Jindal's Getting Phone Calls

So I realize I went off on the Governor in my last post on this blog, but it was heartfelt and I meant it, and I still mean it. But I do understand he has a tough job ahead; I just hope he sees how important higher education is to this state.

It turns out he might be made to see if he keeps getting calls on the subject. This is a mass Facebook message I received per my membership in the group "I Signed the Petition to Protect Louisiana Education!"

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FROM: Joe Abraham

A friend called the Governor's office to express his concerns about cuts to higher education. The staffer who took the call said, "We're starting to get a lot of phone calls about education funding."

I just called; the staffer listened politely, took notes, and thanked me for calling.

So please, take a sec, call Governor Jindal's office, and express to him your concerns about education funding in Louisiana:
225.342.7015

And please, pass this on to your friends via eMail, Facebook, phone, and anything else you can think of!

Joe
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I intend on calling later in the day. I urge you to do the same! Any avenues we can use to express our displeasure - or in my case, incredulity - about the situation, will help.

CUTS WOULD HIT LSU HARD

BY Jordan Blum
Advocate Capitol News Bureau

LSU would lay off at least 400 employees, cut back on scholarships and shut down some research institutions under proposed budget cuts, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin said Thursday.

The LSU campus and most of the LSU System’s other institutions released their proposals for meeting $102 million in budget cuts to the LSU System in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s executive budget.

The cuts represent nearly 15 percent of the state’s appropriations to LSU campuses.

LSU museums, student services and general campus upkeep will all suffer more because the academic core must be protected, Martin said.

He said about 80 percent of LSU’s budget is in personnel and that it is “demoralizing” to let anyone go. Most layoffs would be staff and some instructors and part-time faculty, but not tenure-track faculty, yet, he said. The main LSU campus employs nearly 3,300 people.

“It’s very difficult to face the prospect that some of these good people will not be with us,” Martin said.

Martin’s budget proposal was submitted to the LSU System office Thursday evening. The system office will review and approve the budget.

LSU’s budget plans do not include anticipated 5 percent tuition increases and possible fee increases that could cushion some of the cuts, he said.

Find the rest of the story here.

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!

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.

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)

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.

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. 

Success Stories

I was personally told today that some of our readers have been using the "Contact Your Representative" feature at the right side of our blog. This is great news!

This blog is nothing but wasted breath if its readers do not take action and speak out on your opinions regarding the budget situation. It can involve as little effort as posting a response on one of our own entries, or posting responses on the Advocate or Daily Reveille Web sites. You can write a letter to the editor, or submit your own ideas for a post to us, or start your own blog, or e-mail your representatives. It all starts with YOU.

University Sustainability Tip #2- Cut Classes That Don't Work

This might be the most unpopular in my series of university sustainability tips, but I think it's still pretty necessary to point out. It is time that university systems start cutting classes and programs that are low-enrolling, underperforming or just plain pointless.

Whether it's "African American English" or "Primary Trumpet," there are plenty of offerings throughout the entire university in many degree programs that are simply not generating enough interest to keep them around during an economic "crisis." I suggest the university systems go line-by-line and decide which programs do not garner enough student support to deserve remaining on campuses in our state.

This is not to say that during times of prosperity that the university systems can't examine reopening these classes for enrollment, but right now, I think we can all do without them. Period.

University Sustainability Tip #1: Privatization/ Competitive Sourcing

This is the first in a series of commentary in suggestions for LSU and other university systems to become sustainable through even the most uncertain of economic times. Because we are unsure about the road that our governor and legislature will take to protect higher education, we should examine long-term solutions to the ongoing budget problems that fiscal mismanagement create.

Take control of the crisis by urging university administration and our legislature to promote sound budgetary policies that save the students and taxpayers money!

A great way for universities to cut back spending and to save more than a few pennies is through privatization/ competitive sourcing. Simply put, privatization is the act of turning previously government-provided services over to private sector enterprises.

What does this mean in our higher education crisis? Instead of paying state workers to mow the grass (as an example), LSU can offer a competitive bidding process for different private companies to earn the contract. Oftentimes, this means doing the same job more cheaply, more efficiently and more quickly. Due to the nature of these contracts, the university could penalize a company for not completing a project in time. Additionally, this would stimulate our local economy by allowing small businesses the opportunity to grow.

Privatization would offer benefits to both the contractors and the customers, in this case, the university systems.

