After a long period of financial uncertainty and everchanging budget concerns, the LSU System has finally cemented its operating budget for the 2009-10 year. The LSU Board of Supervisors approved the $3.5 billion budget without opposition Thursday at its meeting. The new operating budget contains $71.1 million in spending cuts for institutions across the state — a 2.8 percent decrease from last year’s budget, according to the resolution included in the meeting’s agenda. The newly adopted spending plan comes with the elimination of 420 vacant positions and 69 layoffs as a result of a 19.1 percent decrease in state funding.
John Antolik, LSU System assistant vice president and comptroller, mentioned the scaling backs the University had to make under the budget restrictions.”LSU cut academic units by 3 percent and non-academic units by 5 percent,” Antolik said. Antolik also said he was pleased the University was able to include continued funding for the Pelican Promise program for a third year. The program provides an award for the full cost of attendance to the University to financially needy students, Antolik said.The budget resolution also included a requirement that each campus and hospital in the LSU System prepare a quarterly report on the use of its budget. The report will include information about transferring funds from an academic to a non-academic area, transferring funds from a major budget category to another if the transfer exceeds 20 percent of the smaller category and an explanation of significant reductions in anticipated revenue.System President John Lombardi said though the adoption of the budget will end the uncertainty the System had been facing, “things won’t change.””The campuses had been operating as if the budget was already approved,” Lombardi said. “They had to because the budget had to begin July 1. All that was done here was make recognition of what we knew. There were no surprises today.”Capital outlay projects through 2015 were also approved at the meeting. The University’s plan, totaling $661.5 million, includes a host of projects to renovate buildings as well as build new ones. Three emergency projects were approved, including a campus sewer line replacement and roof replacements on Patrick F. Taylor Hall and the Life Science Complex. New buildings scheduled to be constructed are a $63 million residence hall, a $42 million math and lecture hall and a $30 million parking facility.Two seats were arranged during the meeting. Chairman-elect Blake Chatelain, of Alexandria, was sworn in as chairman, while James Moore of Monroe became the new chairman-elect after he was nominated without opposition. Other construction projects for campus were approved by the Property and Facilities Committee, including a financial plan for a new building for the E.J. Ourso College of Business and a Tiger Athletic Foundation-funded bleacher renovation in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The 660 new bleachers will cost approximately $550,000 and are expected to be completed by  the beginning of basketball season Nov. 13.In a presentation to the Academic and Student Affairs, Achievement and Distinction Committee, Michael Gargano, vice president of student and academic support for the System, mentioned the University’s projected admissions statistics for the fall semester. Gargano said the University was projecting an enrollment of 28,200 students, a six-person increase from last year.————Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]