Student Government members will appear on LPB tonight at 7 p.m. after taking part in a panel discussion regarding budget cuts to higher education.
SG Vice President Dani Borel, Executive Assistant John Ford and Manship School of Mass Communication Sen. Zac Lemoine voiced their concerns about budget cuts to the University and to the state as a whole at the taping of this month’s “Louisiana Public Square.”
The SG representatives were members of an audience composed of Baton Rouge residents, students from other schools and professors. A panel including Gov. Bobby Jindal’s policy director Stephen Waguespack; State Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans; Board of Regents consultant Thomas Layzell and Flagship Coalition co-chairman Sean Reilly answered audience questions and explained their visions for funding higher education.
When the topic of increasing tuition surfaced, Borel spoke up.
“I think raising tuition is important if we want to be competitive nationally,” Borel said. “If it bettered my institution, I’d be willing to do it.”
Another solution numerous audience members proposed was consolidating under-performing four-year universities into two-year and community colleges. Ford talked to the panel about LSU-Alexandria’s low six-year graduation rate.
“Is there anything we can do to change the funding for schools like this?” Ford asked.
In response, Layzell said the Board of Regents is starting a “massive” review of low-performing programs for Jindal, evidenced by Jindal’s recent announcement about exploring a merger between the University of New Orleans and Southern University-New Orleans.
Lemoine agreed with Ford, saying that Louisiana ranks in the top 10 states in the country for higher education spending because the state is funding 14 schools.
“That’s more schools than there are in the [Southeastern Conference],” Lemoine said.
The audience and panel also examined solutions for funding higher education like increasing taxes, reducing TOPS funding and reinstating the Stelly Tax Plan.
Waguespack relayed “good news” to the audience when asked why it was necessary to cut higher education funding instead of a different budget component.
“Funding for higher education has only decreased 4 percent over the last three years,” he said.
Reilly stressed that the Flagship Coalition is not only meant to lobby for the University.
“There are things LSU can do to save money to be a pilot for other universities,” he said. “If LSU takes less from the general fund, there will be more money for the other universities.”
The program also features a brief video of significant events regarding budget cuts to higher education, and SG President J Hudson is spotlighted.
“I feel good about where the budget’s going to be at the end of the day,” Waguespack said.
 
 
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Contact Andrea Gallo at [email protected]