System president: Grambling should offer course at other locations

Grambling State University could be facing some shake-ups in its course offerings and how it markets itself to increase enrollment.

It definitely could attract more students by offering its most popular courses at locations other than its campus, said Randy Moffett, president of the University of Louisiana System.

The issue was raised Monday by Tony Clayton, a member of the Southern University Board of Supervisors and member of the Postsecondary Education Review Commission.

"The perception is my campus (in north Baton Rouge) is located in a high-crime area and Grambling is located in a high-poverty area," Clayton said, "which makes it hard to attract a lot of diversity in students."

Both historically black institutions could prosper by moving some courses to alternative sites, Clayton said. Southern University at Shreveport proved that by moving its nursing program to downtown Shreveport, where it now has a 50 percent white enrollment.

In testifying before the panel, Moffett agreed that "oftentimes perception is reality," so Grambling is somewhat limited in attracting students because of its location. But answering another panel member's question, Moffett said he would never propose moving the campus.

"Focusing on a limited number of programs might be something we need to look at," he said, adding that GSU has the highest graduation rate of computer science majors and has successful nursing and teacher preparation programs.

Grambling could draw more students by establishing satellite sites and offering online courses, Moffett said.

"It's the least active of our eight universities" in offering distance learning, he said. "Grambling needs to open its eyes up and make the university more accessible to students in other places"» Take the product where the students are."

Committee member David Longanecker, president of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education that is based in Boulder, Colo., said he has examined Grambling and "the numbers look troubling. That's an institution that to be a strong institution needs exceptional consideration and funding. It's clearly struggling to maintain enrollment."

Part of the problem, he said, is "its location. They almost had to make the circle smaller so the two institutions in that region would not overlap. I understand the tradition and history of that institution, but it's a troubling set of numbers that you face."
Moffett agreed.

"It is the most challenged university in our system" and although Louisiana Tech has shared some faculty members with Grambling, to make further improvements the ULS board will "look at some collaborative partnerships with nearby institutions," including the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

But other changes could be necessary, he said, such as being "systematic in what we might eliminate" and "how and where they recruit."

"We don't have a magic solution," Moffett told the panel.

Marc Musick of the Southern Region Education Board, said he believes Moffett and the UL System "are on the right track" to improving all of the schools in the system.

Band members injured in bus crash

A dozen students and a bus driver were treated for injuries after three buses carrying members of the Grambling State University marching band were involved in a traffic crash in southern Arkansas on Friday.

Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler says none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

Sadler says four buses from the school in north Louisiana were near Fordyce, Ark., on Friday when the second bus slowed. The two trailing buses each hit the bus ahead.

In all, 126 students were aboard. The injured were taken to a Fordyce hospital.

Grambling was traveling to Little Rock where the Tigers were to take on the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at 1 Saturday in Little Rock.

Fordyce is about 65 miles south of Little Rock.

Second such crash in recent weeks
The Grambling crash was the second such accident in recent weeks involving an HBCU band. On October 31, a charter bus carrying 42 members of the Morehouse College marching band tipped over after it skidded off Interstate 75, injuring several students on their way to a football game.

The driver of the bus lost control while trying to avoid another vehicle that was moving into his lane. Thirteen band members were taken to area hospitals in ambulances with non-life-threatening injuries. The other 29 were also taken to hospitals as a precaution.

The bus was one of three chartered by Morehouse to go to AlbanyState University for a football game.

Roads were wet from rainy conditions, and weather was likely a contributing factor in the accident.

Grambling president calling it quits

Grambling State University president, Horace A. Judson, announced his decision to step down effective Oct. 31. Judson served in the position for five years, and cited family reasons.

“The extraordinary progress that has been achieved in every facet at GSU over the past five years has been validated. I believe that this is a good juncture for me to complete my tenure and focus on my family,” said Judson. “I am proud of all that has been accomplished, and I consider it a privilege to have served as President of GSU.”

“Dr. Judson’s presidency came at a pivotal time in Grambling’s history, and we are grateful for his innovative leadership that will leave many lasting positive changes,” said UL System Board Chair Elsie Burkhalter.

Hired in 2004, Judson’s five-year tenure at Grambling saw many successes including stabilizing enrollment, early introduction of admissions standards, higher ACT scores of incoming freshmen, the creation of Grambling’s Center for Mathematical Achievement in Science and Technology, leadership in the area of service-learning and tremendous upgrades to campus facilities.

Judson who has been under fire since taking the top job at the Louisiana school. His retirement followed Grambling State's Faculty Senat no-confidence vote.

Basically, it’s déjà vu all over again. Judson's tenure followed a similar fate at Plattsburgh State University in Pennsylvania.

Judson resigned as president of PSU in late 2003 following criticisms from students and faculty that he was ignoring their input, isolating himself from the college and community and making poor choices in hirings and firings.

