elevated. Prospective students must have an overall B average in high school and an above-average score on standardized tests. They must be ranked in the top 10 percent of their classes and must have completed what O'Keefe calls a core curriculum that includes mathematics, science and social studies. Board of Regents Begin Master Plan Process Joseph Savoie said the plan also could include new financial incentives for schools to attain better graduation rates or other goals and a renewed emphasis on making a college education more affordable. Officials are beginning an 18-month process to update the master plan, which was last rewritten in 2001 and included, among other things, admissions standards on four-year public schools for the first time. Some schools by that time had already done away with their open admissions policies.
LSU IT Expert Meets with Ark. Gov. Huckabee, sort of The two actually were talking more than 650 miles apart. Seidel, director for the Center for Computation and Technology, and Thomas Sterling, LSU computer science professor, hosted a high-definition television videoconference Monday between LSU and the University of Arkansas.
After a day of backroom negotiations and two hours of sometimes rollicking debate, the 59-40 vote fell 11 short of the two-thirds majority required to raise the limit and allow legislators to spend more than $155 million during the current special legislative session. LSU Tops Baton Rouge Area Chamber's Legislative Request CABL Supports Flagship Agenda Investments Governor Blanco Announces Special Session in December Senate District 16 Election Set for December 9 Governor Proclaims International Education Week Higher Education Investments on Sept. 30 Ballot Here are the mechanics: A portion of the revenues generated for off-shore oil and gas extraction are placed in a permanent trust fund called the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund (LEQTF). The fund is split equally by K-12 and higher education, and the interest can be spent on "endowed chairs for eminent scholars." If a donor to a college or university (private or public) gives 60 percent of a $1 million chair or $100,000 professorship, the state will match it with the remaining 40 percent. The constitutional amendment would permit up to 35 percent of the state-provided portion to be invested in stocks or other equities. The matching program was meant to improve educational quality, so the interest revenue from the endowment goes to supplement faculty pay. The hope is that the enhanced pay will attract or reward quality faculty. LSU currently has 60 endowed chairs and 483 endowed professorships, and the total endowment from this program alone is $108.3 million. The publicly provided portion is mostly from the matching program, $42.6 million, but also includes an additional $12.2 million in specially donated gifts. LSU has $54.9 million in publicly provided endowments. In their Guide to Constitutional Amendments, the Public Affairs Research Council reported that 16 of 20 states surveyed permitted institutions to invest their endowment portfolios in stocks. According to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, universities nationally invest about 60 percent of their endowments in stocks. LSU's total endowment equals $259.1 million. Endorsing Amendment #10 are Baton Rouge Business Report publisher, Rolfe McCollister,The Advocate and Shreveport Times editorial boards, the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), and the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry (LABI). To read the Louisiana Constitution about LEQTF, click here.
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