Jindal to ask to merge SUNO, UNO (2 Viewers)

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A while back, SUNO students protested, saying they feared the end of the institution and the state said it wasn't happening. Now it looks like it is. I've always felt there were too many systems in the state, I just don't know how merging UNO with a school tied to an HBCU will work. I know the systems should shoulder some blame for a lot, but Jindal seems to be higher education's worse enemy...

WWLTV.com said:
NEW ORLEANS -- Governor Bobby Jindal has announced he is asking the Board of Regents to consider merging Southern University New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.

The state is facing a $1.67 billion shortfall in next year's budget. Because of state law the only sectors that can be cut from the budget are higher education and health care, as most of the rest of the budget is protected.

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Jindal-to-ask-to-merge-SUNO-UNO-114163224.html
 
I wonder how many other states are facing similar instances. Out here in CA, Gov.Brown just announced that he wants to cut another 500 million from the Cal State Universities and 400 million from the Community Colleges. It's really sad to see higher ed having to take such drastic cuts....it's making it harder and harder to get a college degree.
 
uno has recently upgraded their web site etc. and new cosmetic construction is all over the campus.

if i were a student there i would question cosmetic changes when the budget is as it is.
 
Higher education has been under the knife for years now. I would be more sympathetic to Jindal if I saw some other type of government jobs being cut before education is hit again. Garland Robinette said on his show it is a fallacy that only medicine and education can be cut because of the state constitution. Even if he is wrong, those do nothings in BR have had years to call for a constitutional commision to change the rules.
 
SUNO's graduation rate is something in the neighborhood of 13%. With that kind of academic performance it's hard to justify funding two separate state campuses located directly next to each other to provide the same service. The SUNO campus doesn't have the kind of historical relevance that the Southern campus in Baton Rouge does.
 
uno has recently upgraded their web site etc. and new cosmetic construction is all over the campus.

if i were a student there i would question cosmetic changes when the budget is as it is.

They need to attract students. With so many other options, it's necessary to compete. Unfortunately, this is a reality for all higher education institutions.

UNO's enrollment has dropped 32 percent -- from 17,000 to 11,700 -- since 2005, according to the governor's office. SUNO's has decreased by 14 percent.

Their budgets have been cut so much, but their enrollments have also dropped significantly. From that perspective, the move makes sense. I'd be curious to see a timeline of spending per student.
 
Well, at Northwestern State band people get heavily recruited and their out of state fees get waived.

Too much funds are allocated towards arts and theater for every major university in the state.

Also.....thank goodness institutional standards of "tenure" aren't as prevalent in the real world as it is in the education industry.
 
Good move. There is far too much redundancy in this state. If the Universities were made to run more efficiently, they wouldn't have to hike tuition.
 
Wow, wonder why that happened.

What's your point? The why is irrelevant. If the numbers have dropped, its not nonsensical to reduce the state funding or ask for a merger. It would be much more of a travesty if these budget cuts/merger were coming at a time when the school was experiencing a peak in enrollment.
 

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