BATON ROUGE, La. – Following completion of a legislatively requested feasibility study, the Board of Regents voted Wednesday to recommend the formulation and execution of a robust transition plan to facilitate the transfer of the University of New Orleans (UNO) from the University of Louisiana System back to the management and operational control of the Louisiana State University (LSU) System.
The report will be submitted to the Louisiana Legislature’s leadership, who will determine whether to enact legislation to accomplish such a transfer.
“After conducting a thorough study, the Board believes it is best to recommend the University of New Orleans return to the LSU System,” said Board Chair Misti S. Cordell. “We anticipate this transfer will produce a bold vision to strategically redesign UNO and position it as a major developer of talent for the Greater New Orleans Region.”
The study was initiated in February when Chair Cordell received a formal request from Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier to examine the proposed system change for UNO. In the study, the BOR recommends the following measures to optimize success:
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- Establishment of a Transition Team
- Collaborative Engagement between the Systems and Campus Leadership
- Rigorous Third-Party Analysis
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- In-Depth Forensic Audit
- Academic Programs Assessment
- Comprehensive Facilities Assessment
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- Compliance with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation standards
- Data-Informed Benchmark Reporting
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As mandated by Article VIII, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution, the Board of Regents must study any proposed transfer of an institution from one system to another before the Legislature may enact related legislation. To fulfill this constitutional requirement, staff gathered comprehensive fiscal, facilities, and academic information relevant to UNO’s operations.
During the March meeting, Board members addressed several other critical higher education matters, beginning with a focused discussion on campus safety. Prior to the meeting, members participated in a Board development session on Louisiana’s anti-hazing laws and the Regents’ role in anti-hazing education and training. The Board adopted its Uniform Policy on Hazing Prevention in August 2018 and an updated version in August 2019.
This discussion comes in the wake of the tragic hazing death of Southern University A&M student Caleb Wilson last month.
“Regents has been clear about our stance on hazing. We have zero tolerance for hazing of any kind – whether it is on or off campus,” emphasized Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. “Today’s conversation was a sobering one, but one that needed to happen. Student safety is of the utmost importance, and we remain committed to solutions that will keep our students safe.”
During the meeting the Board also celebrated significant progress made across Louisiana as a result of adoption of remedial English reform, known as corequisite education. In Fall 2024, success in corequisite English rose more than 40 percentage points, to 60%. To illustrate this success, LSU Eunice Chancellor Dr. Nancee Sorenson highlighted the institution’s success with corequisite math and English courses as part of this month’s Meauxmentum Moment. Louisiana’s achievement in this area was highlighted nationally on Tuesday in an article by Inside Higher Education.
The Board also received the 2024 Louisiana Higher Education Financial Aid Report, the final legislative report to be submitted prior to the 2025 Regular Session. This comprehensive analysis examined seven state scholarship and grant program barriers and analyzed how existing state aid programs intersect with other financial assistance to support Louisiana students’ success. The 2024 Louisiana Higher Education Financial Aid Report can be accessed here.
The Board of Regents will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, April 23, in Baton Rouge.
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Contact
Chris Yandle, Ph.D., APR, Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications
chris.yandle@laregents.edu • 985-373-5845