2 Options Presented for New Orleans Universities

A consultant charged with studying a possible merger of Southern University at New Orleans and the University of New Orleans has come up with two options, both of which preserve some of the separate campuses, the Associated Press reported. One option would preserve the separate campuses with separate missions, but merge them into a new University of Greater New Orleans as part of the University of Louisiana System. The other option would shift the missions of both campuses to make them more distinct. In both scenarios, some administrative functions would be shared, and Southern's emphasis on being a historically black institution would be lessened. Supporters of Southern and of black students in Louisiana have strongly opposed changes from the current system, in which Southern's New Orleans campus is part of a historically black system. The consultant's report is available here; the regents are expected to consider the proposal today, and Governor Bobby Jindal and the speaker of the state House both said on Monday that they supported the proposal that would merge the two institutions into one University of Greater New Orleans, as part of the Louisiana system.