So the man’s got money.
Yes, I am jealous of his rumored vacation home and the fact that he will be able to invest more in one year than I probably will in my life. Yes, I am overworked and underpaid by the University. I would be lucky if I could even afford to rent Chancellor Mark Emmert’s supposed second house for the week. But to tell you the truth, I don’t really care about his money — I just care about what he will do for me now.
As a former reporter, I sat through many interviews with Emmert. There was never a time when he wouldn’t answer my questions or meet with me to explain a situation. As far as I know, he has always been honest and helpful to me. But as a journalist, I am taught to be skeptical of everything. My professors always have told me if my mother says she loves me, I still should check it out. So this is what I will do for Emmert.
The Board of Supervisors already has approved the man’s raise. There is little hope in anyone taking that money away from him or convincing him to give it up. And while the skeptical reporter in me may search for some illegal deal or corrupt transfer of funds, none of that is apparent at this point. Therefore, I think arguments about whether or not Tiger Athletic Foundation or the LSU Foundation should have given him the money or this amount of money are pointless. We instead should focus on what he will do for his money in the next five years.
I can’t compare Emmert to any other chancellor. But as a reporter, I have written stories about countless things the University can credit to him or his leadership. Since I first arrived on campus, I have seen Emmert put forth tremendous efforts into making the campus accessible to all students. Many more buildings comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act now than before he got involved with the Campus Access Site Team. He even redirected a $6 student fee toward improving accessibility. Emmert then matched that fee with University funds to support recycling efforts and late-night initiatives.
Since my arrival, faculty members have been granted at least two raises. The students applying today have higher admissions standards and that seems to be leading toward better retention rates. Just last year, Emmert announced he had found funding to give graduate student assistants tuition waivers, and a Reveille article last semester stated the University has renovated a third of unused space on campus in the past three years. The Legislature told Emmert he could start building new campus buildings as soon as he had repaired and utilized all the unused space that he could. Very little is left in that project.
Emmert pushed for the governor’s support in technology initiatives and received LSU CAPITOL, a program that funds technology advances, such as “Mike” the supercomputer. He had the leadership to create his “Target 10” programs and is directing funding to these 10 academic areas in hopes of reaching national prominence. He is committed to making the University one that is nationally recognized. For example, he has fought to have the nation recognize the letters “LSU” as the University’s trademark name. I would say he is trying to create national name recognition, and his Flagship Agenda, in which he publicly called for the University to be “one of the leading public universities in the country, distinguished for its seminal research and first-rank graduate and undergraduate education,” certainly supports that theory.
Now, I say we should be arguing about what Emmert will do for LSU in the next five years. He has proven what he can do, and we definitely are paying him enough for us to have high hopes. With the next legislative session about to begin, it is time for us to hold Emmert’s feet to the fire and make sure he is ready to fight to make the University a better institution. It is time for us to call for nationally competitive salaries, better parking options, more teachers and enough copies for students to take tests. Sure, I am skeptical about whether or not he is worth as much money as he is making, but I certainly am willing to let him prove himself. If he doesn’t, then I will argue about the amount of money he makes.