Consultant proposes options for LSU leadership structure

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A consulting firm hired by Louisiana State University's governing board to review the college system’s administrative structure didn't make a direct recommendation on whether to keep one person in charge of both the system and the Baton Rouge main campus.

The LSU Board of Supervisors in 2012 merged the positions of system president and chancellor of the flagship university campus, when then-Gov. Bobby Jindal’s appointees led the board. F. King Alexander was hired to fill both roles.

With Alexander’s departure for another university, an interim president overseeing the campuses and a search planned for a new leader, some board members have suggested splitting up the jobs again. Gov. John Bel Edwards, whose appointees comprise a majority of the current board, supports breaking up the positions.

AGB Consulting, which did the 2012 study that led to the position merger, did not offer a singular recommendation in its latest $71,000 study, according to The Advocate.

Instead, the firm offered several ideas, such as maintaining the current leadership structure but bolstering staff in the president's office or increasing the power for the provost; reestablishing a chancellor for the Baton Rouge campus; or keeping everything as is.

Multiple board members voiced opposition against a split during Wednesday’s special LSU board meeting to receive the recommendations, wanting to instead preserve or further support LSU’s president with a larger staff.

LSU Board Chair Mary Werner said the consulting firm will submit a final report next week. No firm timeline was set for a decision.

“We’re not in a rush,” Werner said. “We’re obviously in this extraordinary time and I want to be sure everyone is comfortable with the information we received before we take our next steps.”