Proposed budget cuts to the University won’t get a chance to increase again if concerned students have any say in the matter.
Earlier this week, students released a video about the prevention of budget cuts to higher education.
Though the video is not Student Government affiliated,  SG members contributed to the project to rally against the cuts, stating that if cuts were to continue as planned, many educators and healthcare administrators would lose their jobs.
The video is less than two minutes in length and includes a letter detailing the severity of the financial issue. Some viewers have shared the letter and the video on Facebook and other social networking sites.
Student Government President Taylor Cox said the video is a “call to action” by concerned students, not acting as Student Government members, who are using the media as an outlet for this cause.
Cox said as individuals, the participants want to protect higher education overall, but as Student Government members they seek to protect the University. He and two other members, Lane Pace and T. Graham Howell, spoke at a public forum at the Senate Finance Committee as University representatives early last week. They discussed the impending cuts and consequences.
As of May 28, the Senate restored one-time funds of $204 million that were taken from the budget to help alleviate the $276 million in total cuts to higher education. The bill goes to the House of Representatives later this week, where it will be reviewed again.
Pace said they will “fight the $70 million after that,” if the one-time funds remain uncut.
Cox said students “need to band together because if we don’t…help protect one another, then our programs, our majors, our clubs will be cut.”
If the House doesn’t accept the Senate’s vote to save the one-time funds, the University could also face demotion, according to Pace. He said it might no longer be Louisiana’s flagship university.
Student Government Chief of Staff Andrew David also added that he “expects the government to cut things, but responsibly, in a way that reallocates money to protect our programs” instead of wiping them out.
Vice Chancellor of the Office of Budget and Planning Robert Kuhn said it is too soon to know what the overall damage to the school would be or how to rectify it.
“Any comment on my part would be premature,” Kuhn said.
He said the Office of Budget and Planning will be able to clarify things after all votes are in.
 
____ Contact Kristen Frank at [email protected]