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Joseph Roberts
Issue date: 1/25/10 Section: Campus News
LSU faculty members are taking action in response to the latest wave of cuts to higher education and healthcare. To protest the cuts about 150 faculty members on Jan. 18 rallied at the campus parade grounds directly across the street from an event celebrating the university's 150th anniversary.
The protest was spearheaded by Tania Nyman, an LSU English instructor. She organized the event via a Facebook group she created and titled "SAVE LSU." As of now, the group already has well over 3,000 members. Nyman says that the speed of the group's growth is reflective of a state consensus against the cuts to higher education.
"It was about more than my job," Nyman said. "Governor Jindal has been stating repeatedly that we need to cut the budget because of the downturn in the economy, but I knew the budget cuts were a result of the repeal of the Stelly tax swap and his refusal to access the emergency fund."
This month the school had about $13 million stripped from its operating budget, compounded with a previous cut in state funding this year and around 300 professors received notices informing them that they may lose their jobs.
For this reason, it didn't sit well with many faculty to learn that a number of coaches are actually about to receive raises. However, LSU's athletics program is one of the only ones in the nation which receives no state government funding, and the athletics department annually transfers a couple million dollars into the university, as well as provides financial assistance with campus improvement/construction projects.
"I just think it's a difficult thing when you tell your kids of the importance of education … while firing instructors who make 40,000 a year, and at the same time hiring coaches for millions of dollars a year," LSU English instructor Chris Tusa said on ABC News.
Nyman says the SAVE LSU group is planning a march on the state capitol. The group is also collecting signatures on an open petition demanding tax reform for the state.
The protest was spearheaded by Tania Nyman, an LSU English instructor. She organized the event via a Facebook group she created and titled "SAVE LSU." As of now, the group already has well over 3,000 members. Nyman says that the speed of the group's growth is reflective of a state consensus against the cuts to higher education.
"It was about more than my job," Nyman said. "Governor Jindal has been stating repeatedly that we need to cut the budget because of the downturn in the economy, but I knew the budget cuts were a result of the repeal of the Stelly tax swap and his refusal to access the emergency fund."
This month the school had about $13 million stripped from its operating budget, compounded with a previous cut in state funding this year and around 300 professors received notices informing them that they may lose their jobs.
For this reason, it didn't sit well with many faculty to learn that a number of coaches are actually about to receive raises. However, LSU's athletics program is one of the only ones in the nation which receives no state government funding, and the athletics department annually transfers a couple million dollars into the university, as well as provides financial assistance with campus improvement/construction projects.
"I just think it's a difficult thing when you tell your kids of the importance of education … while firing instructors who make 40,000 a year, and at the same time hiring coaches for millions of dollars a year," LSU English instructor Chris Tusa said on ABC News.
Nyman says the SAVE LSU group is planning a march on the state capitol. The group is also collecting signatures on an open petition demanding tax reform for the state.
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