Louisiana vs State

[CajunFun]

Fun, today I got a reminder how far we have come, and how far we have to go. Spoke with two friends that happen to be ULM grads. Brought up UL's R1 status and the private research money coming in. Of course, they refered to "the monkey farm" and think there is no way money is flowing in for that. One even went as far as saying it was all made up.

I then asked them how many students they thought was in the LSU and ULS system. They got close on LSU, missed miserably on the ULS system. I pointed out the ULS system programs need to unite and focus on what each does well, because LSU will never be the all encompassing best in every program, AND, parlay that into votes in the legislature. I then pointed to the pharmacy program at ULM, alas, I learned something. The vast majority of the pharmacy students went to other colleges AND they are not educated on the main campus. The pharmacy school is located in the old State Farm office complex. Very few of those grads donate to ULM. Meanwhile...

We complain about the name game. I'm big on that. Keep that fight going.

However, the academic side needs to keep pushing hard EVERY DAY for private investment in our research programs. At some point, an endowment will come down that the legislature will not be able to ignore or redirect to Baton Rouge. There's your medical and/or dental school.

Just for S&Gs, I looked at the personal pages of many of those who posted on the LSU softball page Sunday. To say the vast majority's closest encounter with LSU educationally was driving by on I-10 on a school day would be the norm. That's the battle we have...Walmart Tiger fans, some who run their own businesses and donate. A dozen of those is the equilivant to a whale donor.

Refer your ULM friends here: NIRC.

And point to the description: "There are over 6,800 non-human primates housed at the Center which makes NIRC one of the largest primate center in the US. Active breeding and/or research holding programs exist for the following species: Cebus apella, Chlorocebus aethiops, Macaca fasicularis, Macaca nemestrina, and Macaca mulatta."

At one point we were supposed to be the largest. Not sure what changed. But after we took over the NIRC, AIDS hit, and these primates couldn't be imported any more. The value of each animal increased by 10x or more, and they have continued to increase. That brings in significant private, federal, and other research money.

You can see our research growth:
https://louisiana.edu/news/nsf-data-...t-ul-lafayette

Documentation for research funding for major institutions is here:
https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/profiles/s...Source&ds=herd

Note that State, with an academic staff of 1,500 on the main campus, 500 at Pennington, 80 at the Law School (and probably others), 50 doctoral programs, a veterinary school, the state's agricultural extension service, numerous state-funded research centers, and copious state funding, an endowment of $696M, brought in $297M in outside research.

UL, with about half the number of faculty (776), only 11 doctoral programs, no significant state centers, and endowment of $232M, generated $181M. Per faculty, considering just the BR campus, and ignoring all the other State advantages, each UL faculty member brings in about $230K, each State faculty member, about $198K... except that Pennington et al. would lower that number dramatically.

The UL System educates over 90,000 students.

The State System, meanwhile, has about 58K:
LSU-BR 37,354
LSU-A 3,378
LSU-E 4,074
LSU-S 8,518
NO Med 2,699
Shreveport Med [2K? Documentation scant]
Law 655
But they are the largest recipients of state funding (med schools are expensive).

I'm not sure we need to fight for the name change. That ball is heading downhill, and accelerating. IMHO, we should put our energies elsewhere.

We are already in the top 10 nationally for private research funding. And that's raw numbers. What we need to start expanding are federal & state dollars, and we're working on that.

[R1Letterman]

Look at oklahoma you dont hear as much about the infighting/interference by governor choosing sides between the state system and the U of. Both have annual academic budgets over a billion dollars and both are expanding. Between them they have ten straight trips to softball world series, soon to be 11. Both are usually good all around in most sports, successful world wide known business men, rhodes scholars, tier 1, etc etc.

[CajunVic]

Look for the money . . .successful world wide known business men . . . it’s what we have missing . . .

[ZoomZoom]

Look at oklahoma you dont hear as much about the infighting/interference by governor choosing sides between the state system and the U of. Both have annual academic budgets over a billion dollars and both are expanding. Between them they have ten straight trips to softball world series, soon to be 11. Both are usually good all around in most sports, successful world wide known business men, rhodes scholars, tier 1, etc etc.

T Boone Pickens forced the state to make the two more equal. Until that happened, OSU was treated like an afterthought.

Whale money goes a long way towards equality.

[Boomer]

T Boone Pickens forced the state to make the two more equal. Until that happened, OSU was treated like an afterthought.

Whale money goes a long way towards equality.

….so if we are growing at about $20Mill/year, I can say we are at $200 mill!!!