After a recess, the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System met virtually today for its regular meeting. View that meeting here.

UL SYSTEM MEMBER INSTITUTIONS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE LAURA

Last week, Hurricane Laura’s destructive path forced closures at all nine member institutions. In her wake she left devastation at five of the nine member institutions, most notably McNeese State University.

This week, as McNeese has begun assessing damages and cleaning debris, the other eight member institutions have stepped forward to assist. The System-coordinated Cowboy Relief Effort is connecting universities with opportunities to assist.

“I am heartened by the outpouring of support for McNeese by the other member institutions,” System President Jim Henderson said. “Though there is a lot of work to be done, the cowboys are strong and will return even better equipped to serve students in southwest Louisiana.”

Current efforts include matching displaced McNeese students with housing opportunities on other campuses for the restart of their semester on Sept. 18 and developing an MOU that will allow McNeese students staying in other regions of the state to access other campus’ resources such as the rec centers, libraries, and computer labs. Supply drives are underway and student organizations are being matched with service opportunities in the affected area.

The university has established a Hurricane Laura relief fund to help the campus community in its recovery.

ICYMI: UL SYSTEM BOARD NAMES BERRY ULM PRESIDENT

The Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System named Ron Berry the ninth president of the University of Louisiana Monroe. Berry has spent his 25-year career at ULM and currently serves as the dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences at the university.

“The people at ULM are passionate people, and the community came together for the university during this process,” Berry said. “Together we will set priorities for our university to become the transformative entity that we so desperately need to become.”

Read the full release here.

ULM TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System approved ULM’s request to enter into a MOU with Louisiana Delta Community College to establish a Bridge Program. The program is designed to ease the pathway for students wishing to transfer from LDCC to ULM, ensuring their general education and developmental credits are accepted at the university.

“Expanding access to education is one of the Board’s main focuses,” Board Chair Mark Romero said. ” The MOU strengthens the higher education enterprise in Monroe and the entire Northeast Louisiana region and is in line with our goal to increase the number of Louisianians with bachelor’s degrees.”

Students participating in the Bridge Program will be provided access to the library, computer labs, and student activities including athletics events.

BOARD APPROVES GRAMBLING MENTORING PARTNERSHIP

The Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System approved Grambling State University’s request to establish a GSU branch of the Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program. Licensed by the Clemson University Research Foundation, the program is designed to increase the pool of available male teachers from underrepresented groups.

“This Board recognizes the importance of educators reflecting the populations they serve, and the K-12 space is no different.” UL System President and CEO Jim Henderson said. “Students need teachers and role models that look like them, and this program supports Grambling students becoming those teachers and mentors our society needs.”

Student participants are primarily selected from underserved, socioeconomically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities. The program provides tuition assistance, academic support structures, a cohort system, and job placement assistance for participating students.

Grambling’s Call Me MISTER chapter is the third among System member institutions, following Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State University.

BOARD ACTION:

ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS

Grambling State University: approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated Schools.
Grambling State University: approval to enter into a Call Me MISTER License Agreement with Clemson University Research Foundation.
Southeastern Louisiana University: approval to offer a Master of Science (M.S.) in Population Health Management.
University of Louisiana at Monroe: approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Louisiana Delta Community College.
University of Louisiana System: approval of System Universities’ 2020-21 Promotions in Faculty Rank and Recommendations for Tenure.

ATHLETIC COMMITTEE

Louisiana Tech University: approval of a contractual agreement between Head Football Coach Louis L. Holtz, Jr., Louisiana Tech University, and Louisiana Tech University Foundation, effective July 1, 2020.
Louisiana Tech University: approval of a contractual agreement between Mr. Eric Konkol, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Louisiana Tech University, and Louisiana Tech University Foundation, effective April 1, 2020.
Louisiana Tech University: approval of contracts for various assistant football coaches, between Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana Tech University Foundation, effective March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021.
McNeese State University: approval of a contractual agreement with Mr. Andrew Fitzgerald, Head Women’s Soccer Coach, effective July 1, 2020.
Nicholls State University: approval of a contract with Mr. Jonathan Terrell, Director of Athletics, effective July 6, 2020.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette: approval of amended Contracts for Employment for various coaches.

FACILITIES PLANNING

Louisiana Tech University: approval to name rooms in the College of Education’s Woodard Hall.
McNeese State University: approval to enter into a facilities lease agreement with the Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy Foundation, Inc. to further the services currently being provided in the Educational Services Agreement.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette: approval of a Land Lease and Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the Louisiana Army National Guard (LANG) to expand collaborative research and development opportunities in the area of Cybersecurity, as authorized by La. R.S. 17:3361.
University of Louisiana System: approval of the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Capital Outlay Budget Request and Institutions’ Five-Year Capital Outlay Plans.

FINANCE

Grambling State University’s request to approve and authorize the University to accept the offered deferment of the principal and interest payments for the Future and Advance Project Funding Bonds Series 2016-4 offered by the United States Department of Education (DOE) and to authorize President Rick Gallot to execute all necessary documents to do so.
McNeese State University: approval of a reduction in the per credit hour charge for its electronic learning fee assessment.
McNeese State University: approval for the execution of leases between the Board, on behalf of the University, and Cowboy Facilities, Inc., a private 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, in connection with the lease and leaseback of a portion of the University’s campus to finance cost of acquiring immovable property, and financing the construction, renovation, and equipping of a new student union.
Southeastern Louisiana University: approval to implement a Per Credit Hour Tuition Rate for Online Programs.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette: approval of an updated Internal Audit Charter.
University of New Orleans’ request for approval of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Model Content, LLC.
University of Louisiana System: acceptance of Fiscal Year 2019-20 Financial and Compliance and Federal Award Programs Representation Letters for (a) Louisiana Tech University, (b) McNeese State University, (c) Southeastern Louisiana University, (d) University of Louisiana at Lafayette, (e) University of Louisiana at Monroe, and (f) University of New Orleans.
University of Louisiana System: approval of Fiscal Year 2020-21 Operating Budgets, including organizational charts, undergraduate/graduate mandatory attendance fees, scholarships, and System Shared Costs.

PERSONNEL

McNeese State University: approval to appoint Mr. Heath Schroyer as Interim Director of Athletics effective July 1, 2020.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette: approval to appoint Dr. Ahmed Khattab as Dean of the College of Engineering effective July 1, 2020.