Governor’s Higher

Education Agenda
2011 Legislative Session
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
1. UNO/SUNO “Merger”
2. Single Board
3. TOPS
4. GRAD Act 2.0
5. Standardizing LCTCS Tuition
6. Student Credit Hours
7. Indexing Operational Fee
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
1. UNO/SUNO “Merger”
 Governor requests Regents study merging
UNO/SUNO and moving to UL System
 Consultant observations: 1)No institution doing
acceptable job, 2) status quo is unacceptable, 3)
major change required, 4) straight merger
without differentiated missions could cause
significant damage
 Regents Recommendation
Louisiana Board of Regents
Greater New Orleans Coordinating Authority

University of Louisiana System LCTCS

University of Greater New Orleans

Urban Research Metropolitan Comprehensive
University University SREB Community College
SREB 4 YR/2 4 YR/4-5 SREB 2 YR/1
ACT 24+ ACT 20+ Open Admissions

University College:
• Co-Located Admissions Portal
• Assessment/Placement
• Academic Support Services University College
o Advising
o Developmental Education Student Entry Portal
• Entry-level Credit-Bearing Math for All Students
and English Courses

Non-traditional
Dual Enrollment
Students
High School Students
Recent Graduates Re-entry
 Governor’s Variation
Crescent
City
University

College A College B

• UNO/SUNO effectively “closed”

• Single newly accredited institution with two colleges
• SUNO entity no longer an HBCU
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
2. Single Board
 Abolish current structure and replace with a
single governing board
 Put in place by March 1, 2012
 Empower the new board with authority now
bestowed upon the Regents and current
managing boards
Current Governance Structure

Regents

LSU Southern UL LCTCS

 Governor’s Plan

Single Board

Commissioner of Higher Education

Assistant Assistant Assistant Assistant

Commissioner- Commissioner- Commissioner- Commissioner-
LCTCS Regional Research Professional
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
3. TOPS
 Millennium Trust Fund currently generates about
$14 M each for education, health care and TOPS
 Amendment would cap fund at current $1.38 B
and maintain $14 M for education and health care
 All new dollars coming into the fund would be
used for TOPS
 Total: $58 million for TOPS ($43 M additional)
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
4. GRAD Act 2.0 – Three Levels
of
Operational Autonomies
 Base Level: 1) carry forward self-
generated revenues, 2) disposal of obsolete
equipment, 3) streamlined IT purchases, 4)
T.O. exemption for non-state funded
employees, 5) exemption from advertising
competitive bids in the newspaper
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
4. GRAD Act 2.0 – Three Levels of
Operational Autonomies
 Level 2 Rewards for increasing admission
standards or eliminating programs: 1) purchase
through co-ops, 2) piggyback on existing
purchasing agreements, 3) reverse auctions, 4)
electronic bidding.
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
4. GRAD Act 2.0 – Three Levels of
Operational Autonomies
 Level 3 Rewards if within 5% of SREB
graduation rate: 1) exemption from procurement
code, 2) exemption from Office of Risk
Management, 3) capital outlay flexibility, 4)
flexibility in investment of funds
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
5. Standardizing LCTCS Tuition
 LCTCS tuition varies from institution to
institution
 New schools were able to set their tuition at
market levels
 Older institutions had historically low tuition and
5% increases have not allowed them to catch up
 Will allow standardized rates: $10.7M
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
6. Student Credit Hours
 Raise tuition cap from 12 to 15 hours
 Now students pay by the credit hour up to a flat
rate after 12 hours
 Students would pay by the credit hour up to a flat
rate after 15 hours
 Raises $74.5 M
 Major Higher Education
Legislation
7. Indexing Operational Fee
 In 2004 a special Operational Fee was approved
for state colleges
 4% of tuition at that time
 This would index fee to inflation by making it 4%
of whatever tuition is in place
 Raises $13.1 M
Governor’s Higher
Education Agenda
2011 Legislative Session