Higher education leaders weary of continued budget cuts - LANIE LEE COOK, Advocate

As Louisiana’s public colleges and universities brace for another significant round of budget cuts, higher education officials said during a public forum Monday they need more autonomy to improve their institutions without the hassle of bureaucracy. But while pleading for sovereignty, those officials also agreed during the Acadiana Press Club luncheon that privatizing higher education is a bad idea that would lead to unequal access for future generations of students. It’s the paradox plaguing the state’s higher education systems, which — in a worst-case scenario — face up to a $608 million reduction in state funding this year, Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Rallo said. http://theadvocate.com/news/11863522-123/louisiana-college-leaders-brace-for