The University received a boost last week as Gov. Bobby Jindal announced that his fiscal budget for the year included no new cuts for higher education.This is the first step in navigating the state’s billion-dollar budget shortfall for the next year, but the University still may see program cuts and reformations during the coming months.The University has absorbed $43 million in cuts during the last two years.Chancellor Michael Martin said this was the best possible outcome in this stage in the allocating process.But higher education isn’t out of danger yet. The governor’s budget will ultimately have to pass in the legislature, likely after amendments.”There is a long, long distance between whatever the governor says he prefers and what comes out the end of the legislature,” Martin said.Last year the governor proposed $219 million cuts to education. After passing through the legislature, the budget was edited to include substantially fewer cuts to higher education.Martin said he wants to see both zero additional cuts proposed in the legislative session and flexibility in setting tuition and fee levels.An increase in fees or tuition currently requires a two-thirds vote by the legislature.”If the hole doesn’t get any deeper and the governor and legislature would support us filling some of that in, that would be about as good an outcome as we could see realistically,” Martin said.Martin said the push for the state to focus on a performance-based formula for funding to distinguish the goals of the different size public institutions receiving funding statewide.He also indicated he would like to see the purchase of 100 acres on the south area of campus and renovation of the French House along with additional money for the deferred maintenance.Martin indicated the University administration will be proposing multiple academic and non-academic eliminations and reductions before the legislative session.”I believe we have to find a way to eliminate or reduce on the academic and non-academic programs to save between $12 and $15 million recurring,” Martin said. “Then I believe we have to get the legislature to give us, simultaneously, authority to raise $12 to $15 million so the $50 million hole can at least be half refilled.”He said proposing these cuts — likely to be implemented in August — will give the University the ability to grow in specific areas and to send the legislature a message.”We will need their help, and we intend to continue to be a great university and flagship University and should be funded as such,” Martin said. “But also we understand at this time for a variety of reasons we have to make hard choices ourselves.”Martin, administrators, deans, Student Government leaders, faculty and the Staff Senate agreed on criteria to decide the pre-session restructuring.Visit the Eye on the Budget blog on lsureveille.com for the budget reduction criteria.
 
 
 
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