The retiring president of the University of Louisiana System says higher education's ongoing budget woes will make it harder to attract his replacement and were one of the reasons he decided to leave the job.
Randy Moffett's last day was Friday after four decades in higher education. He says the cuts complicated efforts of the state's largest university system to maintain a focus on increased performance.
Despite the problematic financial picture, Moffett says he's optimistic the UL System will attract a quality leader looking for a challenge.
Moffett's retirement comes after repeated budget cuts have stripped $210 million in annual state financing from the UL System. More than $115 million in tuition increases covered part of the gap, while more than 1,300 jobs and 217 academic programs were eliminated.