The LSU System Board of Supervisors will hear proposals on how institutions will reduce their budgets to prepare for a potential $133 million cut to the System’s budget at the Board’s July meeting tomorrow.System institutions will present their budget reduction recommendations to the Board at a 9:30 a.m. informational session, but no Board action is expected on the plans until sometime this fall, according to an LSU System news release.Institution officials began creating budget reduction plans after System President John Lombardi sent a letter June 24 to the chancellors, detailing what types of cuts may have to be made if the $133 million funding reduction is solidified in the 2011-12 fiscal year.If the cuts do come to fruition, each institution in the System will have 23.28 percent less money for its general fund in 2011-12 than in 2010-11, according to documents included with Lombardi’s letter.”The scale of reductions anticipated will almost certainly require the elimination of vital programs, the dismissal of employees including faculty and significant disruption of student academic careers,” Lombardi wrote.The cuts for the 2011-12 fiscal year would come after nearly $150 million in budget cuts for the LSU System in the past two years, according to the news release.In addition to the presentation of budget reduction plans, the Board will also discuss a resolution to increase tuition and fees at LSU System institutions.”Louisiana colleges and universities, in return for agreeing to provisions of the newly passed Louisiana GRAD Act, got limited autonomy to raise tuition and fees in return for promising to boost graduation rates,” the news release said.With prior legislative approval to increase tuition by 5 percent and the GRAD Act’s authorization to raise tuition by up to 5 more percent, students may face an increase of up to 10 percent in tuition and mandatory fees, according to the release.The July meeting will also be the first for the Board’s four new members, who were appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal in June.The Board meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the budget informational session, which will be followed by the regular July meeting.The meeting will be held in the Board Meeting Room of the LSU System Building at 3810 W. Lakeshore Drive.
 
 
 
—-Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]