The Southern University Board of Supervisors voted 6-6 to not declare financial exigency today following an emotionally charged meeting. The declaration of financial emergency would have given the administration and board greater latitude in reducing the number of tenured professors and other faculty position for a period of one academic year. Because the motion failed, Chancellor James L. Llorens will be required to submit a balanced budget by this evening. The board yielded its authority to the chancellor to make the necessary cuts.
The board had met on Friday and voted to delay the decision until today, after representatives of the Faculty Senate said that they could deliver a petition objecting to the financial exigency declaration. The petition would require 90% of faculty to agree to enter into two years of consecutive furloughs of up to 10%. The petition netted 60 signatures prior to the meeting, about 61% of faculty, with more signing on during the meeting. Each of those voluntary furloughs will be taken into account in the chancellor’s budget. Today’s meeting resembled Friday’s, with numerous students and faculty members expressing vehement opposition to the exigency plan. Some accused the board of not examining all cost-cutting options, in particular board pay. Many said that the declaration could scare off both prospective students and potential alumni donors concerned about uncertainty at Southern. —Ian McGibboney
