Former McNeese President Wade Rousse was selected by the LSU Board of Supervisors as the next LSU president. At the press conference held shortly after his selection, Rousse expressed his immense gratitude and excitement in taking the next step as president.
Side by side with newly selected Executive Vice President and Chancellor Jim Dalton and the chair of the Board of Supervisors, Rousse and Dalton spoke about their plans for LSU in the coming months.
“This is truly the honor of a lifetime,” Rousse said to the board after he was selected. “I am so excited to serve in this role.”
After thanking faculty, students, staff and other university stakeholders, Rousse thanked his wife Angela.
“As I have said throughout the process, trust is earned, not demanded,” Rousse said. “I will work each day to demonstrate that I am worthy of the trust the Board has placed in me and I will work to earn the trust of every member of this LSU family.”
Rousse has said in every step of his selection process that the university would be best served if the president role was split into president of the system as a whole and chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus. He said that he is extremely excited to take the next steps with Dalton as executive vice president and chancellor.
“Dr. Dalton’s record of scholarship, service and leadership aligns exceptionally well with what I believe LSU A&M needs at this exact moment,” Rousse said.
Rousse said that he and Dalton will work together in the next 30 days to put out a detailed plan for a new organizational structure that will best benefit the students, staff and the university system as a whole.
“It’s very important that everyone see the stability of LSU.” said Scott Ballard, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “The foundation of LSU. The tip of the spear is starting here with the board members, with our president, with our executive vice president and chancellor.”
Rousse faced some controversy among the LSU community with a perception that he was tied to Gov. Jeff Landry and lacked experience at a university as big as LSU.
Rousse estimated Wednesday that his official start date at LSU would be Nov. 17, but he said that the “work begins here, today.”
“I ask the LSU family to lock arms with us today,” Rousse said. “Our best days are truly ahead. Let’s get to work and go Tigers.”
