Welcome back to campus!

The end of last semester was momentous. For the first time we held Commencement ceremonies in two cities. We hosted our customary college ceremonies in Lafayette and one special ceremony, complete with academic regalia, for our football student-athletes preparing for the bowl game in New Orleans. What a weekend! Even weeks later, excitement about UL Lafayette abounds around the state and well beyond. Overall, I expect that 2012 will be a great year for us.

Exuberance aside, the remainder of the current fiscal year will be a leaner time. The State of Louisiana announced last month a significant adjustment to its FY12 revenue projections, resulting in an additional cut of $50 million to higher education funding in response to this latest shortfall.

Our university’s share of this $50 million cut to higher education is $3.3 million for the remainder of the university’s 2011-2012 fiscal year budget. This is certainly challenging because our faculty, staff and students have endured budget cuts already this fiscal year and for the three previous fiscal years. Over the winter break, members of the university administration and I met and decided that this latest cut would be shared across the university’s divisions with preference and priority given to protecting our institution’s academic and teaching core and protecting our most important asset in fulfilling this mission – our faculty and staff. Thus, there are no plans for layoffs or furloughs.

To manage this cut, reductions will be made in operating expenses, equipment and supply acquisitions, and travel. University subsidies for athletics, research, and economic and workforce development centers will also be reduced.

While we are not implementing an outright travel freeze, we are cutting travel funds across the university. I appreciate that many of you have refrained from travel this past fall and ask that you continue such restraint, with the exception of limited, pre-approved travel that is critical to your professional development and to our institution.

I am confident that we will continue to succeed regardless of this most recent budget reduction. Although we have endured successive and excessive budget cuts, our progress has not stopped because we have taken steps to review ourselves critically and to explore new partnerships and revenue initiatives.

After more than three decades in public higher education, my experience informs me that state financial support for higher education is cyclical. I also believe that we are at or near the bottom of this current down cycle and that our financial future will begin to improve. That is why despite these cuts, our Master Plan will move forward and we will continue to rise for the betterment of our students, our region and our state. I truly appreciate your patience and cooperation during these challenging times.

Best wishes for the new year and the semester ahead!

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

As we prepare for final exams, I would like to take a moment to congratulate you on another successful semester and thank you for your dedication to our students.

The University Holiday Committee, chaired by Garland “Chico” Rodriguez, has planned some end of semester activities for your enjoyment. On Wednesday, November 30, we will celebrate Sneaux Day once again.  Sneaux Day activities begin in the President’s House at 4 p.m. where the children of all UL Lafayette faculty, staff, and students are invited to visit with Santa and enjoy holiday treats. A special hour of ice skating on the front lawn of Martin Hall is being reserved for the children from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. UL Lafayette students will have access to the rink for ice skating from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

I look forward to our traditional holiday luncheon on Thursday, December 15, in the Student Union. This annual gathering of the university family is our opportunity to celebrate the season and to honor those employees with 30 or more years of service, including those who have either recently retired or plan to retire soon. We are grateful to our sponsors — Sodexo, the UL Alumni Association, the UL Foundation and others — for helping to make this annual event possible.

This year we’re asking faculty and staff to show off their Ragin’ Cajun holiday spirit in a special way.  You are invited to submit an office photo of staff demonstrating their holiday spirit. Photos will be included in a slideshow during the holiday luncheon. To participate, please email your photo to president@louisiana.edu by Friday, December 9.

And, in the spirit of the season, our campus community will participate in a Holiday Giving Tree that will benefit local children in need at the Lafayette Children’s Shelter, as well as Family Promise of Acadiana, a facility that helps homeless families in our community. To participate in the Holiday Giving Tree, simply stop by the Christmas tree located on the first floor of Martin Hall beginning Thursday, December 1, and pick a hand-made ornament from the tree.  These handmade ornaments adorning the tree were created by our future students currently enrolled at the Child Development Center.  On the back of the ornament is the name of a child, along with that child’s Christmas wish list.  Wrapped gifts may be dropped off in Foster Hall Room 116 anytime before December 15.

