Chancellor Mike Martin announced “heart-wrenching decisions” in a broadcast email Monday, stating the University’s intention to eliminate several academic programs — including the bachelor of Arts in German and Latin, language options and the Master of Library and Information Sciences — and various centers and institutes on campus to cut $3 million from the University’s budget.
“The University is now moving forward to take steps to implement these changes,” Martin said in a broadcast email. “The University is analyzing each unit and every individual affected to determine the best course of action. To the extent possible, it is LSU’s intention to honor commitments to students already in these programs and those who have enrolled for the fall semester. A timeline for change in each unit will be determined only after this analysis is complete.”
Martin has repeatedly told Reveille reporters though he intends to phase out programs allowing enrolled students to graduate, he would not promise this scenario would be true of all programs being eliminated.
The Master of Library and Information Sciences, the Bachelor of Arts in German and in Latin will be eliminated, and with further loss of language options and administrative adjustments in Continuing Education, Martin estimated $2 million would be cut from the budget.
The remaining $1 million trimmed from the budget under this plan comes from the closure of 13 institutes from six colleges or offices.
These cuts are part of “Phase One of an on-going process to dramatically reduce costs at the University due to substantial reductions in state funding” and will annually save the University an estimated $3 million when fully implemented.
These cuts come in addition to the approximate $2 million in savings found in the Efficiencies and Entrepreneurship component of the Change initiative of the plan, which included administrative and support system changes.
Martin said he first informed the University community of the cuts through the broadcast email and planned to release a statement to the press by day’s end.
Martin met with the task force of faculty, staff and students on Friday to discuss these cuts. The task force was formed earlier this year and guide decisions on the closure of academic units in light of budget cuts.
Martin said these cuts are “consistent with our Plan for Greater Impact on Louisiana” and were based on “criteria developed by the planning task force.” Both the plan and the criteria are available on the University’s website.
“These recommendations further define the severity of our financial situation and demonstrate our commitment to emerge from this crisis a strong University,” Martin said. “This process is not an easy one and there will surely be great consternation and anxiety as we follow through on these recommendations and further changes are deliberated. But it is a process that is necessary given the current circumstances.”
The centers, institutes and facilities recommended for closure are:—College of Art and Design:Office of Community Preservation—College of Arts and Sciences:Louisiana Population Data Center and the Writing CenterEric Voegelin Institute and Cartographic Section—College of Basic Sciences:Design & Drafting CenterScientific Glassblowing FacilityGeochemistry FacilityOxy-Anion Stable Isotope CenterBird Resource Center—College of Education:Education Policy Research Center—Office of Research and Economic Development:Center for Advanced MaterialsCenter for French and Francophone Studies—LSU Libraries:United States Civil War CenterT. Harry Williams Center for Oral History—-Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected].