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So, take it FWIW.
Big shake-up and reorganization hitting NSU. Have "heard" several alarming rumors, and of course, don't know what is actually true. Such is the nature of rumors. But, most rumors are bedded in some truth.
Question is, is this restricted to NSU or will other (all?) Louisiana state universities, be they LSU or ULS, also under-go draconian changes?
The chit is about to hit the fan!
If you are interested in what I've heard, PM me. I won't post details of what is now, mere rumors.
Has any of this broken in the media (print, social media, or otherwise)?
I have no inside knowledge but when reading through financials, I would bet that NSU and ULM are going to be hit hard at some point....why? They are not historically black universities and they have debt approved through the UL system that is not graded out at what lsu, la tech or ul-l would be at.
Nsu, uno, nsu, lsu-s, Lsu-a and ulm are the schools with the most to lose - lsu (Baton Rouge) has the most to gain with tech and ull picking up scraps.
Lsu has some big boy decisions to make in the next 36 months....their med school problems are troubling and we don't know all the messy details yet - and Tulane has yet to flex their real muscle. while other schools like Texas, Texas am, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida have real plans to make real improvements in the academic facilities, endowments, foundations, etc, lsu, miss state and ole miss are being lapped.
I truly believe that lsu will have to clamp down on the majority of the schools in the state if they don't want to keep falling in tier 1 reviews. Eliminate the majority of the UL school system, redirect those funds to lsubr and the problem starts to heal itself. But lsubr will have to do something about Alexandria and Shreveport.
It is an ugly time for Louisiana universities but lsu, tech and ull should be fine.
Oh and our friends in Hammond - be prepared to be regulated as a feeder school with some nursing programs....
Originally Posted by dawg80
WOW! Sounds ominous. TECH is my only concern and the others can rot for all I care. Hope TECH gets a well deserved boost out of this as I see TECH as the only one shooting straight and doing what we are supposed to do in the right way.
WWDog
La Tech
Region and hyphen free since 1894!
Flagship of the University of Louisiana System
I agree.... Every time I get my hopes up that there will be some type of big shake up, though, politics prevents it. Would LOVE to see 3 main public universities in Louisiana, but it will never happen. I am sure these other schools will be hit with budget woes, but that may be all that comes out of this.
That could be huge though. All of us (LA Higher Ed.) have already been hammered with budget slashes. Some worse than others. Some are barely surviving. So even more budget cuts could be the nail in the coffin for a few.
The politics will fall out of the picture if we have another recession or economic downturn.
LSU is moving backwards.....take a walk around their campus....as a Louisiana citizen, it is a shame to see the "flagship" in such bad shape. The only real on campus improvements they have recently had are the bookstore and their football stadium. Upgrading Laville is a grain of sand in their ocean of needs.
All that said, our deferred maintenance situation is nothing to write home about....but give Reneau credit....we have traction going east from Kenny to downtown. Lsu is locked by rich real estate developers....look at Pennington....those costs are outrageous.
Hope all of you are right. Just seen it so many times before........ Seems that money isn't important next to a politician's ego.
I will respond to those of you who sent a PM. I am hoping for a little more information first, which will probably be Monday now.
But an email was sent out to all faculty/staff yesterday outlining a proposal to further consolidate the schools/departments into just two colleges, as a cost-saving. The proposed new alignment makes no sense, for instance the School of Business put into the College of Education. And separated from the School of Engineering Technology, which will be placed in the College of Arts & Sciences. Presently the College of Science, Technology and Business houses those two schools, plus math and the biological sciences.
Needless to say the email sparked an uproar which was quickly responded to by the admin stating "it was ONLY a proposal and they are open to other suggestions."
The turmoil caused by the tight budget has (and is) causing a brain-drain. Many, many of the best and brightest PhDs have left or are leaving for other states. These are mostly the younger faculty members who still have most of their career and earning potential ahead of them. Can hardly blame them, they have to do what is right for them and their families.
I know of several younger PhDs who have departed from ULL, McNeese and SLU, so this is hardly just an NSU problem. It's a Louisiana problem.
More later....
LSU-Shreveport and UL-Monroe have already reorganized their colleges and schools in the last five years.
ULM went from 5 colleges and 26 schools to just 3 colleges and 10 schools.
LSU-Shreveport reorganized from four colleges to two colleges (including forming the College of Business, Education, and Human Development) in 2009. Last year, they reorganized the five departments in the School of School of Humanities into four departments.
Yep! and NSU had consolidated too. But this is more. Again, have no idea if other schools will, be required, to consolidate more or not.
Makes you wonder: our 5 colleges currently have in them 1 interim Dean and 2 retiring by year's end. Will we hire or appoint new Deans or is consolidation coming to Tech?
Who's retiring?
And where does the COES stand on its search?
Applied and Natural Sciences, Liberatos, 12/31
Education, Leonard, 8/31
COES had a national search and received 300+ applications; about 1/3 were decent. Whittling down the list.
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