Southern University layoffs and program cuts coming


theSWACdecider

theSWACdecider

Active Member
BATON ROUGE, La. — Upcoming university layoffs and academic program cuts are looming over this week's Southern University National Alumni Conference in Baton Rouge.

New Southern Chancellor James Llorens, who has been on the job one week, said Thursday that declaring a state of financial emergency, called exigency, is a last-step resort, but it must remain on the table.

Tough decisions must be made in the next few weeks, Llorens said, as the university prepares to submit its budget with up to $8 million in new cuts because of declining enrollment numbers and the state's performance-based funding formula.

For now, he is not releasing details.

"We have some challenging days ahead," Llorens said during a "State of the University" address to hundreds of alumni.

"The circumstances are dictating that we have to evolve and make some changes . to preserve our history and protect the future," Llorens said. "I believe we will succeed."

http://www.therepublic.com/view/sto...15eb92d144e24/LA--Southern-Alumni-Conference/

One thing that really is sad is this quote in the article:

"A once healthy, robust, largest historically black university in the country . is now just a shadow of its former self," Mason said.

Southern has roughly 100,000 alumni, he said, but only about 1 percent donate to the university.
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:smh:
 



I guess the bigger question is: "What is Mason going to do about this" in terms of getting alumni to give back and corporate sponsorships?
 
THAMES said:
No HBCU can withstand an $8 million dollar budget cut after already being cut to the bone. This is serious as L. ... and before one of the ususal idiots come on here talking about you just worry about Grambling. I know Grambling can't be far behind.



link...
http://theadvocate.com/home/321727-79/su-chief-sees-challenges.html#comments
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Thames, Grambling took cuts just like all Louisiana universities did but Dr. Pogue was very smart when he came to Grambling to implement furloughs, energy saving measures and positions that didn't need to be filled immediately were frozen, etc. to offset the budget cuts. He did that and saved Grambling money. It's a two year plan that Dr. Pogue & his administration created to off-set budget cuts so they didn't and wouldn't have to lay-off people. Dr. Pogue is doing something right, 2400 Freshmen are expected for the fall, he has created partnerships with BPCC and DCC to increase enrollment, graduation and retention rates and BTW, Retention and graduation rates are up. If the right people are in place, good things happen. Glad Judson and company are out of Grambling. I believe SU will get back on track.
 
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Sorry to hear this Southern. All of our HBCUs have been thru this or will be going thru it.

Stay on top SU!
 
PV too prepares for budget cuts this fall. Hang in there SU. Also, that's a LARGE alumni base SU. 100K alums? If just 10% were giving....:smh:
 
All schools, especially HBCU's are going through major cuts, so there is no need for anyone to point fingers, rejoice or make a fun of these types of situation. HBCU's aren't the only schools suffering. Lambuth University in Jackson, TN closed its doors July 1 because of financial strains.
 
jsupop33 said:
Can a brother get some info. This sounds like bullshat. Is this funding tied to grad rates?
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That's what it basically is. Crazy thing is that the state started a new program to allow schools to retroactively award associates degrees to students who dropped out with enough hours, even though they were actually pursuing bachelors. Problem is, GSU nor SU were given the opportunity to participate.
 



jsupop33 said:
Can a brother get some info. This sounds like bullshat. Is this funding tied to grad rates?
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Yes. And then they allowed McNeese, Northwestern St and SLU only to give associate degrees to their students that was close to graduating but had quit school, and allowed it to count towards their graduation rate. I wish someone would sue. No way would that hold up in court.
 
jag4life said:
That's what it basically is. Crazy thing is that the state started a new program to allow schools to retroactively award associates degrees to students who dropped out with enough hours, even though they were actually pursuing bachelors. Problem is, GSU nor SU were given the opportunity to participate.
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Remember I posted that article in the Nation, and some didnt see a problem with it. I wish someone would sue.
 
Nonchalant said:
Did Southern University-Baton Rouge have open enrollment before when the enrollment was so large?
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Yes. I Remember when I was in school, one semester, SU set a record for enrollment. Think it was over 12,000 students. Now I think SU-BR has the highest entrance standards in the SWAC.
 
SUjagTILLiDIE said:
Yes. I Remember when I was in school, one semester, SU set a record for enrollment. Think it was over 12,000 students. Now I think SU-BR has the highest entrance standards in the SWAC.
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Interesting.

http://web.subr.edu/index.php?id=294

Freshman students, who graduate from out-of-state schools or home schooled, must meet one of the following minimum admissions criteria:

Criteria 1

Completion of Louisiana Board of Regents’ high school core curriculum;
Minimum ACT English score of 18 and math score of 19 (SAT verbal score of 450 or SAT math score of 460-470);

One of the following:

Minimum high school GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale OR
Minimum composite ACT score of 20 (SAT score of 940); OR
Rank in the top 50% of the high school graduating class
 
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Tying funding to graduation rates is flat out bullshat. The institutions who traditionally serve the most lower income or first generation college students suffer. The quickest way for a school to increase its graduation rates is too either, 1) Strengthen Entry requirements or 2) reduce graduation requirements. Sometimes, both. However, the second option will decrease the value of the degree. The first option will decrease enrollment which may be bad or good for those students but will equal less funding for the institution.

Next, I see Jindal is trying to push his little Higher Education superboard so he can force some mergers. I know I talk a lot of smack in the other forums but this stuff right here, makes my stomach churn. These crazies are really trying to kill education.
 
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