Louisiana State University drafting bankruptcy plans thanks to Bobby Jindal and friends

[Elwood P Dowd]

who have pretty much wrecked that state's education system. Higher education in the state is in disaster mode. While this is happening, Jindal Bells is traveling around the country wasting the state's money running for President.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/lsu_academic_bankruptcy.html

<snip>

Being in a state of financial exigency means a university's funding situation is so difficult that the viability of the entire institution is threatened. The status makes it easier for public colleges to shut down programs and lay off tenured faculty, but it also tarnishes the school's reputation, making it harder to recruit faculty and students.

"You'll never get any more faculty," said Alexander, if LSU pursues financial exigency.

The Louisiana Legislature is closing out its meetings this week without having made much progress in finding more funding for universities, colleges and others. Louisiana's higher education community is facing an 82 percent funding cut if no extra state money is found.

The change would bring state funding for LSU from around $3,500 per undergraduate student to $660 per undergraduate student next year.

"States around the country spend more than that on their community colleges," Alexander said.

<snip>

[msongs]

1. of course football will not suffer nt

[Elwood P Dowd]

2. The corndogs would riot if football suffered.

Jindal Bells would be run out of the state.

[Krytan11c]

3. Why should it?

The LSU football program makes a profit and contributed over 7 million to academic endeavors at the school in 2013 according to Forbes. The program is one of the most valuable in the country and drives revenue for the school and local economy. http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/12/22/college-footballs-most-valuable-teams-2014/

[avebury]

8. You have to actually have a college in order to

have a college football team no matter if the football team can earn a profit. LSU needs to play a game of chicken with Jindel and the Louisiana State Legislature and just state a date that they will close their doors if they don't have something even close to decent funding.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. ROFL

Indeed.

They really don't understand that 1) faculty, despite the difficult job market, will not take jobs in places where tenure is not available, or is eliminated at virtual whim, and 2) you need faculty to a) be accredited, and, therefore, b) continue to exist as a university.

These Republican legislatures think university faculty are just like any other kind of employee. They're quite wrong. You give up a good deal of salary and expend the opportunity costs (six years on assistantships rather than salary in industry) to earn a PhD and work in a university. In return, you are left to do your research and teaching in peace with relative job security. That's the trade-off. Without tenure, there would be no incentive to be trained in a field, which is costly and time-consuming. Adjunctification is already reaching a critical point. It's unsustainable as a personnel practice.

It wouldn't matter if the LSU football team was the most profitable team in the nation. If you can't recruit faculty, you don't have a university.

[yeoman6987]

4. Football is all that will be saved

Because along time ago they decided to make money themselves without the help of the Universities. That has happened all over the country and I am sure now they are thankful for that decision.

[Downwinder]

6. Can you have NCAA Football without Academics?

And, isn't Division based upon enrollment?

[Feron]

11. As an LSU alumnus...

The Tiger Athletic Foundation is wholly separate from the university itself and is self-sustaining. The TAF kicks back money to the university and is not the problem.

The problem is Jindal and his enablers in the legislature. Jindal has far surpassed Blanco in the incompetent governance Olympics.

What's been done to LSU and higher ed makes me sick. Despite LSU's party school rep, I got a great education there.

Jindal wants to turn it into University of Phoenix at Baton Rouge. UGH

[czarjak]

5. Gol'durn fancy learnin...

Who needs that shit? Huh?

[Sherman A1]

7. Charming

simply charming.....

[hatrack]

10. Hmm, wonder if Mr. & Mrs. Reactionary D. Assholevoter are paying attention yet?

Nah, probably not.

Look, a gay couple!! WHARGLEBARRRGGHHGHH!!!!

[n2doc]

13. No, they just think more entitlement cuts will do the trick

In the comments you have either 1, too many universities, so lets close some!, 2, Drug test them students!, or 3, Just raise tuition. Them pointy heads are wasting money building new buildings anyway....

[n2doc]

12. Comments are interesting

You get your usual mouth breather types but they seem to be getting shouted down overall.