UNO to UL system

[Hammer58]

_ I like the creativity, but UNO did not like LSUNO, so it is unlikely they would pursue ULNO.

I would like to see LSU Shreveport merged into LaTech, but that is unlikely, although it has been discussed. _

I do not believe this legislation requires UNO to change its name. My understanding of the reason for the other legislation "merging" UNO and SUNO requiring a new name was because it was allegedly creating a new institution. I think the legislature did not want the merged school to be called UNO because that would make the SUNO constituency feel that they had been taken over by UNO. The new name could allow them to claim that both schools had been abolished equally to form the new school. It was all window dressing as everyone knew the action was designed to get rid of a woefully underperforming SUNO.

[Cajunrunner]

_ yes. it made it out of committe with a 10-4 vote .. _

I listened to much of the committee hearing on that bill while working. Some very good arguments were made to support a one board system.

Let's face it, these multiple boards are fostering a system of too much duplication, which our taxpayers cannot afford. It's like the Dept. of Defense, where all the departments don't want cooperate with each other because they would rather compete for their "fair share" of tax dollars.

This legislation will hopefully force schools to work better together, such as transferring of credits when a student changes schools.

[SlappyCajun]

_ WAIT--I am listening to the news and did I just hear that a bill is coming up to make just one board of higher Education---Did anybody else hear this???? It was on KPEL News @ 1:00 PM!!!!! _

Here is the problem that I think may arise with this...

There are three university systems in LA....

1) LSU
2) UL
3) Southern

If they did not have the legislative power to merge SUNO with UNO when it was undoubtedly in the best interest of education. How are they going to shutter the entire Southern system?

[Cajunrunner]

_ Here is the problem that I think may arise with this...

There are three university systems in LA....

1) LSU
2) UL
3) Southern

If they did not have the legislative power to merge SUNO with UNO when it was undoubtedly in the best interest of education. How are they going to shutter the entire Southern system? _

Racists!

The SUNO-UNO bill being pulled was just delaying the inevitable. It was pulled because 2-3 legislators flipped on their support. After a round of elections this Fall, getting 70 votes in the House should not be a problem.

In fact, the Southern supporters should have accepted the Tucker bill this year as a "compromise", because come next year, we might have the votes just to eliminate SUNO rather than fool with this merging business.

[Hammer58]

_ I listened to much of the committee hearing on that bill while working. Some very good arguments were made to support a one board system.

Let's face it, these multiple boards are fostering a system of too much duplication, which our taxpayers cannot afford. It's like the Dept. of Defense, where all the departments don't want cooperate with each other because they would rather compete for their "fair share" of tax dollars.

This legislation will hopefully force schools to work better together, such as transferring of credits when a student changes schools. _

YOu may be correct in your statements especially about duplication. In an ideal world a single board might be a great idea. But this is not an ideal world, it is the world of Louisiana politics. And you can bet that eliminating "duplication will mean LSUA&MC in Baton rouge will get all the goodies and everyone else will be forked (damn this autospellcheck that isn't what I typed). You are living in a fantasy land if you think LSUA&MC will be forced to work together for anyone's benefit other than their own.

[CajunRed]

Man...did you hit this nail on the head or what? If there was ANY way this could have negatively impacted that school in Baton Rouge, it NEVER would have been brought up.

YOu may be correct in your statements especially about duplication. In an ideal world a single board might be a great idea. But this is not an ideal world, it is the world of Louisiana politics. And you can bet that eliminating "duplication will mean LSUA&MC in Baton rouge will get all the goodies and everyone else will be forked (damn this autospellcheck that isn't what I typed). You are living in a fantasy land if you think LSUA&MC will be forced to work together for anyone's benefit other than their own.

igeaux.mobi

[Cajunrunner]

_ You are living in a fantasy land if you think LSUA&MC will be forced to work together for anyone's benefit other than their own. _

Maybe, but Lombardi got an earful from State Rep. John Schroder, who is a former Southeastern athlete and big supporter of the school in Hammond.

Last year, when a similar bill by Tucker was proposed in Education committee, Schroder was the swing vote that killed it and in the media called out some legislators for wanting to hurt the other schools in the state in order to aid the purple and gold.

Yesterday, Schroder called out Lombardi for fear tactics in the media and basically told all the board representatives that it is past time for them to reform and work together rather than being forced to by the legislature.

Look, unless we want this same issue to prop up every year of not enough money for Higher Ed and big budget cuts at UL, then some consolidation must take place. Right now, UL suffers because too much of the Higher Ed pie is being split up between too many universities and unnecessary duplication.

[Hammer58]

_ Maybe, but Lombardi got an earful from State Rep. John Schroder, who is a former Southeastern athlete and big supporter of the school in Hammond.

Last year, when a similar bill by Tucker was proposed in Education committee, Schroder was the swing vote that killed it and in the media called out some legislators for wanting to hurt the other schools in the state in order to aid the purple and gold.

Yesterday, Schroder called out Lombardi for fear tactics in the media and basically told all the board representatives that it is past time for them to reform and work together rather than being forced to by the legislature.

Look, unless we want this same issue to prop up every year of not enough money for Higher Ed and big budget cuts at UL, then some consolidation must take place. Right now, UL suffers because too much of the Higher Ed pie is being split up between too many universities and unnecessary duplication. _

I don't disagree with your premise in and ideal world. I just think that we have to keep in mind tht this is Louisiana and we have been burned in the past. IIRC, the consent decree was suppossed to eliminate duplication and allow every institution to flourish. Instead, in the wake of the decree, LSUA&MC duplicated programs of strength at other universities such as UL's CADCAM program and then tries to have the originals eliminated in favor of their's all in the name of eliminating duplication.

[Lexhead]

_ YOu may be correct in your statements especially about duplication. In an ideal world a single board might be a great idea. But this is not an ideal world, it is the world of Louisiana politics. And you can bet that eliminating "duplication will mean LSUA&MC in Baton rouge will get all the goodies and everyone else will be forked (damn this autospellcheck that isn't what I typed). You are living in a fantasy land if you think LSUA&MC will be forced to work together for anyone's benefit other than their own. _

Competition breeds excellence. It also breeds efficiency. Two flagships competing for state money and national recognition is what the state needs, not a monopoly. We have all seen the waste that a monopoly encourages. LSUA&M@BR probably spends more money on maintaining red roofs and flower gardens than UL has in all of its science departments. Seriously, if you want efficiency, foster fair competition and reward success.

[ULtimateCajun]

Not sure if this is new news but senate voted 35-0 to transfer.





igeaux.mobi

[AstroCajun]

[Oiler]

In today's Baton Rouge Business Report-Daily Report PM, there is an article that states that the process is underway to move LaTech into the LSU system. If this is true, I'm not sure exactly what to think of it. I think La Tech is being taken for a ride with this one. LSU is taking steps to protect its Baton Rouge campus. They would rid themselves of the expense of yet another satellite by merging LSU-S into LaTech, but if Tech is a part of the LSU system, how would this save LSU any money? Maybe this is the only way LSU can get away with totally gutting LSU-S. I thought it was kind of odd when, back in May, I read in the Advocate that LSU's Chancellor was to be the graduation speaker at La Tech's Spring Commencement. Now it makes more sense. LSU-S merging into LaTech would be no big deal, but if LaTech ends up with the medical school in Shreveport, that would be a huge deal. I don't see that happening though. But hey, I didn't see UNO being shoved down our throats either.