Post from Wayne Hogue's Facebook :
All, I haven’t said much about what’s going on mostly because I’ve been just too inundated, overwhelmed, and humbled beyond description. I cannot begin to express what the extraordinary outpouring of love and support means to me; I’ve been brought to tears many times over the last several days. In fact, I’ve gone through all the emotions, anger to sadness… it’s the end of one of the greatest chapters of my life, so far. I’ve also been trying to figure out what I should do and how to get something positive to come from this.
A lot of y’all have asked about protesting to try to get LSUS to change their decision; but, while it tears my heart out to walk away from a place where I’ve invested thousands of hours and dollars, and all of my incredible students, colleagues, and friends, and the phenomenal programs we’ve created, I don’t think I can stay. I have a greater responsibility now to my students, colleagues, and NW LA that will be easier to fulfill from outside of LSUS.
I am scheduled to teach classes this fall, and I don’t have anything certain lined up yet; however, if I get another job between now and when classes start, I don’t think I’ll be teaching. It’s way too uncomfortable out there for me now, and I expect it is as well for those who want me out of there.
Many have also asked who to lodge complaints with, and your concerns should be voiced and heard. It’s time for the leaders to step up. The Board of Regents, our legislators, and the media need to know that you care and what you think. Our university is obviously dying, so we need the higher ed powers that be to be planning how to protect what we have and begin deciding where we need to go from here.
The problems LSUS is facing are not just shrinking budgets and enrollment decreases. Getting rid of me also illustrates just how disconnected from the community the school and the LSU system are (and have been). The action shows a real lack of concern for the two most important constituents the school is supposed to serve: the community and the students. They obviously did not consider or care about repercussions from both groups.
All of the trouble I ever made at LSUS was when I was standing up for either the students or the community. I always fought to make the university more student-friendly against traditional rigid academic thinking that generally results in a less-student friendly environment. I intentionally tried to make folks uncomfortable with long-standing status quo. And, my stance on the merger is completely in support of the community; Northwest Louisiana and Shreveport-Bossier. We as a community are tired of the decades of being underserved and we need, deserve, and demand a major comprehensive university here.
LSUS exists primarily to serve NW LA; my home deserves a university that is multiple times what it is in all measures. Shreveport-Bossier is one of the largest MSAs in the nation without such a university and I am 100% convinced that LSUS can never become that university by staying in the LSU System. I’m surer now than I was when we were discussing the merger in the legislature. The LSU System does not have the resources, capability, or motive. In fact, LSUS is exactly the university the LSU System wants it to be: a small commuter school that does not compete for resources or students with the Baton Rouge flagship. The system was against the merger because they were afraid of Tech becoming an even more formidable competitor against the Baton Rouge campus. They want to keep north Louisiana fractured and Shreveport-Bossier pitted against Ruston simply to protect the flagship. So, they would hold my home’s future hostage based on a competitive strategy decision. That should make everyone in NW LA furious.
The “I-20 Corridor” concept that Tech envisions will pull all of north-central and northwest Louisiana together for the benefit of the entire region. Everyone must know that if Shreveport-Bossier prospers, Ruston benefits, and vice-versa (as well as Springhill, Vivian, Mansfield, Coushatta, and all of NW LA). So, I want to put together a resolution from the people of NW LA telling the LSU System to do the honorable thing and relinquish management of the LSUS campus to the U.L. System and move forward with Tech’s plan for the S-B campus. It’s easily our best option for getting the university we need.
This isn’t about LSU Baton Rouge at all (LSUS is not LSU). I’ve always enjoyed introducing myself wherever I’ve traveled as being with “LSUS.” I want my state’s flagship university to be great, but I just don’t want NW LA to have to continue to be underserved to make that happen.
I don’t know what I’m going to be doing next, but I’m not going away. There are some very exciting things in the works around here that I hope to be right in the middle of. This is my home and my students are family so I plan to stay and fight for the university we deserve. Fighting for my home and family… makes me extremely resolute.
My favorite quote from his status:This isn’t about LSU Baton Rouge at all (LSUS is not LSU).
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Originally Posted by baw011
Good old Memorial Gym
