NEW ORLEANS — Packed away in a gym on Press Drive, members of the Southern University-New Orleans community made their message loud and clear — they’re not going to take it.
SUNO students, faculty, staff and administrators, among others, filled the gym of SUNO’s Health & Physical Education building Wednesday morning at a forum meant to rally the community against a proposed merger of SUNO and the University of New Orleans.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has asked the Louisiana Board of Regents to conduct a study to see if it’s feasible to merge SUNO and UNO, whose campuses are only a few minutes apart. Jindal set the study deadline for March 1.
People filled metal chairs in the middle of the gym and the bleachers at the back. Several legislators were in attendance, including Reps. Austin Badon and Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans, and Sen. Cynthia Willard-Lewis, D-New Orleans.
Anti-merger sentiment pervaded the crowd as well as SUNO leaders.
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Joseph Bouie, SUNO Faculty Senate president and former SUNO chancellor, led the crowd in the cry, “I am, because SUNO is; We are, because SUNO is,” among other phrases. Signs adorned the front of the gym, reading “Save SUNO: Yesterday, Today, Forever.”
SUNO Chancellor Victor Ukpolo said SUNO administrators are “aghast” at the possible merger.
Bouie commended students and faculty for working in what he called an “environment unfit for education.”
Bouie referenced a Regents study from 2006 that said merging the two schools was not feasible. He also said the state has discussed merging the schools five times previously.
“Clearly, the handwriting was on the wall,” Bouie repeatedly said.
Bouie said there will be a town hall meeting Feb. 24 in New Orleans to discuss saving SUNO’s individual status.
He announced that if SUNO’s main option to battle the possible merger doesn’t work — fighting the legislative action that would put the merger in motion — the school will file a federal suit against the state for denial of equal access to education for blacks.
SUNO Student Government Association President Eugenie Tobin briefly spoke at the event, encouraging those gathered to register to vote and rally at the Capitol when the potential merger comes up in the Legislature.
“When this piece gets brought up into the legislative session, it’s pretty much a done deal as far as this study is concerned,” Tobin said. “When it is brought up in front of the House, we want all of these students to come to Baton Rouge.”
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The SUNO SGA hosted Wednesday’s rally to educate students on what could happen to their school, Tobin said.
“A lot of students didn’t know what they can do to help,” Tobin said. “They don’t want this to happen, but they weren’t sure what they can do and who they can go to to ask these questions.”
SUNO Alumni Association President Randolph Scott said alumni will “stand tall” and do “everything necessary” to save SUNO.
Scott made clear his disapproval of the indicators state officials use for higher education success.
“I’m really sick and tired of graduation rates. Graduation rates mean nothing,” Scott said.
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SUNO’s graduation rate is 5 to 8 percent, while UNO’s is 21 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Bouie said putting a limit of six years in calculating graduation rates misses the point. He said certain circumstances prevent students from graduating within that time, like dropping out of school to take another job to pay for school.
W.C. Johnson, a member of Community United for Change in New Orleans, challenged the students in the audience, saying they weren’t informed on what was going on with their school.
“There’s a lot of ‘I don’t care’ among the students,” Johnson said. “Believe me, [the state wants] you gone.”
SUNO SGA Activity Director Bryan Braneon told students they “have to fight” for SUNO in the face of a potential merger with UNO.
“We have to be the voice,” Braneon said. “Without us, there is no SUNO.”
 
 
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Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]