A Message from President Tate and Dr. Nelson
Dear LSU Health New Orleans Family,
Today, we have the honor of sharing unprecedented good news. At the close of the 2023 Regular Legislative Session, we are proud to say that the Louisiana State Government has invested in YOU to a magnitude unmatched in our state’s history. The investment in the LSU System for FY2024 will amount to $232 million for all LSU campuses across the state.
There are many thanks to be given: Governor John Bel Edwards proposed a very aggressive investment plan for higher education, and the Louisiana Legislature, under the leadership of Sen. Page Cortez and Rep. Clay Schexnayder, supported the proposal and even bolstered it in many areas. Investing in higher education is politically difficult in a state with so many needs, but our leaders believed that by investing in you and your efforts, they’re shaping a stronger future for Louisiana.
We had two main goals for this session: Talent and Tools. First, through the budget, our state invested in talent by funding undergraduate and graduate students and providing support for faculty and staff. They also provided many of the tools we need to teach, attract, and retain our talent across the state. This includes funding for a $153 million new Library in Baton Rouge, $44 million in funding for the School of Dentistry in New Orleans, $8 million in Alexandria for the Student Success Center, $28.9 million in Eunice for a STEAM building, and $26 million to complete the Center for Medical Education & Wellness in Shreveport.
In addition to the funding for the School of Dentistry, LSU Health New Orleans will also receive $7.7 million for faculty pay adjustments, mandated costs, and base funding adjustments. The Legislature also approved $4 million to liquidate debt and relieve pressure on the budget, and $1 million for security improvements. Significant capital upgrades that will increase laboratory space and improve the student learning experience were also approved, including $75 million to complete the Medical Education Building, $44 million to modernize the School of Dentistry, $3 million for stormwater infrastructure upgrades, and $2.8 million for the Center for Advanced Learning & Simulation building. LSU Health New Orleans plays a vital role in our mission to educate and serve the people of Louisiana and we will continue to fight for all of you who attend, work for, and support LSU Health New Orleans.
Please join us in thanking Governor Edwards, Senate President Cortez, House Speaker Schexnayder, and your local legislative delegation for supporting Scholarship First across the state of Louisiana. These were not easy decisions, and every dollar invested in our university’s success is a dollar not invested somewhere else.
We also want to thank those on every LSU campus across the state who helped us achieve these goals during the Legislative session. Those who demonstrated LSU’s value and presented our case helped us obtain these investments that we so critically needed. We are proud to have celebrated your impact in a manner that secured this level of trust and investment from our state’s leadership.
If you would like to see a full listing of investments, click Scholarship First 2023. Thank you for your hard work, and let’s keep charging forward.
Sincerely,
William F. Tate IV
LSU President
Steve Nelson
LSU Health New Orleans Chancellor