January 8, 2018              Volume 6, Issue 1              
    Levy installed as chairman of Louisiana Board of Regents

Robert W. Levy
The Louisiana Board of Regents selected Regent Robert W. Levy as the next chairman of the board.  He replaces former Chairman Richard A. Lipsey whose term expired.  Levy was installed as chairman at the Board of Regents meeting today.

Other newly elected members of the Executive Committee include the following:

-Regent Marty J. Chabert, Vice-Chair

-Regent Collis B. Temple, III, Secretary

-Regent Claudia H. Adley, Executive Committee

-Regent Thomas G. Henning, Executive Committee

-Regent Richard A. Lipsey, Executive Committee

-Regent Edward D. Markle, Executive Committee

 

Levy, a resident of Vienna, Louisiana, is in his sixteenth year of service on the Louisiana Board of Regents.  Levy served as the District Attorney for the 3rd Judicial District (Lincoln and Union Parishes)  for 24 years and retired in 2015. He has played an active role in both higher education and K-12 by serving on Louisiana's Blue Ribbon Commission for Educational Excellence, the High School Redesign Commission, as well as serving as an adjunct professor of business law and criminal justice at Louisiana Tech University for more than 27 years.

Levy also has been involved in numerous professional, civic and service organizations including serving as v ice-chair for Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) and a member of the board of directors for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. 

Levy released the following statement on his selection as chair

It is an honor to be selected as the next chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents. Having served on this board for over sixteen years, including a prior term as chair, I am keenly aware of both the challenges and the opportunities that are ahead.  These are critical times in higher education that call for tough decisions-especially when we are continuously faced with budgetary challenges and limited funding. Increasing Louisiana educational attainment is, and will continue to be, the central focus of all of our efforts.

Access to higher education and successful matriculation through higher education are essential to the population and economy of Louisiana. A better educated population means better and more jobs, less dependence on governmental support and improved living and working conditions for all citizens.  By working with our Board, the management boards, campuses and business and industry partners, we must expand programs that connect students with work-based learning opportunities.  Postsecondary resources must be targeted to respond to local/regional workforce needs.

To increase educational attainment, we need to stop disinvesting in higher education and get back to increasing this priority and critical undertaking by investing in the students and our institutions.  To do less is to continue our rankings at the bottom of the list for every good higher education measure and the top of the list for negative measures. We must strive to increase our access and success.

Higher education is an investment into the future of the state, not a cost to the state.  We remain committed to the belief that a robust public postsecondary education system is critical to enhancing Louisiana's social and economic environment.

We have a great, committed board. I look forward to continuing this work.
New Board Member Sworn In

Randy L. Ewing
A newly appointed Board of Regents member was sworn in today.

Randy L. Ewing is a timber businessman from Jackson Parish, who represented District 35 in the Louisiana State Senate from 1988 to 2000. He was the State Senate President in his last term from 1996 to 2000. Regent Ewing is the past president of the Louisiana Forestry Association.  He has also served with Council for a Better Louisiana, Steps to Success and the Louisiana Methodist Foundation.


Dr. Uma Subramanian administers the oath to Regent Randy L. Ewing
Regent Richard A. Lipsey pins Regent Randy L. Ewing
Regent Richard A. Lipsey (left), Regent Randy L. Ewing (right)
Installation of Board Officers

Installation of our new Board Officers: Regent Robert Levy (right), Chairman, Regent Marty Chabert (left), Vice Chair

Installation of Executive Committee Members

Installation of our Executive Committee Members (from Left to Right): Regent Edward Markle, Regent Claudia Adley, Regent Marty Chabert, Regent Richard Lipsey, 
Regent Thomas Henning and Regent Robert Levy

Support Fund Granting Process

   The Board of Regents Support Fund's 2017-18 grants competition is underway, with proposals received during October and November across five subprograms. The Board has received a large crop of proposals, including 272 in Research & Development (Research Competitiveness,  Industrial Ties, and Awards to Louisiana Artists and Scholars), 178 in Departmental Enhancement, and 5 in BoR/SREB Doctoral Diversity Supplements. In total, the proposals request approximately $41.6 million in first-year funds, more than eight times the $5.1 million projected in the FY 2017-18 Plan and Budget to be available for these initiatives. Review panels have been selected and will be evaluating proposals during the winter and early spring, to develop funding recommendations for the Board of Regents by mid-spring, with Board action in April.

LOSFA Field Outreach Services Celebrates 
College Access Success
By Tiera LeBlanc, Field Outreach Services Media Specialist, Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance

A Program of the 
Board of Regents
With the commencement of the new year, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) celebrated the achievements of LOSFA Field Outreach Services during the first half of the 2017-18 reporting year (June 2017-December 2017). 

