4 Louisiana Universities in Bad Financial Shape: GSU, SUNO, SUS, and LSU Health Sciences


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http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/ne...na-universities-bad-financial-shape/89603640/

A committee of the Louisiana Board of Regents has placed four schools on “fiscal watch” based on low scores on a 0-to-5 scale for fiscal health. One school scored a zero.

Regents staff examined the most recent state audits for 36 public institutions in Louisiana’s four higher education systems. The scores range from 0 or "poor financial health" to 5, which is "excellent financial health."

The four lowest-scoring schools were:

Looking statewide
Not all Louisiana schools are in bad fiscal shape. The Louisiana Community and Technical College System is in the best financial health and boasts schools with the highest scores. The only two in the state to receive a score of 5 were South Louisiana Community College and Sowela Technical Community College.

The system averages ranked as follows:
  • 1.8: Southern University System.
  • 2.9: LSU System.
  • 3.01: University of Louisiana System.
  • 3.96: Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
Those scoring at least a 4 — one under the score for "excellent financial health" — were LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans (4.3), McNeese State in Lake Charles (4), Baton Rouge Community College (4.5), Bossier Parish Community College (4), Delgado Community College (4), Nunez Community College (4.5), Fletcher Community College (4), Northshore Technical Community College (4), River Parishes Community College (4.5) and South Central Louisiana Technical College (4).

A closer look
Southern President-Chancellor Ray Belton told a committee of the Board of Regetnts that recurring cuts from the state, drops in enrollment from higher admissions standards from the GRAD Act and higher tuition have "wreaked havoc" on Southern institutions. SUNO has experienced all that while "still being in a state of recovery" from Katrina, he said Aug. 24.

The system's 2014-15 state audit also notes such factors, such as $7.1 million in continuing construction projects for buildings damaged by Katrina.

The audit showed total revenue decreased $19 million (8.1 percent), while total expenses decreased only $3.9 million (1.6 percent).

Operating revenue decreased by $1.6 million or 1.3 percent, primarily from decreases in net tuition and fees, federal grants and contract revenues, and other sources of operating revenue.

Non-operating revenue was down, too — $17.4 million or 15.4 percent — primarily because of a 20-percent decrease in state appropriations and 3-percent decrease in federal funds, according to the audit.

The LSU System did not have the same problem as Southern when it came to revenue and expenses. It did lose a lot of revenue — a decrease of $114.6 million — but operating expenses declined by more, $195.2 million. And while Southern's schools saw a decline in enrollment from fall 2013 to 2014, the state's flagship system saw its student population grow.
 
SUNO definitely better get its act together. SUNO wants to do their own thing, but will not leave the Southern University System to join another system like UNO did. SUNO has always been a problem for the SU System. IMO, it has a lot to do with the culture in New Orleans. Like someone once said on here, a lot of those folks actually believe that the universe revolves around New Orleans. I still remember trying to convince a young lady who attended SUNO that its main campus was in Baton Rouge.
 
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I still remember trying to convince a young lady who attended SUNO that its main campus was in Baton Rouge.

Really?

You may not believe this but there are people who think that Grambling is a suburb of New Orleans. I remember getting on a plane flying from DC to go to the Bayou Classic. I was flying in to New Orleans and a guy told me, "Well are you staying at your mom's because Grambling is right outside New Orleans."

At first I thought he was playing but he was serious.
 
Really?

You may not believe this but there are people who think that Grambling is a suburb of New Orleans. I remember getting on a plane flying from DC to go to the Bayou Classic. I was flying in to New Orleans and a guy told me, "Well are you staying at your mom's because Grambling is right outside New Orleans."

At first I thought he was playing but he was serious.

That's expected from people who are not familiar with Louisiana. Former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder thought Doug Williams played at SU when I told him I graduated from SU. There's a lot people who are not from Louisiana thinks all of Louisiana is New Orleans, especially those along the east coast. They think Louisiana is exactly like one of those tiny states in the northeast like Delaware.
 
Well SUNO is on track to getting things together, the problems is with the System.. I have said this before the System needs a plan detailing the schools.

SUNO is basically getting a brand new campus with all the new buildings being built, on top of that they have recently added a forensic science program that is already getting national attention and is becoming a enrollment attraction, also they are about to add nursing and future talks of engineering

With all this begin said the university with the right person in charge could bring SUNO to new heights.. but I always said the university is never market right. I see SUNO as like a Georgia Southern private school feel but public university access when all the new buildings are built it could work..
 
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