Students and faculty hit him with no-confidence votes before he left his post at Plattsburgh State.

Judson assumed the presidency at Grambling in July 2004 and has been at the center of controversy since.

Constitutionally charged with hiring university presidents, the UL System Board discussed next steps at its Oct. 23 meeting.
Situated on a 383-acre campus in the small town of Grambling, the historically black university has almost 5,000 students.

Grambling faculty at odds with university president

Grambling State University's Faculty Senate delayed a no confidence vote on university President Horace Judson for the second time in a week.

Instead faculty senator fought among themselves over senate rules and procedure, and discussed whether the resolution could legally be presented than the resolution's actual merits.

Senate President Matthew Ware, who formed the three-member committee that created the resolution, said the meeting served its purpose.

"Don't think we didn't accomplish something today — we got through all of the discussion — so we'll be ready to vote at the next meeting," he said.

The resolution marks the first time in the school's 108-year history that faculty has moved for a resolution of no confidence in the university's president, Ware said, calling the meeting "extraordinary."

Similar to Tuesday's meeting, when only 14 of 40 senators showed up for a regularly-scheduled meeting, Thursday's meeting was sparsely attended.

Only a few more senators showed, along with a few faculty, all of whom were invited to attend the meeting.

Jimmy McJamerson, a history professor who helped draft the resolution, attributed the low turnout to senators' fear of reprisal from the administration.

"At historically black schools, if the person doesn't like you, he will fire you," McJamerson said. "That's the reason you don't have the majority of senators here."

Nonetheless, the Senate had a quorum and went forward with the meeting.

Martin Ayim, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Sports and Leisure Studies, said he opposes the resolution and wants faculty to air their grievances directly.

"If you are a faculty member and have a problem with the administration, go and talk to them," Ayim said.

"This resolution was drawn up over the summer and school has just started. We need more time. This is not the Grambling way. The intent might be good, but the process has been flawed. Let's dialogue with the administration and look at other ways of doing this," Ayim said.

McJamerson spoke out in favor of the resolution.

"It is a disgrace and a shame that the administration has treated Grambling and its faculty like they have no purpose at all," he said.

Early in the meeting, McJamerson, the Senate's parliamentarian, called campus police after he ruled that a faculty member who showed up in place of an absent senator would not be eligible to vote because the Senate does not allow proxy voters.

The man continually interrupted McJamerson and two police officers showed up. But they said the meeting was public and the faculty member had a right to be there.

The officers stayed in the room for the rest of the meeting.

The no-confidence resolution features a litany of allegations against Judson and his administrative team, including charges they have repeatedly refused to acknowledge and act upon the faculty's role of shared governance; the administration has usurped the faculty's role in developing the academic curriculum;

Judson has displayed an indifference to the concept of "Town and Gown" and through his actions sought to distance the university from the Grambling community; the administration had repeatedly and disproportionately favored administrators and staff over faculty with regard to salary adjustments; the administration hired people who do not have the best interest of the university in mind; the administration has not provided the appropriate resources for schools and colleges working toward re-accreditation; and the administration required faculty to work three weeks in August but only paid them for two weeks.

A no-confidence resolution carries only symbolic power, but it would be a strong statement from faculty against the leadership of Judson to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. School presidents serve at the pleasure of the board.

Grambling gets unqualified audit, continues to make progress

Grambling State University President Horace Judson says the school is taking the necessary steps to rectify accounting problems brought to light by a recently released report by the Louisiana legislative auditor.

“I’m happy with what we’ve done,” Judson said.

“But we’ve got to do more.”

The most recent report found that GSU understated its operating loss by $1.3 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2008, inaccurately reported and misclassified many account balances, submitted an inaccurate Annual Fiscal Report for the second straight year, could not locate nearly $1 million worth of property, conducted business with vendors and other institutions without having current valid contracts, did not adequately report athletic revenues and did not effectively pursue the collection of funds owed the university.

Although the report highlighted myriad accounting problems, the audit was still unqualified, meaning auditor’s were able to accurately assess the school’s financial health.

Unlike other area schools who are audited every other year, GSU requested to be audited every year and has done so since Judson took over in 2004.

“We’re trying to achieve excellence, every year we put ourselves to the test,” Judson said.

Judson said that doing an audit every year makes keeping up with new accounting standards that are added each year difficult for the school’s staff.

Frequent turnover in the business department likely also led to some of the errors cited in the report, Judson said.

Randy Moffett, president of the University of Louisiana system, said GSU is moving in the right direction to correct the findings of the audit.

“We are pleased with Grambling’s unqualified audit, which shows improvement over last year,” he said.

“The university responded appropriately to all findings, and system staff continues to work closely with university staff to ensure continued improvement.”