The Louisiana Board of Regents approved a recommendation for the distribution of funding to the state’s higher education institutions for 2014-15 at its March meeting Wednesday.
The funding recommendation allocates the same amount of money to each institution as the 2013-14 fiscal year, with the exception of $6.1 million distributed to the higher education institutions that received the least state funding and $5 million to the LSU AgCenter. The amount of funding from the state for TOPS was also increased by $82 million because of tuition increases.
The LSU system was allocated $313.9 million, with $107.5 million directed toward LSU’s Baton Rouge campus. Board members mentioned the possibility of funds being adjusted for the LSU system because of the realignment of the AgCenter and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center with LSU A&M.
W. Clinton Rasberry, chairman of the board, said a search committee will be contracted from Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges for a new commissioner of higher education after former commissioner Jim Purcell stepped down this month.
Rasberry said if the contract is approved at the April board meeting, the search for a new commissioner will continue with the group’s help.
The board also approved funding for a series of small capital projects, including replacing the tile of the Arts Building roof, which is expected to be completed by June 30.
Among the other projects approved directly affecting the University were plans to replace the roofs of Beauregard Hall and the Human Ecology building, waterproof Kirby Smith Hall and install gutters on the East Campus Apartment buildings.