I look forward to seeing you at these events, as well as Commencement on December 17.  And, I hope you and your family and friends will be able to join us in New Orleans for the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl as the Ragin’ Cajuns football team makes its first bowl appearance in over 40 years.

Best wishes,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

Recent events surrounding our Parking and Transit Department have resulted in media coverage of our university.

While our campus community is overcoming a loss — one that cannot be measured monetarily — we are also reaffirming our commitment to professionalism and accountability, and taking confident steps forward.

Initial problems encountered in 2007 by the Parking and Transit Department, prior to my tenure as president, were addressed appropriately with additional internal controls that included computerized systems added to two existing pay parking lots and to the Taft Street Parking Garage.  Cameras were also installed in parking booths and at the office of the Parking and Transit Department to monitor transactions.

During my tenure, we have added more internal controls.  As a result of this more focused attention, additional issues were discovered earlier this year.  We have and continue to implement immediate improvements and are ready to move forward with additional solutions based on the latest industry standards.

Here are some steps and solutions we have implemented and are working toward:

• On May 17, 2011, the Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance directed all department heads to implement stronger internal controls over cash receipts to prevent the mishandling of funds and to safeguard against loss.
• On May 25, 2011, that office created a funds handling compliance accountant position to review cash collection areas throughout the university.  This accountant also advises departments and cashiers of cash-handling policies and procedures and conducts reviews to ensure compliance with those procedures.
• Two weeks ago, I placed University Police Chief Joey Sturm in charge of overseeing the department and requested a total review of the department’s operations.
• Alternative parking collection methods are being researched, including a parking system that only accepts credit/debit cards or the Cajun Card in pay lots.
• And, the university is in the process of hiring an additional auditor who will be assigned full-time to the Parking and Transit Department.
• External auditors will continue, as they have in the past, to review university accounts.

I want to reaffirm that the entire university takes the responsibility of professionalism in the delivery of our services very seriously.  I will continue to make improvements as warranted to ensure accountability in all departments.

Every day, hundreds of UL Lafayette employees do their jobs with a commitment to serve our students, the community and the state in an appropriate manner.  I thank you for that commitment.

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

This is an exciting time for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  We are surrounded by signs of continuing progress with students, faculty and staff doing exemplary work, athletic success, and enhancements to campus facilities well underway.

As directed by our strategic plan and as a recommendation by the Presidential Transition Teams, the university launched a comprehensive campus master planning process earlier this year with the goal of charting a course for future university development and for codifying this growth.  Led by Steve Oubre, Architects Southwest, and other nationally recognized consultants, members of the university community participated in small, focused workshops to gather data, develop baselines and ascertain future needs with regard to university facilities, program enrollment, and infrastructure needs such as IT, parking, etc.

For the next step in this process, charrettes will be held in which workshop data will be applied to design planning and the entire community will have the opportunity to provide feedback.  Planners will be on campus for a series of meetings from October 24 through November 2.  I encourage you and our entire university community to participate in the following master plan charrette presentations:

Monday, October 24
6 – 7:30 p.m. — Opening Presentation
VL Wharton Hall, Room 222

Thursday, October 27
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. — Student Presentation
VL Wharton Hall, Room 222

5:30 – 7 p.m. — Mid-Point Presentation
VL Wharton Hall, Room 222

Wednesday, November 2
6 – 7:30 p.m. — Closing Presentation
VL Wharton Hall, Room 222

I hope you will be an active participant in planning for our university’s future by attending as many of these presentations as possible.   If you are unable to attend, I encourage you to send me your suggestions through campus mail or by emailing me at president@louisiana.edu.   Your perspective is appreciated and your feedback most welcomed.

Best wishes,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

I am pleased to announce that strategic efforts are underway to strengthen our university brand and improve our communication efforts — particularly through the Web.

