The University needs money.Instead of LSU Cribs-style pools and state-of-the-art video services found in athletic buildings, average students are greeted with old classrooms, broken desks, faulty ventilation, old video equipment and crumbling buildings.It isn’t pretty, but it is the state of the University.Enter the Flagship Agenda.The University introduced the Flagship Agenda in fall 2002 to implement new strategies for LSU to “improve its research and educational enterprise to make it more nationally competitive,” according to the Flagship Web site.Being ranked No. 9 in football is great, but LSU is an institution of higher education first.In the face of looming budget cuts, Chancellor Michael Martin recently proposed a $30 million fund to help the University’s long-term goals of the Flagship Agenda. This fund brings an increase in fees, possibly charging students an additional “Flagship Fee” of $500 per semester to attend the University despite students already paying an Academic Excellence Fee — the purpose of which is stated only in the General Catalog as “to promote academic excellence by enhancing instructional programs.” This new Flagship Fee would not be covered by TOPS and other scolarships, though Chancellor Michael Martin said the University would plan to assist students in financial hardship, mainly those students qualifying for a full Pell Grant. The Daily Reveille  hopes any new fees will be clearly communicated to the student body, and we hope students will be involved with this situation — cutting funds means either raising tuition and fees or cutting programs. Students should be aware of the University’s budgetary problems, and we should lobby the state government to more fully fund higher education, an invaluable resource to Louisiana, to avoid both cutting programs and increasing our costs. LSU students are smart enough to realize the Flagship Agenda is an overall great thing for the University.We just don’t want to be shortchanged in the details.—————Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]