A Note from Provost Haggerty

November 30, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you had a happy and restful Thanksgiving break.

I completed my 100th day as Executive Vice President & Provost on Nov. 9, which gave me the opportunity to reflect on my accomplishments and my future priorities. In my initial note to you in the August newsletter, I referenced two initial priorities: growth in scholarship and strengthening our foundation.

I immediately launched the Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research, with opportunities for faculty to receive seed funding for innovative and interdisciplinary research. I am pleased to announce that 136 proposals have been submitted to seven programs with 60 awards made, totaling approximately $120,000. Currently, 68 proposals are under panel review with $1 million expected to be awarded by January 2023. Not only will this seed funding advance our scholarship, but because much of it requires collaboration across campus, it will strengthen interdisciplinary work, which is something many of you indicated we needed in the COACHE survey.

I also mentioned a desire to advance strategic faculty hiring, increase funding for graduate stipends and grow the number of Ph.D. students. These are fundamental priorities in the zero-based budget process, and as a result we will see significant progress in the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Lastly, I made a commitment to clear communication and to shared governance by including you, or your representative(s), in important decisions. As such, I have empaneled committees with representatives from the faculty, staff, and students to advise me on how to prioritize unit needs and how to implement the recommendations of the Graduate Assistantship Management committee. I am also hosting a Town Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 1 p.m. to provide an overview of the zero-based budget process and to answer your questions. I meet regularly with faculty senate leadership, and I have met with over a third of the faculty as I work toward my goal of meeting with every department on campus. In the next two weeks, I will be visiting LSU Eunice, LSU Shreveport, LSU Shreveport Health Sciences and LSU Alexandria.

Thank you for your warm welcome these past few months, and most importantly, your trust. I am confident that, together, we will continue to advance LSU’s research, teaching and service excellence.

Sincerely,

Roy Haggerty
Executive Vice President & Provost