Over the past weeks, stories have come out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, as financial woes - and their impacts - have been revealed.
Earlier this month, UL Interim President Jamie Hebert announced the university is facing at $25 million deficit. In a letter to employees, he 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 - a loss of six positions.
On Thursday, another email went out, announcing that another 70 employees will be impacted by position elimination, retirement or reassignment. Hebert wrote that the moves will bring the total savings to $20 million, leaving another $5 million in "structural" deficits to be addressed.
To read Hebert's announcement, scroll down.
We have the budget posted online; you can see it for yourself here.
Here's the email:
Dear friends,
Over the past several months, we have worked to address the University’s structural deficit. Through careful planning, collaboration and community input – as well as difficult but necessary decisions – we have made meaningful progress. I want to update you on where we are and share our next steps.
Earlier today, I met with leaders of the University of Louisiana System to discuss our continued financial realignment and to outline the actions we will take to ensure the University’s long-term stability. Here’s what I shared.
To date, we have identified $20.5 million in reductions toward addressing our $25 million structural deficit. As part of this broader effort, 70 employees across all divisions are affected through a combination of position eliminations, retirements, resignations and reassignments. This total does not include the six positions announced last month.
These personnel changes were not made lightly. They came after thoughtful consideration by division vice presidents, other University administrators and supervisors of needs and priorities. These decisions are rooted in the responsibility we all share to make choices that strengthen the University’s future.
Supervisors will meet with affected employees on Friday. I know this is an uncertain and emotional time and this news will certainly deepen that anxiety. We have chosen to share this information now to give our community time to process and to ensure that communication happens with care.
Each affected employee has contributed to the life and mission of this University. We are grateful for their service to our students, colleagues and community. We are committed to treating every individual with compassion, respect and support throughout this transition.
Our work is not finished, however. We must now address the remaining $5 million of the structural deficit and begin tackling the University’s recurring debt of approximately $25 million. To do so, we have established a target of $15 million in additional reductions over the coming months – enough to erase the remaining deficit and begin resolving the first $10 million of our recurring debt. This step is essential to achieving financial stability and positioning UL Lafayette for long-term health and growth.
As we navigate this period of challenge, our dedication to the University’s mission remains unwavering. We will continue to focus on teaching, research and service to the community and state, taking each next step with steadiness and purpose. Because ultimately, what defines this University is not the challenges we face, but how we face them. We have met difficult times before and emerged stronger. And we will again.
With sincere gratitude,
Dr. Jaimie Hebert
Interim President
