A study analyzing higher education in New Orleans says “change is required” — but what exactly those changes will be remains a mystery, as the study gave vague solutions and left the Louisiana Board of Regents with a plethora of questions.
The study, presented by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to the Regents on Monday, gave two alternatives for restructuring New Orleans higher education institutions. Both alternatives include four main “components,” which represent higher education institutions.
The structure of those four components is the difference in the two suggestions.
The study’s four components include: an “urban research university,” a “metropolitan university,” a “comprehensive community college” and a “university college.” All four must have clearly defined mission statements, according to the study.
Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered the study in January to see if it was feasible to merge Southern University-New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.
However, the alternatives’ components didn’t use specific names of New Orleans institutions for “sensitivity” reasons, and the Regents asked question after question in a nearly four-hour meeting.
The Board probed the panel for more specific answers to the study, but the panel members emphasized that the main purpose of their study was to determine how to best serve the New Orleans region.
Regents Chairman Robert Levy said after the meeting he was unsure of the Board’s position on the alternatives.
The “urban research university” will serve students fully prepared for college, while the “metropolitan university” is for students less than prepared but have “no developmental education requirements that cannot be addressed in college degree credit courses.” The community college will serve a varied range of students from underprepared students to college transfer students with an emphasis on technical degrees.
The “university college,” a new component altogether, would emphasize developmental education and serve as a transfer gateway to the other three components. The study proposes the university college would share the same site as the metropolitan university.
In Alternative A, all four components will be supervised by the proposed Greater New Orleans Higher Education Authority, which would require legislation to be established.
In Alternative B, the urban research facility and the metropolitan university would share a site and be called the “University of Greater New Orleans,” which would fall under the University of Louisiana System. The comprehensive community college would fall under the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. The Board of Regents would oversee the transition by forming a temporary group known as the Greater New Orleans Coordinating Authority.
Board member Joseph Farr asked how much money the state will save if it uses the alternatives. NCHEMS panel member Dennis Jones said the alternatives won’t necessarily save money immediately, and panel member Alvin Schexnider said the Board should instead focus on ways to increase graduation rates and productivity over time instead of immediate cost savings.
Board member W. Clinton Raspberry asked point blank if either alternative would effectively shut down the Southern University System. NCHEMS panel member Aims McGuinness deflected the question, once again saying the study’s purpose was only focused on best serving the New Orleans area, and that both options will have implications on the SU System.
The Regents will meet again Tuesday morning to finish taking public comments, hold another discussion with the panel vote on accepting the report and possibly adopt both recommendations, adopt only one or reject both.
Jindal announced Monday he will pursue legislation to consolidate UNO and SUNO.
Jindal said the study results found the current institutions are not meeting the needs of the students in the region and that there is “no evidence that the institutions, within their current governance and leadership, will improve their performance.”
Jindal, who was joined by House Speaker Jim Tucker and Sen. Conrad Appel, said he will begin drafting legislation based on Alternative B.
Jindal said between the two options, Alternative B will better suit the students.
“Both options contemplate some kind of merger, but Alternative A creates another management board while essentially leaving the three institutions as they are today,” he said. “Adding bureaucracy is no way to reform the status quo.”
Jindal said “less is more” when referring to management boards.
“I’m not simply going to take B and turn it into a bill,” he said. “We will work out details between now and session.”
Jindal said this period will allow discussion among higher education officials and stakeholders.
“The University of Greater New Orleans and Delgado would share in a ‘university college’ — a central access point for applicants that would place them in the right education environment for their academic needs,” he added.
 
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