Provost addresses University’s future

University Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jack Hamilton stressed on Friday the importance of operating efficiently and saving money for the future of higher education in a visit to the Atlas Foundation, a Turkish cultural center in Baton Rouge.

Hamilton said the University needs greater levels of monetary freedom to compete in the marketplace.

"We have to have a model like a great university that has some control over price and some control over cost," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said one way to raise money is to increase tuition but also to maintain aid to students who wouldn't be able to attend the University otherwise.

"LSU needs to be affordable. It doesn't make sense to go to LSU for $848 a semester," Hamilton said, "because that's what it is if you're on TOPS."

Hamilton also said faculty members need to take on greater workloads, and deans should be responsible for their budget.

He said by doing so, deans would "make better decisions because [they're] accountable for every dollar and penny."

Hamilton said past provosts have been "amazed at how great LSU is."

"LSU should be way better," Hamilton said. "It's not going to be there until we change the workloads."

Hamilton said the approaching legislative session is critical to the University's future, and the governor's office has become much more open to talking about the budget. He said communication is key in the continuing fight for the institution's prestige.

"It's not a great university if all it cares about is being a vocational school," Hamilton said. "Our job is to fight and have it not happen."

A budget problem the University always faces is in unfunded mandates, created from increased costs of retirements and health insurance programs. Hamilton said these costs directly affect students.

"If the [direct student impact] is $10 million, it won't ruin LSU. If the DSI is $20 million, it will be a serious, serious problem," Hamilton said. "North of $20 million, we have to ask ourselves questions of financial exigency."

Tevfik Eski, CEO of the Pelican Educational Foundation — a nonprofit that runs charter schools in the state — said he attended Hamilton's talk because the success of state higher education is important to his line of work.

Eski said he works often with University students, and he wants to maintain close communication with other educators.

"When you look at the news every day, you see budget cut issues, and I believe he is going to address these types of issues," Eski said.

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Contact Catherine Threlkeld at cthrelkeld@lsureveille.com