Chancellor Michael Martin will propose cuts to University periphery soon.Martin discussed the University’s long-term future Wednesday with student leaders.”We are going to have to give up some things we currently do on the academic side,” Martin said. “We are going to have to make those hard decisions, and that means that there is going to be some displacement of the faculty.”The first elimination proposals will involve entities like “University centers and institutes” and programs not central to degrees, Martin said.”We haven’t started looking at specific degree programs in that kind of depth yet,” Martin said. “We have started by saying, ‘What can we take off around the periphery that will allow degrees to remain intact with maybe fewer choices to fill some options and save some money.'”The proposed cuts will be presented to a committee of faculty, administrative and student leaders to determine if the proposed cuts fit criteria created by the committee, Martin said. “We are in the process now of looking at some criteria,” Martin said. “We have an ongoing process to evaluate programs around the campus to see how — against those criteria — they can be justified or eliminated.”The criteria for cutting would focus on multiple aspects of the program or entity in question, Martin said.”Part of it is fiscal,” Martin said. “Also part of it are the programs unique at LSU to Louisiana. Are they central to our core mission, and do they support other programs?”The process of “refocusing” will take about eight months because the University’s long-term budget situation remains unclear, Martin said.”One of the reasons we haven’t drawn and fired quite so soon is the question of how big will the hole be if the governor can’t fill the current fiscal year hole,” Martin said.The legislature is debating Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposal for filling a $319 million budget deficit before the end of June.Martin said once the budget picture has become more clear, he will try to give students a chance to finish programs that will be cut.”I think anything we eliminate we will … attempt to phase out,” Martin said. “I can’t promise you that but we are deeply committed to that.”He also told students increasing tuition is necessary to keep the University in the U.S. News and World Report top tier and the state’s flagship.Martin said raising tuition could save students money in the long term because increased tuition would allow the University to offer students the courses they need to graduate.”The cost of a fifth year is much higher than the incremental cost of a little more tuition,” Martin said.
—-Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]
Martin discusses eliminations at roundtable
April 28, 2010