SU president responds to budget cut letter

No amendment has actually been filed, but President Ralph Slaughter of the Southern University System responded to a letter sent from the Louisiana Legislative Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Education regarding what would happen if Southern experienced a five percent budget cut said Slaughter.
The letter, Slaughter said, was sent to all of the institutions of higher education in Louisiana but he replied ,”For Southern University that would be pretty dramatic and substantial upon our operations.”
In his letter to the chairman of the board, Honorable Eddie Lambert, Slaughter explained that great strides had been made in Louisiana to bring the level of funding for colleges and universities to the regional average within recent years. Although the increase has been made, according to Slaughter, “Southern’s benefit was about three percent; therefore, reiterating how a five percent cut would have “grave consequences for our institution.”
Slaughter also noted that “higher education remains one of the few unprotected areas in the state’s budget from which such cuts can be made.”
“Limited state appropriated funding, dwindling tuition revenues and other factors have placed our institutions in the untenable position of having to choose whether to maintain quality academic programs, to fund programs and support systems to meet mandates for maintaining accredited institutions or ensure the security and maintenance of our facilities.”
Freshman Richard Warren, Jr., a criminal justice major from Tickfaw, expressed the same sentiments of the president.
“I feel like they are attacking the wrong thing as far as education wise. They should want to further our education, instead of cutting our budget. If they are going to cut anything, they should go to the prisons first, because they had their chances in life; this is the route they chose. Make them suffer. Don’t make the people who are trying to get an education, those trying to be better in life and to succeed, suffer.”
Interim Chancellor Margaret Ambrose’s letter to Slaughter reflects a $2,643,005 cut for the Baton Rouge campus if there be a mandated plan for a five percent budget reduction for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.
This breakdown includes a reduction in faculty and staff, course offerings, faculty and staff travel, faculty promotions, library acquisitions, information and technology funding, and maintenance of buildings and grounds and security staff.
Ambrose listed how the reduction of the list aforementioned will impact the university by less effective teaching and learning, decrease student recruitment and retention, loss of accreditation for several programs, failure to meet stipulations by the Board of Regeants and have a negative impact on Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation.
“In addition, the Governor (Bobby Jindal) has indicated his administration’s intention to consider retention and graduate rates for future funding of institutions. If we are forced to further reduce the budget, it will certainly negatively impact our efforts in this regard,” explained Ambrose.
Slaughter also mentioned “Southern University in New Orleans, SUNO, is still suffering from the impact of Hurricane Katrina, operating from temporary facilities, and yet working diligently to restore and return to its main campus.”
“Cutting the Southern University System’s proposed FY 08-09 budget by five percent will result in a reduction of $4,359,379,” said Slaughter.