The Board of Supervisors discussed the faculty situation in the College of Arts and Sciences, the budget crisis facing the LSU Hospitals and a proposition to have LSU and Southern University play each other in football next year in Friday’s meeting.
As part of the Master Plan committee, Chancellor Mark Emmert discussed the University’s need to attract and bring world – class faculty to Baton Rouge.
The move made by the University two weeks ago in the English and Math departments was nothing more than a move to better the research body of faculty of the University, Emmert said.
“The reason that LSU has a grossly disproportionate number of instructors is very, very simple,” Emmert said. “They’re cheap.”
Because of budgetary problems, the need for cheap instructors was crucial, Emmert said.
Emmert said instructors provide “very good” undergraduate education to freshmen and sophomores but contribute “very little and nothing” to upper division students, graduate education and research and scholarship of the University.
“That is not to be critical to these people,” Emmert said. “These are wonderful wonderful members of our community and we value them highly. But we want the workforce to match up to the mission that we are trying to achieve.”
During the Friday meeting the board approved the architectural plans to build the Louisiana Emerging Technologies Center on the corner of East Parker Blvd. and South Stadium Drive.
The center will work in conjunction with the Ag Center to house businesses and laboratories. Funding of the $7,792,000 project will come from the Department of Economic Development.
The budget crisis affecting the LSU Hopsitals also was addressed at the meeting.
Dr. John Rock discussed the economic crisis Charity Hospital in New Orleans is facing.
“We are making reductions and trying to stay within budget, but we are going to have to do so in a careful manner,” Rock said.
For the upcoming year the hospital anticipates to be short $15 million. Effects of the shortfall have already been felt through a reduction of operating rooms.
During the Thursday meeting Tony Clayton, a Southern University board member, called for a resolution to have an LSU-Southern football game during the 2004 or 2005 season.
The resolution was made in response to the home open date LSU has following the void left by Virginia Tech backing out of next year’s game.
No decision was made on the game, but the final say will come from the Athletic Department.