HOPE CARTER, Reveille Radio News Reporter:
The possibilities of tuition hikes and professor terminations make budget cuts a topic of much concern at LSU lately. Chancellor Michael Martin has had many ideas to offset these cuts and bring money to the University. Among them, online courses and a brewery. Chancellor Martin believes the courses, especially, will be a good investment.
MICHAEL MARTIN (University Chancellor): There’s a huge market out there, and that our name brand, the LSU name brand, will be very appealing.
CARTER: Martin thinks the brewery would not necessarily bring in much revenue, but would be a good utilization of the campus’s already-existing resources.
MARTIN: There already is a brewing course. So I thought, “You got a big name. We’ve got several private partners that want to be our partners in this so it won’t cost us any money because they want to be associated with our great brand.
CARTER: Chancellor Martin said funding for the new projects would come from the private sector.
MARTIN: In this case we would look to a private sector partner to be a partner and help cover the funding costs so it won’t cost us anything. But, at all times, you know, when times are bad you’ve got to invest in things that can grow you out of it as well.
CARTER: New ideas to increase revenue include building apartments along Nicholson Drive and creating a matching program to enlarge the University’s endowment. Martin says the main reason for the new projects is enhancing the learning experience at LSU.
MARTIN: It’s not just about making more money; it’s about using our resources to give students greater opportunities to learn at somebody else’s expense.
CARTER: Hope Carter, Reveille Radio News.