Louisiana: Tougher College Admissions Standards Boost Graduation Rates

This Times-Picayune article contains a link to a chart of graduation rates of state institutions and is somewhat focused on the State University of New Orleans' plans to increase graduation rates by having tougher entry standards, following the apparently successful process already undertaken by Louisiana State University Baton Rouge over the last decade. It briefly addresses concerns that state budget cuts will affect student support services. We also provide a link to the Louisiana State Board of Regents Planning, Research and Performance website.

Times-Picayune article:
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/tougher_college_admissions_sta.html

Louisiana State Board of Regents Planning, Research and Performance:
http://regents.state.la.us/Planning/prphome.htm

Lousiana Storm Losses at $46B

Hurricans Gustav and Ike were far less damaging to Louisiana campuses that Katrina; to the tune of something like only 1/4 of the dollar loss. This article has a list of preliminary damages to specific buildings and sites from a number of affected campuses:

Rich Griswold, association commissioner for facilities for the Board of Regents, said Wednesday that initial inspections show about $46 million damage but insurance estimators have not completed assessments.

"It's significant," Griswold told the Facilities and Property Committee, "but our damages are nowhere near what they were in Katrina, when there was more than $350 million in damage."