The first half of the reporting year, which covers the entire first semester of the 2017-2018 academic school year, was an impactful time for Louisiana students, parents, and educators. During that time, 16,723 students, 1,602 parents, and 1,003 educators were provided with services offered by the Field Outreach Services division of LOSFA. These services include College/Career Counseling Advising, College and Career Access Support, TOPS/FAFSA/Financial Literacy Workshops, TOPS Check-Ups/Retention Workshops and Sessions, Comprehensive Mentoring, and Professional Development for educators. Some of the larger initiatives offered as part of these services include Louisiana GEAR UP Summer Learning Programs (College/Career Access Support), Louisiana College Application and Access Month (College/Career Counseling Advising), and the FLY (Financial Literacy for You) Tour (TOPS/FAFSA/Financial Literacy Workshops). 

 
Students
Parents
Educators
 
16723
1602
1003
Services
 
 
 
College/Career Counseling Advising
21st Century Ceremonies, Post-Secondary Browses, College/Career Counseling Services, Cross-Curricular Activities, Text Messaging Outreach Program, Match and Fit Sessions, and Louisiana College Application and Access Month (LCAAM)
7718
268
348
TOPS/FAFSA/Financial Literacy Workshop
FAFSA/FSA ID Completion, College Goal Sunday, Financial Literacy Workshops, FLY (Financial Literacy for You) Tour, and TOPS, FAFSA, and General Financial Aid Seminars and Workshops
3927
1325
347
College/Career Access Support
Academic Tutoring, Standardized Test Tutoring, Business and Industry Field Trips, Campus Field Trips, and Dual Enrollment Support
2904
7
189
Comprehensive Mentoring
College Access Club Activities and Mentoring
1914
2
111
TOPS Check-Ups/Retention Workshop & Session
TOPS Check-Ups/Retention Workshops and Sessions
260
0
8
Board Actions

The Board of Regents approved the following Academic and Student Affairs items:

I. Academic Programs

A. Letters of Intent
1. MS / Cyber Technology - LA Tech

B. Academic Proposals
1. BA / Screen Arts - LSU
2. GC / Archival Studies - LSU
3. GC / Cyber Technology - LA Tech
4. GC / Geographic Information Systems - UNO
5. GC / Historic & Cultural Preservation - UNO

II. Consent Agenda

A. Authorization of a New Center: Center for Collaborative Learning -- LSU

B. Reauthorization of Previously Approved Centers & Institutes
1. Advanced Materials Research Institute (AMRI) - UNO
2. Environmental Education & Research Center - ULM

C. Routine Staff Reports
1. Staff Approvals
2. Progress Reports for Conditionally Approved Programs/Units
3. Letters of Intent/Proposals in the Queue

III. Other Business

The Board of Regents approved the following Facilities and Property items:

I. Consent Agenda: Small Capital Projects Report
    1. LSU Ag Center: Equipment Storage Building (Rice Research Station)
    2. LSU A&M: Choppin Hall 2nd Floor Laboratory Renovation
    3. LSU A&M: Cub Complex - Baseball Field Lighting
    4. LSU A&M: Environmental Test Chamber for Construction Management
    5. LSU A&M: Football Operations Practice Field Video Tower Foundations
    6. LSU HSC-NO: Allied Health-School of Nursing Building 3rd & 4th Floor Restroom Renovation
    7. LSU HSC-NO: Human Development Center Infant Room Renovation
    8. LSU HSC-NO: Seton Building Entrance & Lobby Renovation
    9. LSU HSC-NO: Seton Building First Floor Office Renovation
    10. SELU: Alumni Field Lighting Retrofit
    11. ULM: Claiborne-McGuire South Parking & Paving Project
    12. ULM: Leon Sugar Hall Roof Replacement
II. Other Business

The Board of Regents approved the following Sponsored Programs items:

I. Consent Agenda

A. Appointment of Endowed Chairholder without National Search: University of New
    Orleans

B. Conversion of BoRSF-Matched Endowments: LSU and A&M College

I I. Other Business

The Board of Regents approved the following Planning, Research and Performance items:

I. Consent Agenda

A. State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) Institutional Renewal 

1. Southeastern Louisiana University

II. Response to House Concurrent Resolution 89 of 2017 Regular Session of Louisiana              Legislature

III. Other Business


The Board of Regents approved the following Audit items:

I. Updates

A. Internal Audit
B. External Audit
C. July Audit Report

II. Other Business
   January Meeting Highlights  

"Mr. Lipsey, thank you for your outstanding service as chair of the 
Board of Regents." -Regent Robert Levy
About Regents
The Board of Regents, a state agency created by the 1974 Louisiana Constitution, coordinates all public higher education in Louisiana. The Board of Regents believes that a robust public postsecondary education system is critical in order to enhance Louisiana's social and economic environment. Through statewide academic planning and review, budgeting and performance funding, research, and accountability, Regents strives to ensure that all students have access to high-quality educational opportunities. 
 
Regents Recap is produced by the Louisiana Board of Regents Office of Public Affairs
For more information or to be added to our distribution list, contact
the Office of Public Affairs at bor.publicaffairs@la.gov.

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