Anticipated budget cuts announced

As most of you know by now, a $219 million (15%) cut to the higher education budget was proposed by Gov. Jindal just a few weeks ago.

Federal money will only be a short term solution, and the state is looking at more than a $400 million shortfall come 2012.

So far projections for each system are as follows:

LSU system - $102,087,705

Southern Univeristy system - $16,942,411

University of Lousiana system - $67,054,816

Louisiana Community & Technical College system - $28,794,979


These appropriations aren't final and will be submitted to the legislature in April for final approval.

The Board of Regents is working on phasing in a funding formula based on performance in areas such like increases in degrees and certificates awarded and competition for research grants.

For more information, visit:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090325/NEWS04/90325029

http://www.lsureveille.com/anticipated-budget-cut-figures-announced-1.1629241

SOS TO APPEAR ON JIM ENGSTER SHOW!

Two members of the "SOS-Save Our Schools Campaign" will appear on the Jim Engster Show, broadcast on 89.3 WRKF, the NPR affiliate here in Baton Rouge, tomorrow (Wednesday) from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. If you're outside of the listening range, listen live here! The guests will discuss the implications of higher education cuts, as well as practical solutions to make these institutions sustainable in tough economic times. 

If you want to chime in, please call (225) 297-5633. We hope to hear from you!

students, prove that you CARE

We, as students, are so frequently disregarded by our legislators. We are perceived as inactive citizens with little power to make change. The governor and the legislators are dismissing education and think they can get away with it! We must prove that we are worth saving, that our education is worth saving, and that we will not be walked on. Legislators are more than happy to refer to us as the "future of the state," yet have no problem in cutting our education- our lifeline to being the future. Now is the time we must make our mark and prove that we deserve respect. So let us hold the legislators accountable for the future they seem so concerned about during election season....and so unwilling to protect once in office.

How can you make your mark?

S.O.S. Press Conference VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8ypc2rxQSM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW9Ld7Qmtwk

As the Advocate says... LET THE SUN SHINE IN.

In the March 18, 2009 edition of The Advocate, the editorial board echoed the sentiments of SOS: it's time for Louisiana government to get transparent. In "Our View" piece, entitled "Let the Sun Shine In," the board explains that this is National Sunshine Week (annually March 15 to March 21), where leading transparency advocates tout the benefits of a completely transparent government. In our state, leaders like the Pelican Institute for Public Policy and Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana have long championed the need for this sort of government reform. And finally, these voices in the wilderness are getting the credit they deserve.

The article calls for President Obama to live up to his promises of making his entire administration transparent, especially with a Google-style searchability of federal budgets and legislation. In Louisiana, Governor Jindal promised, through one of his first executive orders, complete transparency.

How does this correlate with our ongoing budget crisis affecting our school? Now, more than ever, students and taxpayers should monitor the spending of both educational institutions and the state. When each penny matters more than it did ever before (which could be the root of the problem), transparency allows for all of us to scrutinize spending. We must be responsible voters and examine the causes for the problems we face. And transparency is just the tool to do so.

Change: The Higher Education Funding Disconnect: Spending More, Getting Less

by Jane V. Wellman

The rich and famous are much in the news these days—colleges and universities that is, the ones with endowments in the hundreds of millions or more and whose run-up in assets has raised questions about their non-profit status from both state and federal lawmakers. The U.S. Senate Finance committee wants to know, for example, why institutions that are reported to average 20 percent annual increases in the market value of endowments of $500 million or more still need to raise tuition and fees every year. And the Internal Revenue Service is preparing for intensive audits of more than 400 institutions, looking at revenue-generating activities housed within them and how those activities fulfill the public or charitable purposes of the institutions. Meanwhile, legislation has been proposed in Massachusetts to levy state taxes on the Commonwealth’s wealthiest non-profit private institutions.

Media and policy attention to the wealthiest sector of higher education might cause the public and policy makers to think that most colleges and universities are awash in money—and looking only at the Ivy League and the biggest public research universities, it would be hard to argue that they’re mistaken. But the focus on revenue masks the bigger story in higher education finance in America, which is a story of growing gaps between rich and poor institutions, greater clustering of low-income students in poorly financed institutions, and disinvestment in teaching. Any one of these trends by itself would be disturbing; the three together spell real trouble for our future capacity to reverse America’s decline in postsecondary performance.

There's more

The Advocate: LSU faculty denounces furlough plan

By JORDAN BLUM

LSU faculty leaders came out of a meeting with LSU System President John Lombardi on Tuesday with the impression that widespread layoffs and declarations of financial emergencies are unlikely at LSU.

But LSU faculty continue to strongly oppose a proposal by LSU Chancellor Michael Martin that could force faculty to take furloughs — time off without pay — without approving an emergency state of “financial exigency” as is currently required.

The LSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors approved a new letter to Martin that said, “We are concerned about the wisdom and long-term effects of your request to the LSU System for greater power to implement furloughs without having to invoke financial exigency.

