Louisiana

LSU librarians can thrive outside of the tenure framework, dean says • Louisiana Illuminator

Published

2 years ago

September 4, 2024

LSU librarians can thrive outside of the tenure framework, dean says • Louisiana Illuminator

Editor’s note: The following commentary was submitted in response to an Aug. 20, 2024 report from the Illuminator: “LSU changes tenure rules for librarians to improve its research rankings,” by Piper Hutchinson

In August, LSU announced that it would no longer hire librarians to tenure-track positions.

The University offered two justifications for the move: LSU’s aspiration for American Association of Universities status, and the chronic difficulty involved in evaluating the promotion and tenure portfolios of faculty who teach no classes and have just 15% of their time allocated to research.

For some of LSU’s library faculty, the elimination of future tenure track appointments felt like a devaluing of their work, and one that could lead to further diminishment and disinvestment.

While I empathize with the concerns of our disappointed librarians, I believe that this move will improve the work lives of librarians generally. Speaking as a research library director with career long research interests, I am fully committed to a model of academic librarianship which involves significant engagement with the literature of our profession, the publication of new knowledge, and service contributions such as leadership in professional associations. My experience, however, leads me to believe that these behaviors can exist, even thrive outside the framework of tenure. They certainly do at the 79% of AAU institutions that do not offer librarians tenure.

The controversy over librarian tenure has shown us all how deeply enmeshed the issue is in foundational values and beliefs that might otherwise go unchallenged. I am as guilty of ignoring my own assumptions as anyone, and it’s taken this abrupt change to make me take stock of what I currently believe. I’ve ended up with the following five principles:

Respect for the role

However research librarian positions are configured, in practice they need to operate as full partners in the academic process. Teaching and curricular support, the provision of student success services, and collection building all require deep professional expertise, and all require full engagement with teaching faculty, Faculty Senate, and campus-wide committees. It is further appropriate for research librarian positions to offer the protections offered teaching faculty. NC State University provides “academic tenure” to their non tenure track faculty, which differs from “permanent tenure” only in that it is bounded within the contract period of employment.

Respect for tenure

Tenure at most of America’s best universities is reserved for those who do significant teaching and research, and who do those jobs extremely well. Teaching is entirely absent from many librarian positions, and for nearly all, conducting original research is peripheral to their primary responsibilities.

Scaffolding and rewards for research and service

The appointment and promotion of research librarians needs to encourage and reward innovation and substantive contributions to the profession. Engagement of this sort will not suit every librarian, but for those who actively seek out this kind of professional life, libraries should provide mentorship programs, internal peer coaching, travel budgets, and allowance for continuing education of all kinds.

Scaffolding and rewards for excellence in librarianship

A common trope in higher education bemoans faculty reward structures that discount excellence in teaching. The analog in research libraries are librarians who are extraordinarily good at the job they’re hired for, only to lose their jobs as a result of inadequate publication activity. Librarian ranks need to recognize excellent work, and provide consequential promotion and compensation rewards. The mentor programs and peer coaching mentioned above can easily be adapted so as to support those oriented towards workplace excellence.

Producing value

There is an additional cost that flows from shoehorning librarian contributions into evaluation and promotion documents built for teaching faculty. That awkward effort also impairs our ability to highlight and reward the dazzling breadth of work our librarians do in serving faculty and students. Now more than ever, we need those contributions to be visible, inescapable really, all across campus. Doing so will come naturally to a profession that has transformed itself so completely over the past 25 years. Excellent research libraries are a university’s competitive edge, and it is their librarians that make them so.

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Louisiana

Louisiana homeowners can apply for grants to upgrade, protect roofs against storms

Published

2 hours ago

May 31, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana homeowners can apply for grants to upgrade, protect roofs against storms

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.

According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.

Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.

There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.

Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.

“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”

Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.

People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.

For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.

If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:

A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.

For more information about applying, click here.

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Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.

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Louisiana

How to watch Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati in Starkville Regional

Published

12 hours ago

May 31, 2026

Press Room

How to watch Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati in Starkville Regional

For the second day in a row, Louisiana baseball has its back against the wall in the NCAA Tournament Starkville Regional.

The No. 25 Ragin’ Cajuns (40-24) secured their 40th win of the season and kept their postseason dreams alive by beating Lipscomb 10-4 in an elimination game on Saturday, May 30. Now, the pressure is back on for seventh-year coach Matt Deggs and his squad as they face No. 24 Cincinnati (38-21) in another win-or-go-home matchup on Sunday, May 31 in Starkville, Mississippi.

Against the Bisons, UL used four pitchers, and in total has used seven of its arms so far in tournament play. One of the Cajuns’ fresh arms heading into the matchup against the Bearcats is senior Andrew Herrmann. The lefty made his latest appearance during the Cajuns’ Sun Belt Conference tournament run on May 24.

While the Cajuns come into the match with some momentum, Cincinnati enters the match with a chip on its shoulder after losing its first game of the tournament on Saturday against regional host Mississippi State.

Watch Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati on ESPN+

What channel is Louisiana baseball vs Cincinnati on?

TV: None

Livestream: ESPN+

Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM

Louisiana vs. Cincinnati will be available live on ESPN+ streaming for the first game of Day 3 of the Starkville Regional. Jack Kizer and Jack DeLongchamps will provide commentary from Dudy Noble Field.

What time does Louisiana baseball play Cincinnati?

Date: Sunday, May 31

Time: 2 p.m. CT

Location: Dude Noble Field, Starkville, Mississippi

The Louisiana vs. Cincinnati game starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.

Starkville Regionals schedule

Friday, May 29

Game 1: Mississippi State 10, Lipscomb 1
Game 2: Cincinnati 12, Louisiana 2

Saturday, May 30

Game 3: Lipscomb 4, Louisiana, 10
Game 4: Mississippi State vs Cincinnati, 8 p.m. CT

Sunday, May 31

Game 5: Louisiana vs Cincinnati, 2 p.m. CT
Game 6: Winner G5 vs Mississippi State, 7 p.m. CT

Monday, June 1

Game 7: If necessary, TBD

Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Gov. signs Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act

Published

22 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana Gov. signs Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act has been signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry.

This comes after HB 636, authored by Rep. Vanessa LaFleur (D-Baton Rouge), was signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate on May 19.

The measure redefines hazing, mandates annual prevention training, and strengthens penalties for student organizations involved in hazing.

The legislation is named after a Southern University student who was killed in 2025 after being punched in the chest with boxing gloves during an unsanctioned, off-campus fraternity hazing ritual.

The law will go into effect on August 1.