The LSU Board of Supervisors announced plans Thursday to delay the first-year residency requirement, previously scheduled to go into effect fall 2009. The policy to require freshmen to live on campus will be pushed back until fall 2012, according to a June 4 memo from acting Chancellor William Jenkins. “The University will provide an update to the LSU System in 2010 on any future plans for a first-year residency requirement with a possible implementation date of fall 2012 or 2013,” Jenkins wrote. Jenkins listed enrollment growth and capacity, capture rate and focus on the first-year experience as reasons for the postponement. “The first-year residency requirement was based on stable enrollment growth of 4,600 first-year students,” Jenkins wrote. “A change in the University’s enrollment strategy has resulted in a growth in the first-year enrollment, and the growth is expected to continue.” Existing housing capacity is not sufficient to support the requirement, according to Jenkins. John Lombardi, LSU System president, said the recommendation for the delay stemmed from projections of a large freshman class. “When they did the numbers it looked as if in order to run a first-rate first-year residential program, they don’t have enough rooms to pull that off without catastrophic effects on upper-division housing,” Lombardi told The Daily Reveille on June 6. Mike Gargano, System vice president of Student and Academic Support Services, noted the change during the Board meeting, saying the delay will “give the campus a chance to assess and evaluate, review and consider all the serious options.” Jenkins said the University is increasing its focus on the freshman experience. “It has become apparent that the first-year experience is fundamental to our success,” Jenkins said. “First-year retention leads to more students graduating, and first-year retention is very dependent … on the first-year experience and the acclimation of students.” The Board originally approved the requirement in October, with only one dissenting voter – former Student Government President Cassie Alsfeld. The Board also unanimously approved on Thursday a motion to grant posthumous doctoral degrees to three deceased students. Carrie Yoder, a graduate student in biology, was murdered in March 2003 by convicted serial killer Derrick Todd Lee. Chandrasekhar Komma and Kiram Allam, doctoral students in biochemistry and chemistry, respectively, were killed on campus in December. The Board unanimously approved the addition of two new degree programs to the University: a master’s degree in construction management and a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. Carolyn Hargrave, vice president of academic affairs, said the motion will go to the Board of Regents in December for final approval. If approved, the degrees will be available for student enrollment by fall 2009 at the earliest, according to Hargrave.
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