Savoie on the Budget Cuts

[MissingMandy]

A "flagship" school by its very definition should have the best interests of all state universities. They should be a leader. That isn't the case in Louisiana and it's pretty sad. Nothing defines that situation better then the fight for the name change at UL and the obvious feelings of contempt that many people feel for every other school other then the "flagship". Seems ridiculous to me and a waste of people's time and money. So much good could come for both schools if one didn't feel the need to keep the other under its thumb.

[VObserver]

_ Alabama & Louisiana have nearly identical populations & average per capita incomes. Alabama education expeditures are comparable to LA. The problem in LA is the number of Universities. Another university would have to emerge as a "flagship" school and none of the "other" schools in the state are going to back down. _

Read the whole paragraph; Alabama has at least as many public 4 year cilleges as Louisiana. Find another excuse.

[RiverRanchMan]

_ Read the whole paragraph; Alabama has at least as many public 4 year cilleges as Louisiana. Find another excuse. _

If you want to count all the insignificant four year Universities in Alabama, then they have just as many. I promise you that the funding is not the same to each school, which is what you’re suggesting. Anyway, the premise of my statement is that Louisiana can’t afford to fund all Universities the same. The LSU system & the UL system get the same amount of funds. If a school in the UL system was declared “flagship” of the UL system, then more funds would be funneled to it but the others would suffer.

I continuously see LSU being blamed for UL-Lafayette’s problems on this board. The big boogie man in Baton Rouge. It is starting to sound like AL Sharpton & Jessie Jackson when continuously blaming white America for Black people’s problems. Why not take responsibility for yourself? You all look ridiculous.

Another thing, you keep referring to another flagship university. The assumption here seems to be that UL-Lafayette should be the other flagship. You really think LA Tech, UL-Monroe & others will allow that to happen? I think you have more than LSU to worry about trying to become the flagship school of the UL system. Even if LSU endorsed such an idea, the other schools will fight it.

[CajunSaint]

_ If you want to count all the insignificant four year Universities in Alabama, then they have just as many. I promise you that the funding is not the same to each school, which is what you’re suggesting. Anyway, the premise of my statement is that Louisiana can’t afford to fund all Universities the same. The LSU system & the UL system get the same amount of funds. If a school in the UL system was declared “flagship” of the UL system, then more funds would be funneled to it but the others would suffer.

I continuously see LSU being blamed for UL-Lafayette’s problems on this board. The big boogie man in Baton Rouge. It is starting to sound like AL Sharpton & Jessie Jackson when continuously blaming white America for Black people’s problems. Why not take responsibility for yourself? You all look ridiculous.

Another thing, you keep referring to another flagship university. The assumption here seems to be that UL-Lafayette should be the other flagship. You really think LA Tech, UL-Monroe & others will allow that to happen? I think you have more than LSU to worry about trying to become the flagship school of the UL system. Even if LSU endorsed such an idea, the other schools will fight it. _

he says, as he lives in lafayette, probably raises his children in lafayette, and earns his living in lafayette. pathetic.

[BeauCajun]

_ The LSU system & the UL system get the same amount of funds.

Where did this rediculous statement come from? Anyone who knows anything about higher education in LA knows this is utterly false.

[Turbine]

Another thing, you keep referring to another flagship university. The assumption here seems to be that UL-Lafayette should be the other flagship. You really think LA Tech, UL-Monroe & others will allow that to happen? I think you have more than LSU to worry about trying to become the flagship school of the UL system. Even if LSU endorsed such an idea, the other schools will fight it. _

In 1939 UL became the 2nd largest state school.

That same year LSU saw fit to open a school in Southwestern Louisiana.

Motive?

[RiverRanchMan]

_ he says, as he lives in lafayette, probably raises his children in lafayette, and earns his living in lafayette. pathetic. _

Oh yes…..the old support UL or move out of town threat. The trouble with some of you guys is your definition of “support” which usually means do not support LSU in any way. Problem with that is you’re the minority in town. That attitude will not benefit UL-Lafayette and will only ostracize the university from the main stream public. Most residents of Lafayette support both universities but LSU does have priority, much to the chagrin of the UL-Lafayette malcontents. No, I am not an LSU graduate, either.

