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Louisiana Tech president to retire at end of year
Louisiana Tech University President Les Guice announced Tuesday he will retire at the end of 2023. Guice has worked at the Ruston university for 45 years, serving as its president for the past decade. “I have been blessed to be a part of an incredibly dedicated faculty, staff and administration at Louisiana Tech for the […]
Embattled Lafayette library board enters new era of good governance, advocates predict
LAFAYETTE — There was no chaos at the Lafayette Library Board of Control meeting Monday evening. The lack of excitement, which has come to be the standard at board meetings, came at the first meeting after embattled former Board President Robert Judge resigned from his position. While still a member of the board, Judge was […]
Demoted LSU grad assistant, state senator both unhappy with vulgar voicemail aftermath
After an LSU graduate assistant left a vulgar voicemail in July for a state senator who supported a gender-affirming care ban, the university relieved him of his teaching duties, prompting outrage from free speech advocates. But after the dust has settled, nobody is pleased with the outcome. The student, Marcus Venable, called Sen. Mike Fesi, […]
Brian Kelly calls for ‘balance’ between LSU academics and athletics
When head football coach Brian Kelly pointed out a difference in priorities between LSU and Notre Dame, where he previously coached, in an ESPN interview, his comments drew immediate reaction. Now, he says academic excellence is part of what drew him to LSU. “The whole landscape there is different than it is here. It just […]
St. Tammany Parish Council wades into library content, priming more controversy
MANDEVILLE — The St. Tammany Parish Council has waded into the ongoing controversy over the parish library system, inflaming the debate but ultimately taking no action. The council met in a special meeting Wednesday to discuss a resolution to encourage the parish Library Board of Control to adopt policies required by Act 436, a law […]
Lafayette library board president removed, but parish could still be on the hook for his actions
The Lafayette Parish Library Board of Control president under fire for his ultra conservative agenda and harsh policing of meetings has stepped down from his leadership position, but parish leaders could still be responsible for his actions while in charge. Robert Judge, president of the board since 2021, resigned from his leadership role Monday after […]
LSU leaders embrace artificial intelligence, but students increasingly face discipline for using it
After an artificial intelligence detecting function was released on a popular plagiarism detection software, LSU saw a nearly 500% increase in reports to its student accountability office for plagiarism. Professors and administrators are grappling with the best way to approach the rapidly evolving technology. In the spring 2022 semester, the LSU Office of Student Advocacy […]
Louisiana Republicans emphasize national talking points ahead of statewide election
LAFAYETTE — Ahead of a pivotal statewide election in which the Republican Party of Louisiana hopes to recapture the governor’s mansion, headline speakers at the organization’s annual convention emphasized national talking points over Louisiana-oriented policy. Speaker after speaker decried “wokeness,” the media and the far-left Democratic Party. Others defended former President Donald Trump, who had […]
U.S. Rep. Garret Graves launches caucus to preserve historic stadiums like LSU’s
LSU’s Tiger Stadium has gained a powerful protector with the launch of a congressional caucus dedicated to preserving historic college football venues. U.S. Rep Garret Graves, a Baton Rouge Republican, is launching the bipartisan Historic Stadium Caucus with the help of Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Wisconsin, which aims to preserve the integrity of […]
Lafayette library board rescinds illegal firing of director, who resigns
Facing a lawsuit for illegally terminating its library director in executive session, the Lafayette Parish Library Board of Control has reversed course and will allow him to resign. At a special meeting Thursday, the board accepted the resignation of library director Danny Gillane, which allows him to retain certain benefits such as accrued leave and […]
Louisiana rolls out hunger-free campus designation program
The Louisiana Board of Regents approved Wednesday the designation of every public college and university and four private universities in Louisiana as hunger-free campuses. A 2020 study indicates that approximately 29% of students at four-year colleges and 38% at two-year schools in the U.S. experience food insecurity. The numbers are substantially higher for students of […]
Library board meetings at book challenge capital of the nation settle into predictable chaos
MANDEVILLE — One year after it received its first book challenge, a Louisiana library system that has received more challenges than any other in America has come to a decision on 17 out of over 100 titles under scrutiny. At a Monday meeting, the St. Tammany Library Board of Control voted to keep two more […]