A new vision for our website and a full redevelopment has begun which will reinforce our brand and create an online marketing and communication tool that will better serve the needs of our past, present, and future students—and the university.

Substantial work has already been done behind the scenes to get us moving in the right direction.  We created a position to oversee the website redevelopment along with other Web and electronic communication. As associate director of electronic communication, Aimée Bullinger is the point person for our online messages, including all UL Lafayette websites and university social media pages.

Aimée has over a decade of Web development and communication experience. She graduated from Illinois State University with a master’s degree focusing on visual rhetoric, communication, writing, and technology. Aimée also worked at Illinois State as a university graphic designer and Web developer.

UL Lafayette’s Office of Communications and Marketing and the Office of Information Technology have formed a powerful partnership to ensure the success of our Web redevelopment. Aimée and Chief Information Officer Gene Fields developed an aggressive timeline for the website redevelopment project.

We are committed to designing a website for UL Lafayette with a clear message, intuitive navigation, consistent branding, and a unified theme to better serve our students, alumni, and our faculty and staff. We will introduce a content management system that will be used across the university to create dynamic sites that are easy to maintain.

If you are planning a college, department, or organization website redesign or have one in progress, please contact Aimée at bullinger@louisiana.edu. She will help you begin taking steps now to ensure your site will have the smoothest transition possible as we move forward.

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

I’m pleased to announce that the academic year is off to a smooth start.  It is exciting to have the university buzzing with activities and have our students, faculty and staff back on campus.  To all who are new to UL Lafayette, I extend a warm welcome and wish you the best on behalf of the entire university family.

This past Sunday, the UL community welcomed over 2,500 first-time freshmen who attended the New Student Convocation held at the Cajundome Convention Center.  This is an outstanding freshman class, eager about the start of this next phase in their lives.

As I greeted students at the Cajun Field bus stop yesterday morning and walked about campus today, excitement and anticipation about the promise of a new semester were palpable.  It is my hope that your experience is similar as you greet our new and returning students.

Those of us fortunate enough to work in higher education have the privilege of affecting lives, and we share a responsibility to affect those lives in a positive way.   I recently received the attached article written by your colleague and the university’s director of orientation, Paul Eaton.  Paul’s words are a poignant reminder of the impact each of us has on the young people we encounter every day.  I invite you to read Paul’s article, aptly entitled, Impact.

I look forward to seeing you on campus and working with you this year.  Thanks for all you do for our students and the university.

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

It is my privilege to welcome you back to campus today and wish you all good luck as you begin this new academic year. I hope that you are ready for and excited about the promise of a new semester and all of the successes, growth, and memories it will bring.  As you begin the semester, it is important that you get organized and get to know your professors and classmates.  Most importantly, go to class.  Attending class is your best guarantee for a successful semester.

Now is the best time to get involved in campus organizations and to participate in student activities, so take advantage of the many opportunities UL Lafayette has to offer. Visit the Student Life website to find the best fit for you. (http://ulstudentlife.com)

The UL Lafayette community welcomed approximately 2,500 first-time freshmen yesterday during the Class of 2015 New Student Convocation held at the Cajundome Convention Center. Dr. Ryan Teten, Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, shared the following 3 tips for a successful college experience in his speech that I believe apply to every student.

1) DON’T EVER QUIT. You will read more, write more, study more, and complain more than you ever have in your entire life, so apply yourself!  Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”  Will it be hard?  Absolutely!  Will you have problems?  Absolutely!  Embrace the challenge and never give up!  Thomas Edison also said, “If we did all the things that we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”  So, go! Astound yourself!

2) ENJOY THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. How many of you know what you will be when you graduate? There is no possible way to know exactly what you will become. But, not knowing is incredibly exciting! Ask yourself the million-dollar question: If I had a million dollars, what job would I do? Once you know the answer to that question, and you know the job that you want to do for the pure happiness of it, go study to become it! Also, break out of your comfort zone!  Picasso once said, “I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it.”  We have the most incredible collection of faculty at UL Lafayette in every possible subject. So, take classes outside of your major to explore all of the things you never thought you could know!

