Q&A: TOPS, school closures and more with President Philip Williams

David Ryan Palmer
Editor

The Louisiana Legislature is currently in a special fiscal session, with the aim of figuring out ways to close an almost $1 billion shortfall in the budget before June.  Higher education in Louisiana is usually in the cross hairs for this kind of shortfall, and recently Governor John Bel Edwards said that TOPS scholarships may come under fire.

The Contraband sat down with McNeese State University President Philip Williams and posed a few questions regarding the future of McNeese in this uncertain time.

The Contraband: You gave a heads up speech to the Student Government Association recently, but for the majority of our readership, could you outline where McNeese stands with TOPS funding for spring 2016?

President Philip Williams: We have been informed that the State will be reimbursing McNeese for only 80 percent of the TOPS funding expended by McNeese on behalf of our students, rather than the usual 100 percent. McNeese has made the commitment to cover the remaining 20 percent on behalf of our students.


Contraband: If McNeese is forced to make up the difference in any TOPS shortfall, what kind of effect will that have on the day-to-day life of McNeese students?

PW: There should be no noticeable difference in the day-to-day life of McNeese students, since this is the spring semester and most funding decisions--e. g. decisions on the number of classes, class sizes, and other related expenses--have already been made. But this situation could change radically starting in the fall 2016 semester if TOPS funding is reduced by the State. In that case, McNeese would probably not be in a position to cover any shortfall in TOPS funding, and TOPS students might find themselves in a position of having to pay for the gap in tuition not covered by TOPS.

Contraband: What is the likelihood of McNeese closing its doors because of this fiscal issue?

PW: I am committed to taking every step possible to prevent any such outcome. And I believe the Louisiana Legislature will ultimately do the right thing.

Contraband: You've been to the Legislature this week; what's the atmosphere there? Do you believe that the LA Legislature can work this out?

PW: The Southwest Louisiana legislative delegation is led by individuals who care deeply about McNeese. Several members of our delegation have been elected to key leadership positions. They have assured me that they are working hard on behalf of McNeese and all of higher education.
It's not too late for students to make their voices heard! They can go to the following website: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx to find their legislators. Then write an email, a letter, or make a phone call to express their support for higher education.

Contraband: Does Louisiana's university system need to be reformed? JR Ball, a columnist at the Times-Picayune, recently wrote "Surely a state the size of Louisiana doesn't need 34 public colleges and universities, including a jaw-dropping 14 four-year institutions. Find out what's needed to meet our workforce and education demands and then create a system that can achieve those goals with maximum efficiency." Do you think a merger of some of those colleges is in order?

PW: The statement by this columnist was based on the erroneous claim that Florida only has 12 four-year institutions, despite being a much more populous state. The columnist was apparently unaware of the fact that many of Florida's community colleges are now four-year institutions, even though they are governed by the same board. In fact, Florida has closer to 40 public four-year institutions. (You can find the full list at the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Florida). This mistake is easy to make, because many of the newer four-year institutions in Florida are governed by the Community College System.
More importantly, the number of institutions is not the proper measure of cost. Two institutions of 8,000 students — each about the size of McNeese — would not become less expensive by merging into a single institution of 16,000 students. In fact, I believe the cost-per-student would be higher, because a more complex bureaucratic structure would be necessary. Note that LSU is not cheaper to operate on a per-student basis than McNeese.