Latest news with #UniversityofLouisiana
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University of Louisiana at Lafayette president to retire immediately
A brick wall sign marks the entrance to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus on May 15, 2025. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) University of Louisiana at Lafayette President Joseph Savoie will retire at the end of the week. Savoie's retirement was announced Wednesday by University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Romero at a special board meeting. Its members voted unanimously to name Savoie ULL's president emeritus. Savoie has served as president since 2008 and oversaw the university's transformation into a major research institution. In 2022, ULL received the prestigious R1 status in the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions, meaning it has very high levels of research activity. The other R1 universities in Louisiana are LSU and Tulane. ULL Provost Jaimie Hebert will serve as interim president while a search is conducted. No timeline to choose Savoie's replacement has been announced. 'I reached the decision to transition to this new position after months of careful consideration,' Savoie said in a news release. 'Higher education has changed immensely in the past two decades. The expectations on colleges and universities are as great as they have ever been and meeting those responsibilities to our community today – and to generations that follow – requires new ideas and fresh approaches.' Savoie's decision to retire early — his employment agreement was slated to expire June 30, 2026 — came after an unfavorable state audit earlier this year that found repeat findings from the previous year, which earned Savoie sharp questions from the board in April. Romero said Savoie was not asked to step down due to the audit. Savoie will stay on at the university as president emeritus. In an interview after the board meeting Wednesday, Savoie said he intends to take an active role in the administration over the next year, primarily working on external relations, before returning to his faculty position in education. Before becoming president of ULL, Savoie was the state's commissioner of higher education, a role in which he oversaw all of the state's university and college systems. Romero said the board has not yet decided on a search timeline for Savoie's replacement, but one would likely be announced at its August meeting. The UL System board also announced that University of New Orleans chief financial officer Edwin Litolff will assume the same position at ULL. Before moving to UNO to aid in their financial crisis, Litolff held the same position at Grambling State University. Savoie's departure means Louisiana's two largest universities – ULL and LSU – are without permanent presidents. Former LSU President William Tate announced his departure in May. Matt Lee, vice president for agriculture and dean of LSU's College of Agriculture, is currently serving as interim president. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Solve the daily Crossword
American Press
01-07-2025
- General
- American Press
Tommy Richard Hymel
Tommy Richard Hymel, 95, of Lake Arthur, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Lafayette. Born on June 23, 1930, in Lake Arthur, he was the beloved son of the late Willie and Melissa Richard Hymel. A proud graduate of Lake Arthur High School, Tommy furthered his education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, receiving a bachelor's degree, and McNeese State University, receiving a master's degree in education. He honorably served in the United States Air Force and is a Korean War Veteran. Tommy dedicated his life to learning and education. He was Principal of Lake Arthur Elementary School, Assistant Principal at Lake Arthur High School, served as a guidance counselor, and taught adult literacy. He was a skilled gardener like his father and an avid genealogist who was always proud to share a story about his family's origins. Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Melissa Hymel, and his siblings, Willie Hymel Jr., Sidney Hymel, Joyce Stagg, and Gloria Crochet. Tommy is survived by his sisters, Patsy Gauthier and Roberta 'Bobbie' Wade, and generations of nieces and nephews who will cherish his memory. In accordance with his wishes, no formal services are scheduled. Cremation has been entrusted to Johnson & Brown Funeral Home of Iowa. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at Facebook: Johnson & Brown Funeral Home.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposal to ban DEI college courses, state policy dies in Louisiana Legislature
A brick wall sign marks the entrance to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus on May 15, 2025. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) The Louisiana Senate has refused to refer a bill targeting diversity, equity and inclusion to a committee where it could be debated, an unusual move that essentially means the proposal will die on the vine. House Bill 685 by Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge, would have banned DEI practices across state government and prohibit state universities and colleges from requiring certain race and gender-based curricula for undergraduate students. It narrowly passed the House last month after a hours-long debate in which Black lawmakers called the bill 'racially oppressive.' 'We couldn't figure out which committee to refer it to,' Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said Monday in an interview. Chenevert said she was disappointed her bill didn't get a Senate committee hearing, adding she would consider sponsoring the legislation again in the future. 