As the LSU System prepares to undertake its largest reorganization in decades, students selected to weigh in on the process express eagerness to participate in the monumental shift.
Students selected to serve on the Transition Advisory Team’s academic and finance and revenue subcommittees range from Ph.D. candidates to members of the Greek community, and each student will help his or her assigned subcommittee advise the board at large.
The Transition Advisory Team consists of 10 people and five subcommittees tasked with studying the reorganization of the LSU System. They will report to the LSU Board of Supervisors with their recommendations.
“It’s important for the community to make sure we’re looking for other ways to raise funds for the University,” said microbiology junior Charles Lewis. “I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to maintain the academic integrity of the University.”
Lewis, a member of LSU Ambassadors and Fiji fraternity, will serve on the Academic subcommittee.
Thomas Rodgers, mass communication senior and Student Government’s director of academic affairs, said he can bring the perspective of a Baton Rouge local to the Academic subcommittee.
“I can bring the knowledge of what the students in Baton Rouge want to see in the academic policy-making,” Rodgers said. “I think the committee can give me a chance to make sure I’m leaving LSU in a better place.”
Greg Upton, Ph.D. candidate and graduate student on the Finance and Revenue subcommittee, said he hopes everyone in the subcommittees keeps an open mind.
“I hope that people don’t have preconceived ideas when they come into the process about what they want or what they don’t want,” Upton said. “I hope that the faculty and students can come together and we can take the two different perspectives and work together.”
Lewis said it was important to him that resources stay with the flagship university.
“I don’t want to divert resources that could stay here locally,” Lewis said. “I just want to make sure that LSU Baton Rouge’s position as the flagship institution is protected.”
“I hope that people don’t have preconceived ideas when they come into the process about what they want or what they don’t want. I hope that the faculty and students can come together and we can take the two different perspectives and work together.”
