Karlita Anderson

The joint meeting between the Board of Regents and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Bessie) included a review and approval of the minutes from the August 20, 2025 meeting. A significant portion of the meeting consisted of a report on the 2025 Kevin P. Riley Senior Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund (LEQTF) by the State Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer. The report detailed investment income, fund performance against benchmarks (beating two out of three), portfolio composition (64.1% fixed income, 35.9% equity), and cumulative allocations to Bessie and the Board of Regents, noting total allocations exceeded $1.99 billion. Discussions also touched upon potential strategic changes contingent upon an upcoming public vote regarding the payoff of state debt to the teachers retirement system, and inquiries were made regarding future royalties from carbon sequestration. Following the finance report, the Executive Director of Connect LA provided an update on efforts to close the digital divide in Louisiana, reporting a reduction in unconnected households from 424,619 in 2021 to 292,536 in Q1 2024.

The Board meeting included several committee discussions. The Finance committee reviewed and accepted the FY 2025-2026 Operating Budgets, detailing financing means and highlights for State General Fund and Statutory Dedications allocations. The Facilities and Property committee addressed an Act 959 project for the renovation of LSU Student Union restrooms, estimated at $1.7M funded by self-generated revenues. The Academic and Student Affairs committee addressed the Consent Agenda, reviewed the 2025 Statewide Strategic Academic Planning, which included 35 proposed new programs aligned with labor needs and recommendations for program terminations, and discussed Cooperative Academic Arrangements. The Research and Sponsored Initiatives committee considered the appointment of an endowed chairholder at LSU Health Sciences Center -- New Orleans without a national search and a policy revision for the BORSF Endowed Professorships subprogram. The Personnel Committee recommended approval of the evaluation of the Commissioner of Higher Education. The Statewide Programs session provided updates on National Recovery Month and ongoing collaborations for student success. Finally, the Planning, Research, and Performance committee addressed the renewal applications for the Advisory Commission on Proprietary Schools.

The meeting covered roll call and public comments. Key discussions included the approval of the 2026 Board of Regents Meeting Calendar. The Finance Committee recommended approval of the State General Fund operating budget requests for FY 2026-2027. The Facilities and Property section focused on the Board of Regents FY 2026-2027 Capital Outlay Budget Recommendation. Under Academic and Student Affairs, routine staff approvals were recommended, and approval was sought for a new BBA Entrepreneurship program at Southern University and A&M College, as well as two new entities: the Institute for the Health and Performance of Champions at LSU A&M and the Center for Research Excellence for Traumatic Injury & Burn Research and Innovation at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. Reports on the M.J. Foster Promise Program (Year Three) and the TOPS Annual Report 2025 were presented and recommended for submission. Research and Sponsored Initiatives included a recommendation for the appointment of an Endowed Chairholder at LSU A&M without a national search and an overview of the Board of Regents Support Fund (BORSF) Plan and Budget for FY 2026-27. Finally, the meeting addressed the consideration and recommended adoption of the Louisiana Board of Regents Policy on Responsible, Ethical, and Secure Use of Artificial Intelligence and a related resolution.

The document outlines the schedule for meetings of the Louisiana Board of Regents and its standing committees on September 25, 2024, including Board Development, Oath of Office, and various Committee Meetings (Audit, Finance, Facilities and Property, Academic and Student Affairs, Statewide Programs, Planning, Research and Performance, and Personnel) culminating in the main Board of Regents Meeting. Separately, minutes from the August 28, 2024, Board of Regents meeting detail several key actions and discussions. The Chair's comments highlighted student achievements, new nursing facilities at Nicholls State and Fletcher, and the opening of Grambling State University's Digital Library. A Master Plan update focused on the successful scaling of corequisite courses in math, showing significant improvement in student success rates compared to historical remedial class outcomes, and recognized faculty champions ('Mindset Meauxtivators'). The Facilities and Property Committee recommended approval for numerous small capital projects and approved scope changes for the UL-Lafayette Learning Laboratory School, as well as Act 959 projects at Delgado Community College for roofing replacements. The Academic and Student Affairs Committee recommended approval for new academic programs, discussed the 2024 Governor's Military and Veteran-Friendly Campus Report with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and reviewed the 2024 Statewide Strategic Academic Planning process, including plans for new programs and the review/termination of low completer programs. The Research and Sponsored Initiatives Committee recommended dividing an endowed chair at the University of New Orleans into four professorships and approved policy changes for BoRSF endowment matching programs. The Statewide Programs Committee approved rulemaking for the M.J. Foster Promise Program and TOPS to implement recent legislative acts, and exceptions to enrollment requirements.

The meeting included roll call, public comments, and the approval of several consent agenda items. Key discussions and approvals involved final rulemaking to amend the ABLE Program rules following Act 96 of the 2023 Regular Session, amending bylaws for the LOSFA Advisory Board and Louisiana ABLE Account Advisory Council to implement Act 393 (Open Meeting Laws), and approving rulemaking for the START Saving Program rules regarding 2023 interest rates. The board also reviewed reports and recommendations from various standing committees, including Audit, Finance, Legislative, Facilities and Property, Academic and Student Affairs, Research and Sponsored Initiatives, and Statewide Programs. Specific agenda items included updates on the Dual Enrollment Task Force, legislative priorities, approval of small capital and third-party projects, updates on HB 2 funding, appointment of endowed chairholders without a national search, and a proposal to revise the Uniform Policy on Governor's Military and Veteran-Friendly Campuses to include Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers. Additionally, there was discussion regarding proprietary schools, including the acceptance of a stipulation agreement and fine against TDS Trucking, Training & Technology for operating without a license, and a proposed update to the Bylaws regarding the first meeting date in January.