Tech president: LSUS merger would take 3-5 years

Participants at a town hall meeting Thursday in Shreveport estimated a proposed merger of LSU-Shreveport and Louisiana Tech in Ruston would involve a transition period of three to five years. Tech President Dan Reneau says that during such a transition, faculty at the two north Louisiana campuses would establish working relationships. Thursday’s meeting included Reneau and University of Louisiana president Randy Moffett. The state’s Board of Regents has recommended that the campuses merge, and merger bills are pending at the Legislature. The merger would involve moving LSUS from the LSU System into the UL System, which runs Tech and other universities around the state. Moffett’s presentation included a look at how the University of New Orleans recently switched from the LSU System into the UL System. “The transition happened very smoothly,” he says. “We challenge the campuses to be better. We don’t micromanage and encourage faculty sharing. This is not a territorial issue. It’s what’s best for Louisiana.” The transition cost about $300,000. Thursday’s speakers laid out a vision for campuses with two provosts, one in Shreveport and one in Ruston. LSUS Foundation funds would not be diverted, they say. And each department would have one head, regardless of where it is located. There would be recruiting offices on both campuses, under the ideas outlined at the town hall.