Funding & Resources

The National Flagship Agenda is simply put, an investment in the future of Louisiana –our children. The dividends, as in any long-term investment, can be measured by the quality of the programs, research, services, and contributions they make to the intellectual development of our students and the economic development of the state. But these dividends can only be achieved through the pursuit of funding, allowing LSU to remain competitive with its peers.

Numerous costs are associated with fulfilling a national flagship university’s mission of research, education, and service. These costs vary, depending on the level of degree being sought. For instance, to educate an undergraduate student, a university must provide salaries for teaching faculty, classrooms, maintenance, and utilities, while also offering support services such as tutoring, career counseling, and need-based amenities to enhance the learning experience. Graduate students, however, are in training to be future researchers and faculty, thus requiring more contact time with their professors. For both to accomplish their goals, they require access to an extensive research library and laboratories with advanced equipment.

In meeting these and other aims, LSU has two sources of unrestricted revenue – state appropriations and tuition/fees.

The National Flagship Agenda depends on LSU’s ability to take the following actions:

Actions

• Increase federal, state, and private dollars used for campus renovations and new building initiatives.
• Increase direct support from the state's general fund.
• Create targeted revenue streams for research from state and federal funds.
• Raise private funds to support undergraduate scholarships, graduate student stipends, and key academic initiatives.
• Review tuition annually, as necessary.
• Increase the Academic Excellence Fee for LSU undergraduates.

Performance Indicators

As part of the benchmarking process, LSU will use the following performance indicators to monitor and chart the University's progress relative to our national peers.

Funding

• State appropriations totaling $230 million for fiscal year 2007 - 2008, up 53 percent over fiscal year 2002 - 2003.
• Tuition and required attendance fees (average per full-time student, total, and percentage of unrestricted revenues)
• Value of endowment assets