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Dear campus community,

Thank you to everyone who joined Tuesday’s town hall, and thank you as well to those who continue to share ideas, questions and concerns. Open dialogue matters, and I appreciate the care so many of you continue to show for this University and for one another.

Yesterday, we discussed the fiscal challenges that remain, but also the measurable gains that we’ve made. For those who would like to review the presentation, the town hall slides are available here.

We began with several student-centered updates. Funding decisions for graduate assistantships are moving forward, including doctoral and master’s offers. Because timing matters in recruiting and retaining talented graduate students, these decisions were prioritized. We also addressed concerns related to course fees and outlined actions taken to support students. In addition, we reviewed expanded mental health resources for students, including new wellness initiatives shaped in part by the thoughtful work of our Mental Health Task Force and additional support made possible through our partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health.

We also reviewed our fiscal position. Our current reality remains serious, with approximately a $12 million deficit. At the same time, meaningful progress has been made through the hard work of faculty, staff and administrators across campus.

I want to reiterate what I shared on Tuesday: I am proud of you, and I am proud of the work you have done. As always, your efforts have helped move us in the right direction. I also want to emphasize: no furloughs or layoffs are planned, and we continue to explore new opportunities for revenue generation.

As we approach July 1, our goal is to enter the new fiscal year with clearer budgets, stronger alignment and improved visibility so units can plan more effectively. We discussed the importance of improving faculty and staff compensation as resources permit, along with several actions that support faculty success. These include ensuring start-up investments, permitted grant-funded travel and process improvements related to travel reimbursements. We also announced the release of the faculty salary study, .

Student retention was a major focus — and it is one of our most urgent priorities moving forward. Too many students who begin here do not return for their second year. Changing that must become a shared responsibility across this campus. Registration among continuing students is currently ahead of the same point last year, and that’s good news. That progress reflects the impact of advising, engagement and the daily work so many of you do to help students persist and graduate.

Finally, we discussed Louisiana Vision 2035, an ambitious framework for growth in enrollment, research, student success and statewide impact. It reflects a simple belief: we cannot focus only on the next semester or even next year. We must also plan for the next decade.

This has been a demanding semester. But as Commencement approaches, we are reminded why this work matters. Soon, students will cross the stage because faculty and staff believed in them, guided them and helped them succeed.

Everywhere I go on campus, I continue to see real momentum and real opportunity in front of us. As we close the spring semester, let’s finish strong. Thank you for all you do for our students and for this University. I remain confident in the future we will achieve together.

Geaux Cajuns!

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru
President