By Andre Moreau - bio | email
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Louisiana State University faces cuts that could "transform public higher education in the state," LSU System President John Lombardi warned Thursday.
In a letter sent to LSU leaders, Lombardi said Louisiana's higher education system will need to absorb nearly $310 million in state funding reductions as federal stimulus support comes to an end.
Lombardi said the university might have to cut 23 percent from its current budget. Random departments might face deeper cuts than others. The university also released charts and graphs to illustrate possible areas of cuts.
"The scale of the reductions anticipated will almost certainly require the elimination of vital programs, the dismissal of employees including faculty and significant disruption of student academic careers," Lombardi explained.
Lombardi added reductions could "require dismissal of tenure track and tenured faculty, staff and other support personnel, and the disruption of student educational programs."
An LSU employee close to the budget crisis acknowledged LSU has "cried wolf" in the past when it comes to announcing potential budget cuts. "But this one is the real deal," the source said. "We are being asked to prepare for deep, drastic cuts."
View Lombardi's Letter
View Impact of Cuts
Copyright 2010 WAFB. All rights reserved.
LSU System President John Lombardi
