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Campus Life: Snowing in the South moved to Wednesday, p. 3 Faculty: Judge rules van Heerden didn’t have tenure, p. 3 Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011 • Volume 115, Issue 80
Tuition, fee increases headline Jindal’s higher education plans Matthew Albright, Xerxes A. Wilson Staff Writers
Higher tuition and fees will be part of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s higher education agenda for the approaching legislative session. Jindal unveiled his “legislative packet” Monday to a gathering of legislators, Board of Regents representatives and members of the various higher education governing boards. With the state facing a $1.6 billion budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year, higher education administrators have feared drastic budget cuts. The amount higher education might lose has varied from as high as 32 percent to less than 10 percent. At the meeting, Jindal reiterated his intention to keep the cuts below 10 percent of general
fund appropriations. Jindal made four proposals to minimize cuts while improving the performance of the higher education system statewide. Jindal’s first proposed legislation would enhance the LA GRAD Act, legislation passed this past summer that allowed universities to raise tuition independently by up to 10 percent after meeting performance standards. Jindal’s proposal would also grant schools more freedom from the state bureaucracy in purchasing, budgeting, human resources and construction. Jindal’s second proposed bill would “update” tuition, including raising the cap on per-credit-hour tuition from 12 hours to 15 hours. Currently, University students who take more than 12 hours are
considered “full time” and are charged a flat rate for tuition. Students who take fewer than 12 hours pay per credit hour. Jindal’s proposal means a student would need 15 hours to pay the flat rate. “Currently, many students sign up for 17 or 18 hours and drop down to 12 hours midway through the semester,” Jindal said. “This means that schools are paying for professors and classroom space that is no longer needed.” Jindal also proposed a new fee to be set at 4 percent of current tuition costs. The fee would cover “unfunded mandates” — costs the state forces universities to pay without providing funding to do so. University administrators have JINDAL, see page 15
ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille
Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks Monday at Pennington Biomedical Research Center about his legislative plans for higher education, which include tuition and fee increases.
Works Of Art
SAFETY
LSUPD completes shooting course
Celeste Ansley Staff Writer
ADAM VACCARELLA / The Daily Reveille
Andrew Elias, mathematics sophomore, surveys the array of art pieces submitted to the LSU Pre-juried Student Art Show in the Student Union Art Gallery. The show, which opened Monday, will allow students to vote for their favorite pieces through Thursday. A reception on Feb. 11 will open the final juried show announcing the winners. See more photos from the exhibit at lsureveille.com.
Gunshots were heard throughout St. Gabriel last week as LSU Police Department officers were tested for shooter qualification. LSUPD requires officers to pass the test twice a year, while the Louisiana Peace Officer Training Council, Louisiana POST, requires testing only once a year, said Sgt. Blake Tabor, LSUPD spokesman. “[Louisiana POST is] like the Supreme Court of law enforcement training,” Tabor said. LSUPD conducts its qualifying test at the department’s range, located on the LSU AgCenter Research Branch in St. Gabriel. “We own the range, but we allow other law enforcement departments and the military to use the range,” said Sgt. Kory Melancon, LSUPD firearm instructor. Officers shoot 60 bullets in the test and can earn as many as 120 points. To pass, officers must LSUPD, see page 15