Southern to host meetings on budget cuts

The Southern University System is hosting a series of town hall meetings across Louisiana to discuss concerns about the effect of budget cuts on the system's three schools.

The town halls will be held Friday in Lafayette and Alexandria, Saturday in Shreveport and Monroe, on July 24 in New Orleans, on July 25 in Baton Rouge and on July 26 in Franklinton.

SU System President Ronald Mason Jr. is expected to attend the meetings. A news release on the town halls says "enrollment challenges" and increased retirement and health care costs also will be topics for discussion.