The Faculty Senate decided to officially back House legislation that aims to raise tuition or implement an operational fee.
Kevin Cope, Senate president, said after the meeting Wednesday that the body passed a motion to “express support” of the legislation.
Astrid Merget, provost and executive vice chancellor, said the administration has proposed an increase in tuition and a $250 operational fee per semester for each student.
Robert Kuhn, associate vice chancellor, said the administration is simply seeking $18.7 million to fund a salary raise for professors.
Louisiana’s Tuition Opportunity Program would offset a tuition increase, she said. An operational fee would be paid by students.
Kuhn said he personally would not opt to raise fees for students.
“As far as I’m concerned, the state can put up all the money and students can come here free,” he said.
Merget said the legislation is necessary because the governor’s upcoming executive budget does not provide enough money.
“Right now, we are faced with a very difficult dilemma relative to what the governor has proposed to the executive budget for new funding LSU,” Merget said.
Merget explained that she hopes to receive the support of both the faculty and the student body. She said the legislation is necessary for the Flagship Agenda and to “upgrade the quality of academic life.”
“Together, they would not only generate the funds that are necessary to meet and sustain the momentum but perhaps to continue investment in the Flagship Agenda,” she said.
Cope said an ideal solution would be for the state to grant the University the authority to adjust tuition at a reasonable rate because of the money required to pass legislation.
“The legislature is very concerned, reasonably enough, to keep LSU within the affordable range of most families within the state,” he said. “If the funding of the University is low, then the quality that goes with tuition is also low.”
He said negotiations with the legislature actually cost more than they save.
“In the end, it’s ultimately more expensive because we have to go through all these legislative gyrations and set up bureaus,” he said. “It only increases rather than decreases.”