BILD, comprised of more than forty different organizations from across the state, believes that as continued budget reductions to higher education are considered, Louisiana should transform its post-secondary education system for citizens in ways that retain, protect, and enhance programs of the highest quality and priority for the state and position our institutions for a sustainable future.

"We believe it is imperative that state and higher education leaders go beyond the notion of thinking only about spending reductions,” said BILD spokesperson Dr. Phillip Rozeman, a Shreveport cardiologist. "That is too often the path we have taken in the past, and it has not served us well. Instead, we must look for ways to restructure post-secondary education that are strategic, deliberate, and based on data that support the state's educational, economic, and workforce priorities.”

BILD has adopted the following eight principles to help move post-secondary education forward:

1. Higher education institutions should be given sufficient authority to manage their costs in appropriate and accepted ways and have the autonomy to set self-generated revenues at market-driven rates that strike a reasonable balance between state and student support.

2. As autonomies are granted and efficiencies are realized, institutions and systems should implement and demonstrate meaningful reductions in administrative and other costs in the delivery of services.

3. Budget cuts to institutions and programs must be strategic – not across-the-board – and preserve high-performing programs and programs that support the economic development of the state and its regions.

4. Higher education should explore regional consolidation and plan strategically in ways that take into account the basic needs of broad regions of our state and eliminate unnecessary duplication of programs and services.

5. Post-secondary education should utilize a performance-based funding formula at the institutional level that recognizes the varied missions of institutions and is focused on educational attainment and alignment with workforce and economic development priorities.

6. Post-secondary education policies should continue to drive a balance between two-year and four-year enrollments comparable to other states in our region, by strengthening admission standards, implementing statewide articulation and transfer policies, and accelerating regional partnerships among institutions and across systems.

7. Access to post-secondary education must remain a high priority and appropriate financial aid measures should be put in place to ensure the cost of a higher education in Louisiana is affordable for all citizens.

8. Innovation and forward-looking practices, such as online instruction, should be embraced to contain costs and minimize disruptions to students in the delivery of services.

"Reforming Louisiana's higher education system continues to be a top priority for the business community,” said Woody Oge, Director, Business Affairs, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. "In this 21^st Century economy, our post-secondary education foundation must not only be smart and strategic, but sustainable, regardless of the fluctuations in the state budget. If it is not, Louisiana will have short-changed its citizens and the future of our state for decades to come.”

The BILD Coalition will work with legislators, the administration, and the higher education community to support specific policies that align with these principles.

About the BILD Coalition

BILD is a statewide coalition of civic, business and economic development organizations that supports strategic reforms in higher education. BILD was formed in 2010 and worked successfully at the legislature to pass the LA GRAD Act, a major reform to improve performance in higher education while making it more self-sufficient. BILD supports reforms that will increase the educational attainment of our citizens, improve institutional performance, and drive economic and workforce development in Louisiana.