CHARLES LAMBDIN, Reveille Radio News Reporter:
Governor Bobby Jindal promised to keep university budget cuts below 10 percent, despite earlier claims the cuts would be as high as thirty-two percent. University
Chancellor Michael Martin expressed optimism towards the budget cuts and the state legislature.
MICHAEL MARTIN (University Chancellor): “The rhetoric coming out of the
Governor’s Office, the Department of Administration and out of the legislative leadership has turned much more positive with respect to higher education.”
LAMBDIN: The LA GRAD Act allows the university to raise tuition ten percent a year
if it meets certain qualifications. The university has raised tuition to account for state budget cuts, and Martin believes the education the university provides is worth paying for. He says if tuition is not raised to fill gaps in the budget, then fewer classes will be available each semester.
MARTIN: “We want to make sure that in the process of expecting students to pay a bit more for their education, it’s worth it for them. It’s not just a waste of money, but a
genuine investment in insuring that they leave here with a degree that’s highly respected because it’s excellent and one that they can achieve in a reasonable amount of time.”
LAMBDIN: The University is also looking for ways to raise its own revenue. Compared to its peers, the university is one of the most dependent on state funding, something Martin would like to see changed over the next decade. He would also like to increase LSU’s endowment to around a billion dollars, making it closer to Arkansas and Alabama’s. These goals also include a change in the university’s business practices.
MARTIN: “We have to find intellectual property we can market and make some money, and the brand of LSU is enormous. You can sell a lot of stuff with the LSU logo on it and we ought to be more strategic in how we do that.”
LAMBDIN: The TOPS program would cover an increase in tuition, and the university’s out-of-state tuition is comparable to the cost of many states’ residents fee.
Student Government President J Hudson will address budget cuts and the future of the university in his State of the University speech this Thursday at 7 p.m.
Charles Lambdin, Reveille Radio News
One-on-one with the Chancellor: Gov. Jindal’s proposals
February 14, 2011