3) BE YOURSELF!!!  e.e. cummings once said, “To be yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; NEVER STOP FIGHTING!!”  Let’s get one thing straight: you will need to get over the high school mentality; you will never be cool or popular with everyone.  So, just be yourself.

Campus leaders, including your Student Government Association, have had a busy and productive summer making preparations for your return. To learn more about the plans your SGA president, vice president and treasurer have been working on, take a moment to read the article in today’s newspaper.

Be sure to show your Ragin’ Cajun spirit by attending sporting events this Fall and by participating in WEAR Red every Friday!

SGA Big Three 2011-12

(Left to Right:  Kylie Templet, President;
Laine Blazevich, Treasurer; and Sara Dronet, Vice President)

Best wishes for a terrific semester,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

The Spring 2011 semester is well under way and our campus is filled with activity.  I appreciate this opportunity to briefly update you on a few initiatives and issues that may be of interest.

Physical Improvements
The renovation and restoration of historic Girard Hall is essentially complete and this classroom building is again occupied and serving students and faculty.  Now containing modern classroom space, labs and offices, the restoration of Girard Hall maintained the building’s original architectural features and ambiance.  Girard Hall was named for Crow Girard and his mother, Mrs. Maxim Girard.  The Girards donated 25 acres of land on the corner of Johnston Street and University Avenue that comprised the university’s original campus.  Girard Hall was completed in 1923 and housed classrooms and the college’s library.  A re-dedication ceremony will be held once “punch list” items are complete.

The restoration of another historical feature on campus is nearing completion.  The bell tower on Stephens Hall in the quadrangle is being refurbished and this attractive feature will soon be functional again.  Stephens Hall, originally dedicated as Stephens Memorial Library, was named for Edwin L. Stephens, the university’s first president.  Constructed in 1940, it was the first building solely dedicated to functioning as a library.

You’ve no doubt seen or read about the major construction projects that have begun in earnest on the northeastern part of campus.  The first new student residence hall and a parking garage are under construction on the Taft/Tulane/McKinley streets site and are scheduled to be completed in time for the Fall 2011 semester.  A second residence hall on this site will be ready for student occupancy by the beginning of the Spring 2012 semester.

Phase II of the housing project will begin in the Rose Garden area (dorms along University Avenue and Boucher Street) in May of this year and should be completed by the Fall 2012 semester. This video provides a birds-eye view of plans for new student housing and a second parking garage. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeh9dKUAArQ)

Renovation and expansion of the Student Union will begin in Fall 2011; some work on this project will occur concurrently with Phase II of the housing project.

This aggressive schedule will no doubt create disruption and inconvenience for many on campus.  I ask for your patience and understanding.

Master Plan
A portion of the proceeds from the bond sale to finance the housing project has been pledged by Ragin’ Cajun Facilities, Inc., to assist the university with the development of a comprehensive Master Plan for the university’s major land holdings in Lafayette.

This Master Plan will provide an important “road map” for addressing future academic and support needs and accommodate the thoughtful growth and development of the university.  Local architect, Steve Oubre, an alumnus whose firm has experience with master planning and community development, has been contracted to do this work.  Faculty member Tom Sammons, along with his student interns in the Community Design Workshop, will be key participants in this planning process.

Over the next several months, representatives from throughout the campus community will be invited to participate in a series of design charrettes, or public discussions, to help develop this vision for the university’s future.

Governor Jindal
You may have read that Governor Jindal has released his higher education reform proposals for the upcoming legislative session (http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=2681).  The governor presented several interesting proposals aimed at helping higher education become more financially sound and removing various bureaucratic impediments.  I look forward to reviewing and analyzing the details of any proposed legislation and will share thoughts about them at that time.

