A consultant with the organization studying the consolidated leadership structure LSU adopted in 2012 told the Board of Supervisors today that in the eight years since the structure went into effect, LSU has notched some significant wins.
“You are one of the few flagships in this country that is growing, increasingly diverse in its student body and whose student success has been improving,” AGB senior consultant George Pernsteiner told the board at its bi-monthly meeting. “You are doing something right. That is something we need to keep in mind as we do our work so we don’t recommend something that would screw up what you’re doing well.”
Though some have criticized the leadership structure adopted in 2012, which merged the position of LSU system president and Baton Rouge campus chancellor, Pernsteiner’s comments suggest the overall move to break down silos among LSU’s various entities has been effective in improving student outcomes and overall competitiveness.
The comments were also a nod, whether intentional or not, to the legacy of former President F. King Alexander, who was the first to hold the jointly created position of president and chancellor and worked to increase LSU’s diversity and improve student outcomes. He stepped down Dec. 31.
Before searching for his replacement, the board has said it wants to first evaluate whether the changes made in 2012 are working. It announced earlier this month, it has retained AGB, which first studied the issue eight years ago, to conduct the new study as well.
In the weeks to come, AGB’s consulting team will interview board members, administrators, faculty members, students and officials with affiliated organizations on both the Baton Rouge and Shreveport campuses, Pernsteiner says.
They’ll also conduct phone interviews with administrators and faculty on LSU’s other campuses.
“We will try to get as broad a cross-section of folks as possible in order to understand the different perspectives and what you are trying to achieve as the supervisors because that really is the focus,” he says.
AGB will present a draft report to the board in late April and a final report in May.
LSU board Chair Mary Werner has previously said it would probably be late this year, at the earliest, before a permanent replacement—or replacements—for Alexander is selected.
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