Preamble
The coast and the environment are among the most important
aspects of Louisiana's history and are the most critical
challenges for the economic, social, and political future
of Louisiana. The School of the Coast and Environment (SC&E),
until recently one of LSU's best-kept secrets, is emerging
as one of LSU's most productive and distinctive treasures.
The critically important academic and research programs
within SC&E already enjoy national and international
recognition. By 2010, SC&E will be one of the nationally
and globally preeminent centers of graduate education and
research in Environmental Sciences and in oceanography and
coastal sciences. As a graduate school dedicated to extramurally-funded
research and graduate education, SC&E clearly is already
making major contributions to meeting LSU's Flagship Agenda
Objectives 1) increasing research productivity and long-term
economic development and 3), increasing the number and quality
of graduate students and programs. Significant investment
of resources will generate even greater return in these
areas. Of course, SC&E has contributed to other four
objectives as well, and will continue to do so as described
below. LSU's School of the Coast and Environment will continue
to advance the Flagship Agenda as we address the myriad
aspects of coastal development: a critical Louisiana challenge
and a global concern.
Objective 1. Increase Research Productivity
and Long-term Economic Development
With an excellent 2 to 1 ratio of external grant and contract
support for every dollar of MRB, each dollar invested in
SC&E will generate more grant and contract support and
more research publications, presentations, and recognition.
But with strategic investment, SC&E will move to an
even higher ratio of return with an ambitious but tenable
goal of a 3 to 1 ratio by 2010. The requested new faculty
and staff positions will increase our research productivity
not by simply expanding an already successful faculty, but,
perhaps more importantly, by eliminating the programmatic
gaps in coverage we now face and developing in both academic
departments (the Department of Oceanography & Coastal
Sciences - DOCS and the Department of Environmental Sciences
- ENVS) the depth and breadth they need to compete even
more effectively for research support and higher levels
of national and international recognition.
The roles of DOCS and ENVS in the long-term economic development
of the State of Louisiana are clear and will be enhanced
by each and every new investment made in the departments.
In a sense, LSU's School of the Coast and Environment is
focused on "Sustainable Development in the Coastal
Zone” and this global challenge is perhaps nowhere
a more imminent challenge than here in Louisiana. First,
coastal land loss is perhaps the single greatest threat
to Louisiana's economic future. Second, sustaining the coastal
fisheries including the shrimp fishery is another key element
in Louisiana's long-term economic future. Third, environmental
issues ranging from bioremediation to environmental policy
decision making and conflict resolution are part and parcel
of the State's long term economic future because highly
desirable high-tech and info-tech industries will not relocate
their employees and their employees' families to Louisiana
if the state does not literally "clean up its act”
and provide both a more pro-environment image and a cleaner,
healthier local environment.
Effective hiring for current faculty vacancies (three) and
a total of ten new faculty lines (six in ENVS and four in
DOCS, including new chairs for each department and a new
dean) at the very least will generate more than $4 million/year
in additional grant and contract activity by 2010. Combined
with careful replacements of retiring faculty in future
years, these hires will complete the development of a highly
competitive level of depth and breadth in our academic programs.
These positions are likely to generate directly and indirectly
as much as a 50% increase ($4-5 million) in the total extramural
funding of SC&E thereby improving the current 2:1 ratio
to 3:1. In addition to increases in research productivity,
the new hires will provide opportunities to continue our
hiring of women and ethnic minorities as we develop a more
diverse faculty.
Required Investments:
1) Filling three faculty vacancies (two in WBI including
a new institute director and 1 in CSI/DOCS) and providng
partial MRB support for an existing endowed chair ~$90K
to agument existing salary lines and ~200K in startup funds;
2) 7 tenure track assistant professor positions over five
years at ca. $60K average or $420K total and two senior
positions (ENVS and DOCS chairs) at ca. $95K each or $190K
total. One-time start-up funds of ca. $900K (based on an
average of $100K per position with the understanding some
will be much higher; others, lower. Note, we would prefer
to have some joint appointments for the new hires (e.g.
with engineering, chemistry, and biology) which would reduce
the allocations to SC&E. 3) Hiring a new external dean
at ~$145K - $26K (available in current line) = $119K with
perhaps $200K in startup funds; Note, the "right person”
might require other resoruces as well (e.g. technician,
postdoc, etc.). 4) Additional Field Support Services staff
MRB salary funds (ca. $50K/yr) to strengthen our core infrastructure
to support additional research activity; 5) Additional operating
funds for each department (for equipment, travel, direct
research expenditures, DOCS: ~$70K, ENVS: ~$60K; 6) Six
postdoctoral researcher positions competitively available
at the School level at an average of $40K for a total of
$240K; 7) Additional grants and contracts accounting stafft
o handle increased grant and contract activity: two positions
at a total of $80K; 8) school-level funds for required grant
matching funds, field support equipment replacement and
additions, and research and teaching equipment: $100K
Total investment: recurring $1.419 million
or less; one-time $1.3 million
Total Grants & Contracts:2002-03: $9.6
million 2010-11: $15-18 million
Objective 2: Increase number and
quality of graduate students and programs.
With very little university
funding for graduate student support, the academic program
in SC&E sustain more than 100 graduate students. Additional
support to increase the number and size of graduate student
assistantships will directly support the development of
the PhD program in ENVS which will in turn enhance the reputation
of the program and the quality of the students it will attract.