Enrollment/Retention/Graduation
The university continues to make progress in enrollment with the Spring 2011 semester enrollment exceeding the Spring 2010 enrollment by 227 students.  Most of this growth can be attributed to the rising number of continuing students.  Admissions criteria and focused retention efforts are producing good results.

Improved student retention is also affecting the university’s graduation rates.  I was pleased to see an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education this past December that ranked graduation rate improvements over the last six years at public research universities.  In this report, UL Lafayette was tied for 3rd in the nation for the percentage improvement in graduation rates.

Best wishes for continued success this semester.

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

I am pleased to inform you that the university has secured necessary approvals to proceed with two important projects that are prominent recommendations of our 2009-2014 University Strategic Plan.

These projects will build new residence halls, improve existing student housing and renovate and expand our Student Union.  The result will be an invigorated campus climate intended to help more students achieve their goal of earning an academic degree.

Funding for these projects involves no state general funds nor any state capital outlay funds.  A student self-assessed fee that was first implemented in 2003 and supplemented in 2005 will finance the Student Union project.  The housing improvements are a project of Ragin Cajun Facilities, Inc., a separately incorporated 501(c)(3) organization,  and will be paid for with revenue bonds amortized with income from room rentals.

Here’s a closer look at the construction plans:

Denbo and Bancroft residence halls and the UL Lafayette Federal Credit Union will be torn down.  New housing and a 1,000 vehicle parking garage, which will include a new credit union on the first floor, will be constructed on these sites.  The band practice field will be maintained for its current use and will provide green space for various student and campus activities.

Bonin, Baker-Huger and Evangeline residence halls will be torn down and replaced with new residence halls.  Harris, Randolph and Buchanan residence halls and Alumni Hall, which houses The Vermilion, UL Lafayette’s student newspaper, will be renovated.

New residence halls will have suite-style rooms with a bathroom in each suite.  Certain residence halls may serve particular groups, such as Honors Program students or students who participate in Greek life.  Others will introduce living-learning communities, or clustered residential groups.  Members of these communities will have something in common.  For example, they could be enrolled in the First Year Seminar or be members of the band.  Research shows that living-learning communities improve student retention rates and academic achievement.

Residence halls will also house classrooms equipped with high-tech instructional equipment.  These classrooms will enable the university to provide academic support services, such as tutoring, where students live and study.

Convenience for students and an enriched social environment are at the heart of the Student Union expansion and renovation.  Many student support services that are now scattered across campus will be consolidated there to provide a “one-stop” facility.

A new food service area, with a food court atmosphere, will be constructed in the new student union.  The University Bookstore will remain in the Student Union, but it will be redesigned.  Spaces where student organizations can meet and where students can gather informally will be included in the renovated facility.  Four buildings will be torn down to accommodate the expanded Student Union.  Those are Coronna, Olivier, Guillory, and Saucier.  As part of this project, O.K. Allen Hall will be renovated to accommodate Student Health Services and the Counseling and Testing Center.

These are major construction projects that will invigorate the campus.  They also will be an inconvenience and will disrupt the routines of several faculty, staff and students.  Parking and Transit, as well as Facilities Management, are working hard to plan for and accommodate those affected.

I invite you to view a brief, animated visual presentation of the residential housing plans.

Thank you for your patience and support as we move forward in improving our campus and implementing our strategic plan.

Sincerely,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu

This message shall serve as a reminder that university faculty and staff will gather in Angelle Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, September 28 at 2 p.m. to hear the most current information available on the university’s budget, possible budget reductions and the collaborative process we are undertaking to manage and mitigate future cuts.

Because Angelle Hall Auditorium has limited capacity, we intend to video the entire meeting and upload it  for later viewing by those who were unable to attend in person.  The  links to access the video, as well as the PowerPoint presentation,  will be available on Wednesday morning.  The video and PowerPoint presentation will be available at the links below.  You will need to revisit this blog message for access to both.

University Budget Summit Meeting

University Budget Presentation

Thank you,

E. Joseph Savoie
President
president@louisiana.edu