[Just1More]

_ If you want to count all the insignificant four year Universities in Alabama, then they have just as many. I promise you that the funding is not the same to each school, which is what you’re suggesting. Anyway, the premise of my statement is that Louisiana can’t afford to fund all Universities the same. The LSU system & the UL system get the same amount of funds. If a school in the UL system was declared “flagship” of the UL system, then more funds would be funneled to it but the others would suffer.

I continuously see LSU being blamed for UL-Lafayette’s problems on this board. The big boogie man in Baton Rouge. It is starting to sound like AL Sharpton & Jessie Jackson when continuously blaming white America for Black people’s problems. Why not take responsibility for yourself? You all look ridiculous.

Another thing, you keep referring to another flagship university. The assumption here seems to be that UL-Lafayette should be the other flagship. You really think LA Tech, UL-Monroe & others will allow that to happen? I think you have more than LSU to worry about trying to become the flagship school of the UL system. Even if LSU endorsed such an idea, the other schools will fight it. _

Do you think Tech, ULM and others would also support the existing state system, if allowed to vote on that? I just polled them and Tech and ULM agreed... let's divide LSU's funding, call the 3 of us "flagships" and let LSU survive completely off of its private funding and athletic national championships for the next 10 years. Watch how fast the bumper stickers and t-shirt sales dry up.

I personally could care less about being another "flagship", so keep your "you all look ridiculous" comments to yourself. Your analogy of Sharpton/Jackson, two political panderers, is completely off-base. Racial issues and the parasites you mentioned have nothing to do with the facts about this state's higher education funding predicament facing UL. It wouldn't take much to turn your analogy around and have your favorite institution framed with Al and Jessie... "proclaimed protected entitlements".

UL is continuously limited in making growth initiatives in this state, despite having made much greater strides than other equally less funded state universities. Are our graduates not also competing nationally/globally for their and our economic benefit... and aren't we a component of this state's potential progress? Is it not appropriate to keep working toward competing nationally for research money, better professors, improved facilities, etc? UL is very fortunate to be in Lafayette, a city that has grown enormously economically since its Vermillionville days. As it has grown, so too should its largest single financial economic contributor... UL. Why shouldn't UL get a line share of state taxpayer support as the second largest institution in the state? It stands to reason that as you process more students, you should also be supported proportionately.

As you say... take responsibility for yourself. Trying to right the pathetic budget manipulations in this state IS "taking responsibility for ourselves". UL, whether you like it or not, is one of YOUR state taxpayer institutions. Take pride in it, "Lafayette" RiverRanchMan, and start pitching in yourself. What exactly is it that has you so proudly strutting around Lafayette that does not also include your support of UL? Do you not know people or their children who attend or are attending there?

And yes, UL, as institutions go, is disproportionately unrepresented here in the Baton Rouge based state government. Have no fear... your favorite institution is very secure. The state will remain last in the country in almost every relevant category... but we all have more purple and gold national championships to look forward to. It is extremely unfortunate, but this state is run about as close to a communist state as any U.S. state could be. It has a permanent ruler that has figured out a way to toss out big parades and flag waving around the "state colors"... deflecting focus on serious problems in the state over to water cooler speak of "Saban sucks"... and never quite getting its people out of third-world U.S. state status. It must be very rewarding to you to take stock in that, Mr. "RiverRanchMan".

[bballholic]

Man, this board is OBSESSED with LSU.

[CajunSaint]

_ Oh yes…..the old support UL or move out of town threat. The trouble with some of you guys is your definition of “support” which usually means do not support LSU in any way. Problem with that is you’re the minority in town. That attitude will not benefit UL-Lafayette and will only ostracize the university from the main stream public. Most residents of Lafayette support both universities but LSU does have priority, much to the chagrin of the UL-Lafayette malcontents. No, I am not an LSU graduate, either. _

not a threat. merely an observation. let's see, now we're being "ostrcized," and we suddenly have become "malcontents" because we feel our hometown university should have hometown support(what a radical notion). you pose very interesting, and revealing points of view. keep it up.

[CajunSaint]

_ Man, this board is OBSESSED with LSU. _

the irony, the utter irony.

[Just1More]

_ Man, this board is OBSESSED with LSU. _

I assure you that you have been a good part of that lately. If you intend to contribute on UL matter only, then keep off the LSU subject yourself. You have been about as obsessed as anyone on here about LSU. If you want that subject not to appear on here... a UL forum... again, leave it alone.