For more information about the privatization process, examples of its successes throughout the country and the enormous savings it provides, check out the Reason Foundation’s Privatization Center.

Colleges coping with cuts

By Icess Fernandez • http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090213/NEWS04/902130330/1063 • February 13, 2009 2:00 am

With the economy in flux, funding for higher education from state government isn't looking too good in Louisiana.

It isn't looking good in other places either.

Most Southern states had midfiscal year cuts to their budgets. Colleges and universities in 10 out of 16 states took hits, according to information collected by the Southern Regional Education Board.

And it's only going to get worse.

"In the 30 to 35 years I've been in higher education, I haven't seen it quite this bad," said Gale Gaines, vice president of state services for the Southern Regional Education Board.

Louisiana's higher education system hasn't been immune to the economy's spiral. After sustaining midyear cuts of $55 million, campuses are seeing fewer courses taught with more students sitting in classrooms. Adjunct faculty was cut on some campuses and travel was frozen for faculty and staff.

But next fiscal year, more cuts are on the way.

In January, the Louisiana Board of Regents was told to prepare for a budget decrease that could be anywhere from $212 million to $382.2 million. The LSU system announced additional cuts recently for its campuses in an attempt to trim $175 million from its budget. At schools like LSU-Shreveport, that means as many as 64 faculty and staff positions could be eliminated.

What Louisiana has seen is common to other states, Gaines said.

"Anecdotally, I've heard of layoffs, re-educated class sections, reduced the entering freshman class, furloughs," she said. "In general, institutions are trying to protect instruction as much as they can."

But it's not all bad news out there, said Jeff Stanley, senior policy analyst for the State Higher Education Executive Officers, a national organization that represent statewide higher education governing and coordinating boards.

The group is in the middle of conducting a survey of higher education funding. Although the group is in the early stages of its work, they know of only a handful of states that have increased their funding for colleges and universities. Of the surveys they have received so far, no state has increased its funding above one percent, Stanley said.

"So far only a handful have released their budgets," he said.

Around the nation:
-In Missouri, Gov. Jay Nixon vowed to keep higher education funding static as long as university officials did not raise tuition or fees for the 2009-10 academic year.
-Maryland Gov. Martin O'Mally has a proposal to fully fund his state's higher education system and set aside money for the university system to freeze tuition. The freeze would be in its fourth year.

Take a short poll; make a difference!

Please take this eight-question poll regarding LSU budgetary behavior and transparency. Your opinions can help shape the long-term response to periodic budget short-falls and economic difficulties.

30 lose jobs at Tech; no layoffs announced yet for ULM, Grambling

By Stephen Largen • slargen@monroe.gannett.com • February 10, 2009

Louisiana Tech University laid off about 30 workers last week because of statewide mid-year budget cuts and concern about the looming budget cut for the next fiscal year.

President Dan Reneau said most of the workers laid off were still employed on a probational basis, meaning they had worked less than six months. The workers, who were spread across all departments, were mostly let go because of the budget cuts, not because of performance, Reneau said.

"It will help the mid-year cuts, and it's aimed at next year, also," Reneau said.

Reneau said such a mass layoff had not taken place since the late 1980s.

Tech's share of the $55 million mid-year cut for all the state's universities was $2.65 million.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe has not done employee layoffs in response to the mid-year cuts, though the school did freeze some open positions and other spending. ULM's share of the mid-year cut was $2.38 million.

A spokesman for Grambling State University was not aware of any layoffs at the school in response to the cuts. GSU's share of the mid-year cut was $1.33 million.

For the next fiscal year that starts July 1, the University of Louisiana System, the largest university system in the state with eight universities, could face a budget cut of 15 percent to 28 percent. The worst-case scenario would be a cut of $116.4 million.

According to a preliminary analysis of the impact of the cut, a $116.4 million reduction would result in the loss of approximately 60 academic programs, 1,500 jobs, 3,000 furloughed employees and a possible drop in enrollment of 12,000 students.

Reneau said more layoffs could follow at Tech if a deeper cut is made.

The projected cuts are part of a preliminary planning exercise by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration and are contingent upon a final budget.

"The state is facing significant financial challenges, and higher education must do its share," UL System President Randy Moffett said in a prepared statement. "However, in these tough financial times, Louisiana must invest in its people, and higher education is the key to the state's long-term economic prosperity."