Wake up and pay attention

Published in The Southern Digest January 31, 2012

Welcome to the SU Digest Report. Where students are informed on the SU community issues. Where we push the positive and address the negative. Discussing the controversial and digging for deeper perspectives. Looking beyond the surface for the real stories.

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I’m Evan Taylor and this is The SU Digest Report … Today we will be discussing the issues plaguing the Southern University community.

From accreditation concerns to the reorganization of Southern University at Baton Rouge; The Southern University System community is facing inner turmoil.

As students: deciding whether to continue and fight for their Southern University degree or to leave and start over.

As faculty members: Whether to retire before getting fired, to continue the job as usual, or work to sue the SU Board of Supervisors for inadequate decisions and lack of procedure.

As an alumnus: Deciding whether to overlook the reputation or perception of misappropriating funds and give during a time of need or look into alternative methods to boost enrollment and recruitment outside of financial contributions.

As a Southern University employee: To continue your job blindly or keep an eye open and a resume ready in case your position is terminated.

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If you are just joining us, we are back discussing perspectives on Southern University while they are facing Financial exigency, declines in enrollment, unfunded state mandates, a furloughed faculty at SUBR, and faculty/staff receiving termination notices at SUBR.

SUBR Chancellor James Llorens says in the organizational structure SUBR plans to take a closer look at the programs offered. Llorens also says I’m looking forward to the next academic year coming out of exigency.

Outside the administration, Faculty Senate President and computer science faculty memberSudhir Trivedi looks to engage faculty into this reorganization process and makes claims that financial exigency was not needed to solve Southern’s financial situation. In an effort to address the faculty’s concerns and set precedents for financial exigency policy and procedure, Trivedi established the Faculty Defense Committee to file for injunctive relief against the Southern University Board of Supervisors.

We’ll be right back with perspective from SU System President Ronald Mason and his plans to address SUBR issues systemwide.

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System President Ronald Mason says SU students can expect the system to keep moving forward in 2012 while building the new SU with the traditions from the past.

Amidst challenges there is no denying of the power and the need for leadership in the SU system. Now more than ever Southern University needs to unify its message and mission to overcome it’s current challenges and the ones it will face in the future.

With the State of Louisiana constantly cutting higher education only the universities willing to adapt and are self-sustaining will survive. Can the Baton Rouge community adjust to the loss of a university founded to serve the underserved?

I hope we have dealt with your perceptions and answered your questions. Tune in next time for our continued coverage on the SU system in crisis; choosing between mission and profit.

I’m Evan Taylor and this has been the SU Digest Report.

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