Speculation about the future of LSU President F. King Alexander seems to have been put to rest with a comment from Governor Edwards on Friday.
During a visit to the LSU Board of Supervisors, Gov. Edwards told reporters "I support the entire team that’s in place. I think it’s my job to support them and to challenge them and to give them the resources they need to deliver the flagship mission for the state of Louisiana."
LSU board Chairman James M. Williams also echoed Edwards’s feelings about Alexander.
"Under Dr. Alexander’s leadership, we have grown to new heights. We have reached new levels and our students are performing better than before," Williams told Edwards during the public portion of the meeting.
Edwards and Williams said they believe LSU is making strides, with the hiring of Scott Woodward as AD and one of LSU’s largest ever graduating classes with an estimated 7,109 students on May 10.
Some board members have privately complained about what they call the imperiousness of Alexander, as have some legislators and officials in other higher education systems.
But they also give Alexander credit for navigating the university through years of declining state appropriations made up for with budget cuts and higher tuition. Only in the past two years has state funding increased.
Since Scott Woodward last week agreed to leave Texas A&M and replace the ousted Joe Alleva as athletic director, many in the State Capitol have been speculating as to who would replace Alexander in running the LSU system, which includes medical schools, research institutes and campuses across the state, including the flagship university in Baton Rouge.
The name most often cited has been that of Commissioner of Administration, Jay Dardenne.
Dardenne is a lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, and was student body president during his years at LSU in the 1970s. He is the former lieutenant governor and now serves as Edwards’ chief budget architect and financial adviser.
"That is not a conversation that Jay and I have ever had," Edwards said about Dardenne assuming the university presidency. "I can tell you he's doing a great job as commissioner of administration. But I’m not going to go beyond that."