“In the hands of future chancellors, such powers may easily be abused,” stated the letter signed by Charles Delzell, a math professor and president of the AAUP chapter.

Read the rest of the story

New York Times: State Colleges Also Face Cuts in Ambitions

March 17, 2009

By TAMAR LEWIN

TEMPE, Ariz. — When Michael Crow became president of Arizona State University seven years ago, he promised to make it “The New American University,” with 100,000 students by 2020. It would break down the musty old boundaries between disciplines, encourage advanced research and entrepreneurship to drive the new economy, and draw in students from underserved sectors of the state.

He quickly made a name for himself, increasing enrollment by nearly a third to 67,000 students, luring big-name professors and starting interdisciplinary schools in areas like sustainability, projects with partners like the Mayo Clinic and Sichuan University in China, and dozens of new degree programs.

Read the whole story here (NY Times registration required)

Kate speaks on WAFB!! Check it out!

Link to interview:  http://www.wafb.com/global/Category.asp?C=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=89761&topVideoCatNoB=92715&topVideoCatNoC=151875&topVideoCatNoD=89780&topVideoCatNoE=89943&clipId=3554940&topVideoCatNo=undefined&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv

LSU students take to Internet to oppose state funding cuts

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/41356492.html

Jindal's budget proposal "destroys" higher education

...State Rep. Page Cortez voiced his budget concerns in Baton Rouge following the Governor's budget presentation, saying "we're destroying higher [education].”

Cortez says while the plan would use $3.6 billion in federal stimulus money to ease the financial pain, those funds dry up two years which would leave educators with a bigger hole down the road.

"I think from an economic development stand point we start sending our best and brightest to other states to get an education than we've lost that industry," said Cortez.

For now, the cuts are just proposals, still in need of approval from the legislature.

- WWL-TV.com 3/16/09 (Full Story)

Save Our Schools Press Conference

Come join us at Free Speech Plaza by the LSU Student Union tomorrow (Monday) at 1:30 p.m. for a press conference in response to the recent release of the budget expectations. Media and the public are invited to attend.

$219 million in cuts across LA public college campuses!!!

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/03/13/ap6164835.html

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/41145072.html

Two minute television clip from news 2 WBRZ 

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/paper-trail/2009/3/11/jindal-to-cut-219-million-from-louisiana-colleges.html

BusinessReport.com: Dumbing down higher ed

By JR Ball

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Just how serious is Louisiana about the importance of higher education?

That's the question Gov. Bobby Jindal, LED head Stephen Moret, the rest of the administration and the Legislature need to answer—and soon, considering the current plan is to whack $219 million, or roughly 15.5%, in university funding for the upcoming fiscal year.

Time after time, we've been told that a knowledge-based economy is the key to the economic future of the Capital Region and this state. We've been to places like Austin, Raleigh-Durham and Portland to see first-hand the economic boon that results when higher education is viewed with the same reverence as attracting an automobile plant or some multinational steel conglomerate.

READ THE WHOLE STORY

GUESS WHAT! NOW YOU CAN TAKE A BUS... TO AN UNACCREDITED SCHOOL??

Today's front page of The Daily Reveille included a quote from University Chancellor Michael Martin explaining that a $45.4 million budget cut would be "like the Flagship Agenda never happened... it's very disheartening." 

Strangely enough, this article appears on top of another piece, entitled "University sends bid invitations for new bus system." While I will give credit to the University for utilizing privatization to save some money, as opposed to the highly inefficient government-run CATS (Capital Area Transit System) bus program, there is one glaring issue. 

Why, if the University fears substantial budget cuts that will cause the whole system to collapse and ruin all of our lives, are they still going forward with a plan to expand and upgrade bus services? This will surely cost LSU boatloads of money... no, excuse me, taxpayer dollars.

As a former member of the current Student Government's Executive and Senior Staffs, I understand that it was an important initiative for them to get a new bus system in place. Certainly, there have been tons of complaints about surly and downright reckless drivers, inadequate service and inaccessibility of buses. There is no denying that there should be improvements to the bus system. But at what cost?

Is it worth purchasing a new fleet of buses that include GPS devices when they are threatening us with our school losing accreditation and, as Chancellor Martin woefully explained, the school "fall[ing] back to where we were eight or 10 years ago"? 

This is just another example of the mismanaged priorities of our school. Even though our bus system needs improvement, is now a time to worry about TomTom directing us to the Bell Tower?

I hope that this attempt at privatization will result in saving money. But, I fear that won't be the case. You see, what I expect to happen is that the money saved by using a private service will not be put in a lock-box, but instead, spent to purchase more buses or heaven only knows what else, for fear of not being allotted that money in future budgets. 

Please, LSU... prove me wrong. I beg you. I'd love to be wrong in exchange for the safeguarding of the interests of taxpayers and students. 

