Last week, UL Interim President Jamie Hebert announced the university is facing at $25 million deficit.
This week, the ax fell. In a letter to employees, Hebert announced the closure of the Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement, and administrative restructurings in the Office of Communications and Marketing and in the Office of Auxiliary Services.
So far, six positions have been eliminated, his letter states. Later today, another town hall is set at UL; our reporter will be there to hear about what's next. That story will be on KATC TV3 tonight.
Here's Hebert's letter:
Dear colleagues,
At last week’s town hall, I committed to transparency as we navigate this moment together.
Today, we made the difficult decision to eliminate several staff positions as part of our ongoing work to address UL Lafayette’s financial challenges. These actions included closing the Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement, as well as administrative restructurings in the Office of Communications and Marketing and in the Office of Auxiliary Services. Collectively, six positions were eliminated.
We recognize the seriousness of this step and the impact it carries. Each position represents a colleague and a friend, and I want to acknowledge the very real effect this has on the members of our campus community.
As I shared last week, we are confronting a structural deficit, and while we have identified significant reductions, further action is required to restore fiscal stability. Our priorities remain constant: protect the student experience, support faculty in teaching and research, and minimize – wherever possible – the human impact on our campus.
I know actions like those taken today create uncertainty. We have faced hard moments before and moved forward by working together. As I emphasized at last week’s town hall, we will meet this challenge by speaking plainly, working collaboratively and staying focused on our mission.
Wednesday’s town hall will provide another opportunity to update you, address your concerns and hear your ideas. Please join me from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Student Union’s Bayou Bijou Theater. If you are unable to attend or prefer to share your thoughts in another way, you can do so by using this online form.
I know these decisions affect colleagues we care about and the campus we love. Even so, I believe in our resilience and in our shared commitment to UL Lafayette’s mission. Your dedication to our students and to one another gives me confidence that, even in the most challenging of times, we will continue to move forward.
Thank you,
Dr. Jaimie Hebert
Interim President
