When Wade Rousse took over as president of the LSU System late last year, he inherited a sprawling, eight-campus enterprise at a time when the expectations of business and political leaders alike were growing.
An economist by training who built his reputation turning around McNeese State University, Rousse now finds himself tasked with something far more complex: reshaping Louisiana’s largest higher education system into what he envisions as a more efficient, outcomes-driven organization aimed squarely at meeting the state’s most pressing economic needs.
In a wide-ranging interview with Business Report, Rousse laid out a strategy that borrows heavily from private sector management principles, emphasizing accountability, workforce alignment and measurable returns on investment.
Also discussed were Rousse’s plans to turn things around for the University of New Orleans, how he hopes to navigate a “broken” college sports financial model and his relationships with state political leaders—namely, Gov. Jeff Landry.
