Staff Senate cleared up misconceptions during its meeting Wednesday morning about the Flagship Coalition, a group of influential businessmen working to lobby for the University’s interests.
Lisa Verma, Staff Senate president, said the two misconceptions about the Flagship Coalition’s plan are that the plan will harm other institutions and it will change the status of civil-service employees and their retirement plans.
Verma said the plan could help other Louisiana institutions.
During the president’s report, Verma also discussed the active shooter presentation, given to faculty and staff by the LSU Police Department on Jan. 26.
The presentation and video, “Shots Fired, When Lightning Strikes,” is part of LSUPD’s new website, lsu.edu/police. The website allows for increased communication between LSUPD and the University, according to a news release.
Verma also discussed the Provost’s Symposium, which was held Feb. 8.
Verma said the symposium, hosted by the Faculty Senate, Academic Affairs and the Retention Committee — a new committee with a broad range of University areas represented — discussed student learning and retention.
Verma said the Retention Committee is broken down into four subcommittees — academic, engagement, institutional and personal.
“The Retention Committee is a group of people that has been put together to improve retention until graduation,” said Saundra McGuire, assistant vice chancellor for learning, teaching and retention in Academic Affairs and chairman of the Retention Committee.
She said 62 percent of students who begin as full-time freshmen graduate from the University within six years, and the goal of the committee is to raise this number.
“We are looking at why students aren’t graduating at a rate we would like them to be,” McGuire said.
 
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Contact Celeste Ansley at [email protected]