Former Southern Chancellor Calls for Single Higher Ed System in Louisiana
Former Southern University Chancellor James Llorens writes in The Adovcate today about the pressures facing higher education in Louisiana. Too many campuses, too few students and not enough resources are the familiar ideas that punctuate his treatment of a state and higher education industry that has been hindered by bad acts in race and politics.
But it is the crescendo of his piece that earns attention and questions. From The Advocate:
Louisiana’s historically black colleges have been underfunded, both in terms of educational resources and physical plant investments. Along with proper reinvestment, they can and must play a critical role in a reinvention of higher education in the state. However, this reinvention will require an honest assessment of our state’s educational needs and may also require institutional repurposing when necessary.
I firmly believe that Louisiana would benefit from one system of higher education, a position in opposition to many of my close friends. I recognize the role and impact of LSU-BR as the flagship campus. If politics demand that LSU-BR stands alone, there are still efficiencies to be had with a single system for the other campuses, and there has to be consideration of combining or closing some campuses.
Southern students and supporters may hate that Llorens, who declined an extension of his contract in 2014 and was released by the Southern Board of Supervisors, would suggest anything other than the continuance of Southern managing all but one of the state’s historically black institutions under an autonomous system. And were he suggesting that Southern survives as a managing system of more of the state’s predominantly white two and four-year institutions under conditions of merger and consolidation, he would have a point.
But Llorens didn’t make that point. Seemingly, he left it ambiguous for supporters and opponents of Southern and every other system not branded under Louisiana State University to pick a side on institutional elimination. But when you track The Advocate’s history on the idea of shutting down systems, the voices seem all too aligned against the Jaguars.
Four years ago, the Advocate editorial board called for the same concept of one statewide system. And while attempting to be subtle, their view clearly targeted SU in its idea of a cheaper, whiter higher education utopia.
There is a separate board for the two-year schools; except for the one in Shreveport, which is part of the Southern system, and the one in Eunice, which answers to the LSU system board.
There are two universities across the street from each other in New Orleans, (one of these is Southern University at New Orleans) both struggling with enrollment declines since Hurricane Katrina. But they’re under different boards.
We have two public law schools, both in Baton Rouge, (one of these is the Southern University Law Center) even though there is a towering nationwide surplus of lawyers and, consequently, applications are dropping. They’re both aligned with different boards too.
Is this what Louisiana would design if it had to start from scratch? Of course not, but deep political — as well as racial — gaps remain in society, and differing expectations get in the way of not just difficult measures like consolidation of campuses but basic common sense like collaboration on academic programs and cutting back-office costs.
Four years prior to this op-ed, a bill attempting to merge SUNO with its across-the-street neighbor University of New Orleans, died in the Louisiana legislature after significant backlash from African Americans in the public and in the legislature. Six months later, UNO moved from the LSU System to the University of Louisiana System, the state’s largest higher ed system.
It was clear then that power structures in the state were piloting concepts of mergers, closure, and campus realignment while we fought just to keep a maligned HBCU system alive, all while it was being primed for destruction by another name and at a later date.
Southern supporters need to know that opponents of the nation’s only historically black system have been waiting on a moment like this for generations. Over the last decade, intermittent mixes of negative media coverage, budget cuts, and corruption have all boiled to a point where unavoidable forces would open the door to an unassailable proposal to move Southern out of the way. Such a move would boost LSU System as the sole higher ed anchor of Baton Rouge and a more powerful and independent presence in Lousiana politics and economics.
Before COVID-19, Louisiana was just starting to find its financial footing. After COVID-19 concludes its global takeover, Lousiana higher education will be among its most ravaged casualties. In one of the nation’s worst states for finance, health, and educational outcomes, Southern could be one of its saviors.
Instead, it is the prized calf for the slaughter; partially because it is sacred to black people in Louisiana and mostly because it is invaluable land in Baton Rouge’s development destiny.
The uncertainty of public health threats, enrollment and revenue projections, and political will in Louisiana ensures that Southern will suffer over the next 12 months, but will that suffering lead to heightened advocacy for its survival, or the final justification for its demise?
Saint Augustine’s Launches Internal Investigation of Board Actions
Two days after allegations of improper actions by board members and executives at Saint Augustine’s University surfaced publicly, the university has announced an internal investigation of the matter.
While the announcement says the inquiry began last week but was publicized yesterday, officials were not specific about the nature of the actions in question, or who would be managing the independent investigation.
Last week the Saint Augustine’s University Board of Trustees commissioned an independent external investigation into a complaint regarding procedures and reporting protocols of some Board of Trustee Members and Staff. Throughout this transparent process, the University will remain focused on fulfilling its mission to sustain a learning community which prepares its students academically, socially and spiritually for leadership in a complex, diverse and rapidly changing world.
Furthermore, we are committed to facilitating a comprehensive, unbiased examination of the facts at hand. We will share these findings of the investigation upon its completion.
