With this coming fall’s freshmen class receiving their letters of acceptance to LSU, a quiet revolution in the way the University is operated is taking place. What remains to be seen is whether all of these students who have been accepted to the University will be able to afford to attend it after this semester.
LSU stands at the crossroads between its past and its future. With efforts to modernize the University fully underway it is critical that LSU does not forget its duty to the less fortunate and under-represented on campus to make sure they are not left behind in the wake of the great changes ahead.
Nearly everyone with a stake in the issue of LSU’s development agrees that the University is undergoing a period of profound change. For better or for worse, we have evolved from being regarded as one of the chief party schools in the nation to a sort of middle ground school.
No longer is LSU simply a refuge for average graduates from Louisiana high schools. The University has become, with the introduction of TOPS and a proliferation of out-of-state scholarships, a true flagship institution and is on its way to taking its rightful place as one of the great universities of the South.
All of these changes, however, are coming at a price. While much of LSU’s modernization has been welcome, specifically the added emphasis on academics and such institutions as the Honors College, there are justifiable fears that the University may well forget that its true purpose is to serve the citizens of the state of Louisiana.
Some of these new developments include a proposed fee increase for dorm dwellers and a rapid rise in standards required to enroll at LSU. These two issues, which encapsulate the divide between the old and new ways of doing business at the University, may damage the University and Student Government’s drive to recruit minorities and underprivileged youths to LSU.
When it comes to fee increases it is important for students to clearly examine whether or not such expenditures are for the greater good. Too often noble-sounding programs are mere covers for meaningless expansions. While we are not accusing Residential Life of any type of malfeasance, we must protest the automatic incorporation of Internet services into the fees charged by the dorms.
The simple truth is that while this would be convenient to 70 percent or so students who use the campus Internet, it would be an extra financial burden on those who choose not to participate, either because of a lack of a computer or interest in the Internet. Despite the University’s drive to modernization, Residential Life must remember the fact that the computer labs remain popular with students of lesser means, as well as the foreign exchange students who live in the dorms.
Turning to the University’s drive to raise admission standards we offer both cautious approval as well as a warning against relying too much on grades and test scores. Often times these arbiters of success fail to show the true merits of an individual, either positively or negatively. Many of us know students whose grades aren’t exactly all they could be, yet have made noteworthy contributions in other fields, and vice versa.
These fee increases, along with the elevation of academic standards, have the potential to shut out those who come from less-privileged backgrounds. It is no secret that our state is one of the financially worst off in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2000 report, 19.6 percent of Louisiana residents live below the poverty line. In addition to this, the state’s median income level per household of $32,566 in nearly $10,000 lower than the national average.
With one out of five people in this state in poverty, and many more straddling the line, it is imperative that the University does its best to be sure these folks are not left behind in the educational process.
Perhaps the University would do best by trying to get the state to expend more money on elementary and secondary education programs in order to develop a population ready for a flagship university.
LSU has come a long way since its foundation. The University has weathered much turmoil and change over the years and the road ahead does not look any easier. It is imperative that LSU remember its their first duty, is to the residents of this state, no matter their class or background.
 
The Daily Reveille Editorial Board is: Scott L. Sternberg, Editor-in-Chief; Mark F. Bonner, Managing Editor; Ryan Merryman, Opinion Editor; Dorothy E. Paul, Online Editor; Jason Dor?, Columnist
The Editorial Board produces weekly editorials written by the Opinion Editor which express the views of the Editorial Board. However, the opinions of the board do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of The Daily Reveille’s staff.