LSU Schools to Prepare $100 Million in Cuts

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
By Jan Moller
Capital bureau

LSU schools to prepare $100 million in cuts
System's chief says they may be permanent

BATON ROUGE -- The head of the Louisiana State University System is asking individual campus heads to detail how $100 million in permanent cuts would affect their schools as the state's colleges brace for a bare-bones budget.

In a letter to university chancellors, LSU System President John Lombardi also confirmed that the schools will ask the Legislature for a 5 percent tuition increase this spring to help mitigate the effects of spending cuts caused by the ongoing recession and the state's loss of energy revenue. He said the schools might also look at increasing some fees, though that could prove to be a tougher sell among lawmakers.

The tuition increase was initially approved last year, and requires only a majority vote in each chamber of the Legislature to implement for the 2009-10 academic year. But most fee increases require a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate.

"While it is possible that some relief may be forthcoming from the Legislature, due to the timing we cannot delay development of specific plans to implement the reductions required by the Governor's budget," Lombardi wrote.

Gov. Bobby Jindal is scheduled to make his 2009-10 budget recommendations to the Legislature on Friday. Higher education officials were told late last week that colleges and universities will be asked to absorb a $219 million cut, an amount that would have been twice as high were it not for federal economic stimulus dollars.

The cuts come after several years of growth in state spending on higher education, which brought Louisiana's public colleges and universities up to the level of their regional peers after decades of trailing behind.

Lombardi said the cuts translate to a 15 percent reduction in state support, and a 9 percent cut in "discretionary money," or state dollars and money collected from students.

A spreadsheet accompanying Lombardi's letter says LSU's main campus would be cut by $35 million, while the University of New Orleans is looking at $11 million in reductions. The LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans would be cut by $19 million.

The letter asks that individual campuses produce detailed budget plans by April 21, when the higher education budgets are scheduled for their first review by the House Appropriations Committee.

Although many economists predict the country will start to emerge from the current economic downturn next year, Lombardi said campuses should prepare for the cuts to be permanent, since the federal stimulus dollars that are propping up the budget will dry up in two years.
"Even with a substantial recovery of the economy over the next two years, we are likely to need to manage within constrained budgets for some period beyond the current two-year funding of the federal stimulus package," Lombardi wrote.
. . . . . . .
Jan Moller can be reached at jmoller@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5207.

University facing 15% in cuts

State college leaders were told Friday to prepare for more than 15 percent in cuts from their state funding during a private meeting at the Governor’s Mansion, higher education officials said.That represents about $219 million in cuts — nearly half of which applies to the LSU System — to colleges statewide in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s executive budget to be released Friday for the 2009-2010 fiscal year that begins July 1.The potential amount to cut was determined only after factoring in another $219 million in anticipated federal “stimulus” money, said Meg Casper, Louisiana Board of Regents spokeswoman. The two numbers being the same is a coincidence, she said.That means that without federal aid to ease the cuts, the cuts could have exceeded the feared “worst-case scenario” cuts of nearly 30 percent warned about in January.The state allocates $1.4 billion for higher education.State appropriations make up roughly 60 percent of most college budgets. Additional funds come from tuition revenue, federal dollars, research grants and private fundraising.College leaders have said 30 percent cuts would result in thousands of layoffs and the loss of many academic programs and students.The federal aid approved by Congress is only for two years. So, unless things change, the budget cuts could be significantly worse in 2012.State Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen declined an interview request Friday, but she did release the $219 million number.“We have been anticipating a budget reduction for the coming year,” Clausen said in a prepared statement. “We expect to learn the final details of the governor’s budget when it is officially released on the 13th.”

For more of this story visit http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/40886642.html

Federal money - it's the only thing we got!

“Without federal aid to ease the cuts, the cuts could have exceeded the feared 'worst-case scenario' cuts of nearly 30 percent warned about in January," according to the Advocate.

Soooo… so far, the only alleviation for LA higher education has come straight from the federal package. Instead of rejecting the federal aid and finding its own solutions, Louisiana now finds itself relying solely on the federal dollars.

Jindal’s turnaround regarding the federal aid appears complete… from threatened rejection to complete reliance.

Couldn't the state add at least some relief on top of the federal money?

Even if it’s just to prove to itself that it’s somewhat capable?

The Battle Over Higher Ed's Budget Begins

The real battle over Louisiana's higher education budget begins in the coming week when Gov. Bobby Jindal releases his proposed budget (due on Friday, March 13). According to a story in today's Times-Picayune, Jindal will probably propose a 15 percent cut in higher education. That's about half of what he likely would have proposed without federal stimulus funds -- which he opposed and said he would have voted against.

Now the battle begins to persuade Jindal and the Legislature to take further steps to make that 15 percent cut even smaller.

Options: they can set priorities that protect higher education (yes, they do have some leeway, despite what you hear in the press); they can tap into some large, existing funds that haven't been spent or are proposed for increases (a $400 economic development fund that Jindal & Co. reportedly want to increase by an additional $400 million); or they can tap into the state's rainy day fund to close the gap.

Any of these options, or a combination of some or all, could save Louisiana higher education from crippling budget cuts.