'Sometimes it's not about getting all the way through,' Chenevert said. 'Maybe it's just bringing up the topic and having some … open conversations about it.' The legislation was originally debated in the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, because its original version only prohibited DEI practices in state agencies. During that hearing, it was amended to restrict college curricula but it was not sent to the House Committe on Education, which handles proposals on curricula and higher education. 'To the extent the bill intended to prohibit the inclusion of certain concepts which are unrelated to specific courses or programs it would be unnecessary as professional best practices already set that standard,' LSU Faculty Senate President Dan Tirone said in a statement to the Illuminator. House Bill 685 was introduced in the Senate on May 20, with more than three weeks left in the legislative session during which it could have been debated in committee, a necessary step before it can get a Senate floor vote. But as the final week of committee meetings passed, Chenevert's proposal remained unreferred. 'I think it's unnecessary,' Henry said, adding it was the Senate's decision, not just his, to stall the bill. 'An enormous amount of people from both parties expressed their reservations.' Chenevert's bill had the support of Gov. Jeff Landry. 'If the governor wants to institute that, he can do an executive order,' Henry said of the legislation. If it had become law, the bill would have prohibited required classes that cover any of the following subjects: Critical race theory White fragility or white guilt Systemic racism, institutional racism or anti-racism Systemic bias or implicit bias Intersectionality Gender identity Allyship Race-based reparations Race-based privilege The legislation would have allowed any of the subjects to be taught if it was 'included at the discretion of the faculty member, is not prescribed by the institution as a program requirement, and is part of a broader pedagogical objective.' Opponents of the bill said even with this language, the legislation could have had a chilling effect on faculty's academic freedom and freedom of speech. The Louisiana chapter of the American Association of University Professors sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to oppose the bill. 'This legislation would stifle the 'marketplace of ideas' and infantilize our students, forcing faculty to avoid concepts the legislature dislikes and presenting only those that have gained their favor,' the letter reads. 'This is antithetical to freedom in a democratic society and hurts our students as they transition into fully enfranchised citizens.' The Southern University Foundation, which is affiliated with Louisiana's largest historically Black university, also opposed the bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Major tweaks to TOPS scholarships in Louisiana scrapped due to cost
The University of Louisiana Monroe library, photographed from Northeast Drive. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers have advanced a new TOPS award for high-performing students, scrapping language from an original proposal that would have dramatically changed the popular scholarship program. House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston, was amended Tuesday in the House Committee on Appropriations because it would have increased state spending nearly $50 million annually at a time when lawmakers are working under budget constraints. In its current state, Turner said his proposal comes with a $12 million cost that can be covered with unused TOPS awards. Originally, Turner's bill would have created a flat rate for each level of TOPS award rather than a unique allotment for each school. The new rate would have meant students at LSU, its two medical schools and the University of New Orleans would pay more out of pocket, while students at other Louisiana schools would pay less. The provisions drew the criticism of Phyllis Taylor, whose late husband Patrick F. Taylor was responsible for the creation of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, a merit-based scholarship program for Louisiana students who attend in-state schools. With the new amendments, Turner's bill creates the TOPS Excellence award, which is available to any student with a 3.5 grade point average and a score of 31 or higher on the ACT. The scholarship will equal tuition and fees at the public university the student chooses or $12,000, whichever is less. The new Excellence award would go to students who enroll in college starting in the upcoming fall semester or later. Turner added amendments to his bill that incorporate language from House Bill 70 by Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie. It would expand the number of students eligible for the TOPS Tech award, which covers up to two years of study in a skill or occupational training program. The bill will next be debated on the House floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lafayette Public Schools, ULL announce Spring Break schedules that begin Friday
Students across Lafayette Parish will get some time off as all public schools prepare to close for spring break. Lafayette's Easter/Spring Break for K-12 will be April 18 to 25, according to the Lafayette Parish School Board's website. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Easter/Spring Break for students will be Friday through April 27. Administrative offices will be open from April 22 to April 25. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lafayette Parish schools, UL Lafayette announce Spring Break schedules
