Imagine the University with 8,500 fewer students on campus.That might sound pleasant at first — more open parking places, fewer lines to wait in and less walking traffic on campus. But a closer looks reveals a stark potential reality for the University’s future.If the state forces the University to chop 30 percent of its budget next fiscal year, the University’s infrastructure will take a crushing blow.Think about larger classes at every level, fewer courses and an even the possible loss of an academic college on campus.Those issues are all possible.The results from these much-talked about budget cuts are serious — even more than what University and LSU System officials wanted to reveal, according to documents obtained by The Daily Reveille.So what happens now? We demand answers.Why is the University and System quarreling over how to handle this situation? Should the budget cuts be performance-based — like the University is proposing — or across the board — like the System is proposing? Why can’t Gov. Bobby Jindal spare the University the brunt of the cut? Jindal shielded the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and community colleges from mid-year budget cuts. Why can’t he do that for the University?It’s time for the big dogs like Jindal and System President John Lombardi to live up to their billings.Jindal touted the importance of higher education during his campaign for governor. Lombardi came to the University with the reputation of being a fighter.Let’s see how much they really care about higher education now.Let’s see if the state’s highest-ranking political official and the state’s highest-paid employee will stay true to their words and reputations.Let’s see if they go down in Louisiana history as one of the few to do so.
 
 
 
—-Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]