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For Immediate Release: March 7, 2007
*Reprint:
Shreveport Times
Editorial 03/04/07
Grambling remains on the right track
Leadership at Grambling State University seems to have unlocked at least some of the answers to the mountain of troubles that plagued the school for much of the past decade.
Encouraging signs that the historic campus is charting a promising course for the future: increasing enrollment, rising ACT scores, full accreditation and ongoing construction on contemporary multimillion-dollar housing to replace outdated, unattractive high-rises.
Quite an accomplishment for the school, which just a few years ago was threatened with the loss of accreditation because finances were in such disarray that accurate statements could not be issued.
Even the casual observer can be encouraged by the changes under way at the Lincoln Parish school, from the construction projects that arc giving the near 106-year-old campus new appeal for recruiting purposes to the phasing in of selective admissions standards that will aid student retention and better prepare graduates to compete in the global economy.
"We're developing an institution for the 2lst century," says President Horace Judson, who has headed the university since 2004.
Supported in his mission by the University of Louisiana System, Judson has waded against opposition from disgruntled alumni and former faculty. He promises the new chapter in Grambling State's future will be characterized by heightened faculty standards, higher student achievement levels and modern facilities.
ULS President Sally Clausen believes Judson is already making good on that promise.
"It's been amazing to see the caliber of individuals he is hiring. This administration simply is not going to tolerate a lack of standards," she said.
Helping to lay a solid foundation is $100 million in construction programs and planning, as well as Judson's commitment to address the institution's aged utilities infrastructure. Outrage erupted last year when outages left students without running water for more than a 24-hour stretch.
Understandably, years of neglect of the physical plant has prompted complaints. Student concerns run from inadequate building upkeep to maintenance. All must be prioritized and addressed. Judson recently shared with The Times Editorial Board a plan of action.
Our dormitories were extraordinarily inadequate. I knew it was a problem, but I didn't know the severity of problems with the water, sewer, electricity and heating and cooling," he said. "The water and sewer lines are roughly 70 to 80 years old."
Though prob1ematic for the last two decades, the lines are failing. "Basically, you can't fix them. They all need to be replaced." Chasing these maintenance breakdowns, meanwhile, can take personnel away from routine maintenance and housekeeping.
Title III funding has covered $9 million in expenditures since fiscal year 2004-05. Featured expenditures this year include $888,000 in infrastructure enhancement. Such capital improvements shore up a schoo1's viability while feeding the economy of the surrounding community and producing workers for the state's labor force.
The progress Judson and his team are making at Grambling State should be cheered as evidence of new stability that eluded the institution during a recent l0-year period where six different administrators occupied the president's office. This total focus on what Judson terms GSU's "challenges of change" is critical. One, it addresses safety concerns and inspires confidence among students, faculty and alumni who acknowledge the campus' lofty history among Louisiana's institutions of higher learning. And two, it also underscores the mission Grambling State continues to fulfill in providing quality, accessible academic training for thousands of students each semester.
*This article is a reprint, the original article can be found in The Shreveport Times Editorial 03/04/07*
