That the severe financial struggles at the University of New Orleans now have been joined by those at the University of Louisiana Monroe send yet another warning signal about how Louisiana higher education will face rough waters for years to come unless some basic rethinking and restructuring occur.
Problems cropped up years ago at UNO as its student population dipped precipitously in the wake of the hurricane disasters of 2005, with that number falling some five-eighths since the fall, 2004 semester. ULM’s problems have not been so enrollment-related, with its number down just a percentage point over the two decades, but it has seen a six percent decline since the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic began plus it has seen a significant falloff in its doctorate-level pharmacy graduate program.
And, both made mistakes that translated into financial problems. For example, UNO got away from the basics and flirted with new trendy/boutique programs, while ULM picked up a white elephant building that causes spending in the red on its behalf.
Both schools face a deficit for next year in the millions of dollars and seem almost certain to lay off staff and even faculty members as a result. But they really represent just the tip of the spear as Louisiana higher education faces a double predicament.
First, in the years under Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards the state depopulated around 100,000 people. Disproportionately they comprised the younger and higher earners, meaning the pool of traditional college students shrank even more proportionally. Second, the demographics are such that in America the overall proportion of traditional college-age students is about to start a noticeable decline for the next 15 years, on top of a 13 percent decline in enrollment over the past 15 years.
In the past two decades, Louisiana enrollments have remained better than steady, gaining three percent. However, there are two significant asides to this: first, enrollment at senior institutions basically has remained flat, and, second, in-state student enrollment has declined over seven percent. Put the two together, and senior institutions enroll over 20,000 fewer state students than they did 20 years ago.
Plus, the two Louisiana State University System regional campuses, in Shreveport and Alexandria, have skewed enrollment numbers upwards because of their robust online degree programs. LSUS undergraduate enrollment is down 27 percent but overall enrollment has increased nearly 150 percent because of the enormous success of its online graduate programs, leading to 60 percent of its enrollment from out-of-state and, yes, has more graduate students enrolled than the Baton Rouge campus. LSUA through its online presence has more than doubled its enrollment with a good chunk of that coming from out-of-state.
So, the enrollment numbers are much shakier than at first glance and highlight was has been true, but ignored, for decades in the state: it has an overbuilt higher education system that has too many four-year schools chasing too few state students. Sucking in out of state and international students (LSU has seen nearly a tripling of those students since 2004) can paper over this for only so long.
Of course, the Board of Regents decided to tackle this by saying the problem won’t exist through making a master plan that envisioned a large increase in the proportion of adults attending college. To date, that hasn’t come close to panning out and looks even less likely to do so given demographic realities.
Finally, it’s not a matter of state tax dollars going to higher education. That has changed little over the time period and while Louisiana comparatively among the states on a per college student basis is on the lower end, for senior institutions it ends up around the middle when also working in state-based student aid – principally the Taylor Opportunity Program for Scholars awards. It remains a myth that Louisiana (and many other states) have suffered “disinvestment” of higher education.
No, the problem is there are too many four-year campuses in the state, and the financial crunch is going to spread unless there are mergers and reclassifying to community college status some of them. It’s either that or ask taxpayers to fork over more of what they earn to keep an inefficient system afloat, which should be a nonstarter.
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