Similarly, the graduate students will directly contribute
to the expanding research programs mentioned in Objective
1 above. Both departments will continue to support a large
number of graduate students on grants and contracts; however,
the effectiveness of recruiting will be greatly enhanced
by having a large pool of recurring funds to support the
graduate programs. A 50% increase in the number of MS and
PhD students in SC&E (from 91 in 2003 to 141 in 2010)
is a reasonable expectation if 30 new graduate assistantships
can be added over the next five to seven years. With hard-money
assistantships available, both departments will be able
to more effectively compete for highly qualified minority
students. Overall investment in SC&E that provides a
modicum of increased operating funds will allow us to bring
"targetted” graduate school applicants to campus
for personal visits and interviews, and greatly enhance
our success in recuiting. In addition, wecould routinely
visit selected HBCUs to advertise our graduate programs.
Our success in recruiting underrepresented students and
overall success in terms of curriculum development will
be the focus of outcomes assessments in each department.
Required Investment:
30 assistantships at an average value of $20k for a total
of $600K in recurring funds added over five to seven years.
Graduate Students:2003-03: 91 (44% PhDs)
av. GRE 1100 ENVS;1189 DOCS
2010-11: 150 (67% PhDs) av. GRE 1200 ENVS;1290
DOCS
As indicated above, SC&E is especially well positioned
to significantly contribute toward the Flagship Agenda Objectives
1 and 3, but our Flagship Agenda plans include other objectives
as well.
Objective 3: Increase quality of
undergraduate student body.
Without undergraduate majors
in either of our departments, SC&E will not have a major
focus on undergraduate education, but that does not mean
we are not planning to enhance our efforts for and with
undergraduates. In fact we have had a successful program
of support (via Sea Grant) for undergraduate research participation
and plan to seek additional funds fromt the NSF and other
sources to continue developing such programs. In addition,
we have created a undergraduate minor in Oceanography and
Coastal Sciences and will be developing that minor to increase
overall participation. The opportunities for undergraduates
both in courses and, especially, in research activities
will support the University's efforts to increase recruitment
and retention of very fine students. As in the case of our
graduate programs, outcome assessments in each department
will guide the continuing development of our curricular
offerings and the performance of our faculty. Some aspects
of both environmental studies and oceanography are excellent
areas for developing increased interest among underrepresented
groups and through courses and undergraduate research opportunities
both departments will help LSU develop more diversity in
general and more minority involvement in the sciences in
particular.
Objective 4: Improve quality
of campus life.
We have cooperated in providing LSU with an outstanding
- landmark - facility that is already providing an enhanced
work and study environment for its occupants and a visual
and historical enhance for the campus public (including
faculty, staff, students, guests, and passerbys). We have
cooperated in providing a very special venue that has already
served other LSU programs well and we are pleased to share
this treasure of a venue to serve the campus and Objective
4. Our modest start on Public Art for the facility has already
garnered praises from faculty, staff, students, and state
officials. A commitment in art in public spaces is the appropriate
complement to LSU's commitment to the new art museum. If
art is important it must not be confined to display in museums,
but rather must be a part of the daily lives of LSU faculty,
staff, and students. SC&E is cooperating fully within
understandable financial restraints to help LSU improve
the quality of campus life.
Our second building ("the Annex”) to be funded
with private sector funds or ad hoc federal funds will further
increase SC&E's contribution to enhance working spaces
not only for our own faculty, staff, and students but for
all those in other academic units who will benefit from
the quality spaces we will release in the heart of the LSU
campus in the Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.
Objective 5: Communicate opportunities
and impact of programs.
SC&E has developed very effective web sites (that will
be further enhanced in the years ahead when we add a computer
resource person to our staff for school-wide activities),
newsletters, special reports and fund raising materials
that help disseminate news about SC&E faculty, student
and staff success. SC&E has been and will be a leader
at LSU in building a very positive image with a variety
of constituencies. With some additional investment of resources,
SC&E can do even more to enhance its national and international
recognition and positive image and, thus, further the University's
objective. In conjunction with Objective 3 we will focus
some of our communication efforts on selected HBCUs to support
more effective recruiting of underrepresented minorities
for faculty, staff, and student positions.
Investment needed: Full-time computer resource
person (for web development and management, and general
computer hardware and software ~$55K/yr)
Objective 6: Increase funding
sources to support Objectives 1-5.
SC&E has already launched its successful effort to develop
annual giving through its Corporate Partners program and
will continue to do so. SC&E has already begun to receive
larger private sector support for its research and education
activities from Shell and Chevron-Texaco. SC&E will
continue its efforts to secure individual donations based
on donor naming opportunities in the new building.
SC&E has maintained excellent working relationships
with state agencies and has increased extramural support
from these sources, especially the LA Department of Natural
Resources. Note, three secretaries of state agencies are
members of the SC&E Advisory Council.
With investment in SC&E for Objectives 1 and 3, SC&E
will increase its already impressive extramural support
performance ($2 for every $1 in MRB funds).
Required Investment: Full-time director
of development or half-time director of development and
half-time publications and outreach coordinator.(~$90K total)
and operating budget for materials, mailings, and travel
(~$50K); total $100k/yr
2002-2003: $ 2.4 million total Endowment
Funds (incl. Claiborne Chair in Energy Center accts)
2010-2011: $32.4 million
