HBCU News, Commentary and Information
Friday
April 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Breaking News, Louisiana, Southern University System
Narrated by Southern University System President Ronald Mason, the following is a look at the premise and potential of the Five-Fifths Agenda for America.
Wednesday
March 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Finance, Louisiana, Southern University System
Tensions remain high among a group of Southern University faculty members, as ongoing efforts to integrate distance learning in the campus degree programs have the group planning protests and lawsuits agains the SUS and System President, Ronald Mason.
According to the Advocate, Just under 100 members of the faculty senate are planning immediate action to end the System’s contract with EOServe, a vendor which builds and manages online learning programs and counts several historically black colleges among its clients, including Jackson State and Morris Brown.
Mason says that EOServe is the best solution for the campus to bolster its enrollment numbers, which have trended downward in the last few years and just last week approved a ten percent tuition increase to offset continuing legislative cuts to higher education in the state over the last four years.
Listen to Ronald Mason’s Digest Radio Interview
Faculty say that EOServe charges too much in fees to utilize their service, and that a similar distance program at SUNO could effectively do the same job. The members also say that efforts to consolidate the System’s campus and IT services operations are a threat to the system.
Monday
March 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Finance, Louisiana, Southern University System
The Southern University Board of Supervisors today approved a 10-percent increase in tuition costs for all campuses in the Southern University System.
The increase comes as the university seeks new ways to attract and keep students at the flagship Baton Rouge campus, while facing six consecutive years of cuts in state appropriations, including $209 million in projected cuts to all campuses in Louisiana in the coming year.
Friday
February 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Leadership, Louisiana, Southern University, Southern University System
The Advocate today reports on a contentious meeting between Southern University System President Ron Mason and members of the System’s Faculty Senate yesterday, with online degree offerings at the heart of the discussion.
On one end, Mason maintains that advancing Southern beyond dangerous state cuts without dangerous layoffs and ending programs requires the university to grow its enrollment, and that online degree offerings are the way to do it quickly and effectively. The System has brokered with the Education Online Services Corp., a company that has worked with several HBCUs to introduce online offerings.
But Mason has become the source of contention by the SUS faculty, suggesting that he has entered into a contract that doesn’t yield maximum revenues for Southern, hasn’t yet proven as a practical enrollment booster, and executed without faculty input.
Tuesday
November 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Leadership, Louisiana, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University System
“It’s disappointing that some people who were not privy to the same information that I had would say that I was against SUNO,” Guichard said. “I’ve received threats over this. Somebody said I should have been lynched.”
Thursday
November 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Grambling State University, Leadership, Southern University System
When the Southern University Board of Supervisors meets tomorrow, its agenda won’t feature an appeal to fold Grambling State University into the system, an idea floated recently by SUS Board Member Tony Clayton.
Clayton, whose role as Supervisor is believed by many to be driven by personal business and political agendas, once stood with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal at a press conference on the idea of pilfering Southern University at New Orleans from the SUS and merging it with a nearby PWI.
That idea eventually turned into a proposed bill, which went on to die in state legislature. Regrettably, Clayton’s ambition and mission to hand-deliver Southern to Jindal are alive and well, and have sharpened to now include Grambling in an effort to minimize, and inevitably end historically black higher education in the state.
Tuesday
November 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Grambling State University, Leadership, Southern University System
“He needs to apologize to our faculty, our alumni and any student who hasn’t been born yet who will be coming to Grambling State University someday,” Pogue said. “I have to say I’m completely taken aback.”
Thursday
September 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Finance, Louisiana, Southern University System
The Finance Chairman of the Louisiana Board of Regents recently called the performance of the Southern University System “shockingly” good in the face of massive state cuts. The comment came as the SUS, along with other systems in the state, produced their budgets for the 2013 fiscal year at the Regents’ annual meeting yesterday.
Thursday
September 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Leadership, Louisiana, Southern University System
KSLA in Shreveport is reporting that the Southern University Faculty Senate will call for a vote of ‘no confidence’ in Southern System President Ronald Mason at tomorrow’s regularly scheduled meeting.
Tuesday
August 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Alcorn State University, Dillard University, Jackson State University, Louisiana, Mississippi, Mississippi Valley State University, Southern University, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University System, Xavier University of Louisiana
Here’s a list of links with closings and cancellations for HBCUs in the impact area of Hurricane Isaac. Updates will be posted as they become available. If your HBCU has information about storm response or preparation, please email all links and info here.
Monday
August 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Southern University System
The Southern University System just announced the cancellation of classes at all campuses through Wednesday at the earliest, with other information on emergency preparation and resources. A copy of the release:
Friday
August 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Community, Louisiana, Southern University System
Courtesy: Kelli Palmer
Prison populations across the country are filled with a disparate number of African-Americans, and Louisiana boasts some of the nation’s most gaudy stats on blacks in the penal system. There’s always a pointed focus on how to keep black folks out of jail, but who answers the call for those preparing to re-enter society?
The Southern Agricultural Research and Extension Center offers a re-entry program for female inmates just months away from release. The program offers counseling in anger management, addiction, and job skill development.
Wednesday
August 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Legal, Louisiana, Southern University System
Former Southern University President Ralph Slaughter will have to pay back $275,000 to the Southern University System Foundation, a price stemming from supplement pay to Slaughter and funds he used for legal defense prior to being dismissed by the SUS board in 2009.
The Foundation initially sued Slaughter for $500,000 in 2009, and the trial is scheduled for hearing on August 13. Slaughter has been in a long legal fight against the system since his dismissal, and has claimed wrongful termination against the system in several suits over the last three years.
Saturday
June 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Funding, Louisiana, Southern University System
The Southern University System Board of Trustees yesterday approved a 10-percent tuition increase to begin this fall. The SUS is the last system in Louisiana to implement an increase.
Full-time undergraduate students will pay $5,806 in tuition and fees for the 2012-2013 academic year, according to calculations released by the Southern Board of Supervisors on Friday. That’s $628 more than what was charged in the 2011-2012 academic year. Tuition increased $518 and the student self-assessed fee went up $110, the Board documents stated.
Nonresident Southern students will pay $13,138 for the next academic year, or $1,412 more than last academic year, according to the board.
Tuesday
June 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Alumni, Louisiana, Southern University System
Supporters of the Southern University System continue to be unbowed by media and political pressure against the nation’s only black higher ed system, with news breaking this week of a new group recruiting donors to annually commit $1 million to the system.
Thursday
May 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Finance, Headlines, Louisiana, Southern University System
[mpoverlay]
One day after officials from Grambling State University responded to proposed cuts to its budget, the Southern University System has released a statement advocating against more than $19 million in reduced state funding to the United State’s only historically black system of higher education.
“We are fighting against what would be, by far, the most harmful cutback in state appropriations ever experienced in our history. After $35 million of resource reductions since 2009, and a recent declaration of financial exigency at our flagship campus, we have nothing left to cut, said SU System President Ronald Mason Jr.
Officials said in the release that these proposed cuts would result in financial exigency for more campuses in the SUS, a declaration of financial emergency and an immediate dissolution of key operations and academic offerings from the system.
“The projected impact is disastrous for the SU System. We expect additional layoffs, further academic program elimination, System-wide furloughs, and declaration of financial exigency for other campuses,” said SU System Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs Kevin Appleton.
“These cuts would strike a deadly blow to our efforts as we proceed with plans to move Southern toward a more secure, distinguished place in higher education,” said Mason.[/mpoverlay]
