Bayou Classic Edition: Board of Supervisors meet to discuss issues

On Friday, November 27, the Southern University Board of Supervisors came together as one in the Hyatt Regency Strand meeting room to vote on new candidates for the 2016 board and discuss plans for more successful business years to come. The meeting, which is held every year during the week of the legendary Bayou Classic, a rivalry between Grambling State University and Southern, was called to order at 9 a.m., and opened with a unanimous adoption of the agenda after the official roll call taken. After a brief motion of a nomination and seconded by a few board members, Current Chairman Dr. Leon Tarver II was chosen to continue serving as the Chairman for the Board of Supervisors for the remainder of the 2015- 2016 academic year, along with Vice-Chairman of the board, Calvin W. Braxton Sr.
The meeting continued with a presentation done by Dr. Lisa Vosper, the Associate Commissioner for Workforce Education and Training at the Louisiana Board of Regents. Vosper began by stating what the Board of Regents are looking to accomplish with the Board of Supervisors help, as far as developing better education opportunities for Louisiana, which was broken down into three designated goals.
“We want to educate, elevate and innovate Louisiana,” said Vosper. Their plan as a unit is to improve Louisiana’s workforce by pushing forward with even more creativity planning in higher education for students. Vosper commented that it is not just the mission to educate Louisiana students but it is to educate the students that compete.
Southern University Student Government Association President, Dominique Diamond had much to say about the meeting and further expectations to come for Southern University. Diamond says that he appreciates the move that the Board of Regents are taking to elevate education in Louisiana.
“We have to take initiative and be more engaged in the driven project behind our board,” said Diamond.
After brief presentations from all the respective representatives of each organization, all action items on the agenda were approved as follows: minutes from the last board meeting, the request approval of Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority and the Southern University Law Center. the approval to transfer funds to SUSLA as authorized upon the BOR’s approval of the first quarter GRAD Act Performance Improvement Contract Report, request approval to use prior year funds for SUBR, approval of Personnel Action on Positions greater than 60,000 dollars, request approval of Sabbatical and Medical Leave of Absence for SUBR, request approval of Employee Eligibility Requirements for the Affordable Care Act Policy, request approval of Drug Free Workplace Policy-Amended, the Resolution for the Conferral of Degrees for the Fall of 2015 and other resolutions.
The meeting followed with updates on the Local Charter Authorization, JD and MBA Dual Program, System President’s Report and campus reports. Before the meeting adjourned, it was reported that number of ticket sold for the bayou classic had increase and the board was very please.