NEWS

The University Senate at Louisiana Tech will host a forum titled, “The Future of Ruston: The Progress and Development in Ruston and How it Will Impact the University,” April 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the University Hall Auditorium.
Guest speakers include Louisiana Tech President Dan Reneau, Ruston Mayor Dan Hollingsworth and Lincoln Parish Schools Superintendent Danny Bell.  The forum discussions will focus on issues such as population trends and community demographics, progress and growth of schools, accountability issues, new education mandates, and how the community is preparing for the future.
“At the University Senate’s first meeting last September, we discussed goals and objectives for the 2011-2012 academic year, one of which was to create a spring forum that would be of interest and informative to all Louisiana Tech University faculty/staff members,” said Dr. David Szymanski, president of Tech’s University Senate and associate professor of kinesiology.  “If this event is successful, we’ve discussed having a fall and a spring forum annually to create an arena of communication, information, and open dialogue.”
Szymanski says that although many forum topics were discussed, it was decided that the first forum should address the issue of the future of Ruston and its relationship with Louisiana Tech University.
The complete forum agenda is as follows:

• Welcome: David Szymanski, University Senate President
• Opening Remarks: Dr. Daniel Reneau, President, Louisiana Tech University
• The State of Ruston Today and Tomorrow: Mayor Dan Hollingsworth, City of Ruston
• Lincoln Parish Schools Progress Report: Danny Bell, Superintendent of Lincoln Parish Schools
• Commercial, Industrial, and Residential Initiatives: Lewis Love, City Administrator, City of Ruston
• Business and Economic Progress: Ryan Kilpatrick, Chairman, Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
• Question and Answer: David Szymanski, moderator
• Informal reception

“The University Senate thought this forum would a great opportunity to take a proactive approach to help current faculty and staff, and to inform potential future faculty and staff to learn more about the City of Ruston, its plans for future development, and its school system,” Szymanski explains.  “In doing so, we also think this could be a way to retain our faculty and staff, and attract new faculty and staff members to work for Louisiana Tech University in this time of academic financial uncertainty.
“For those not directly working for the university, we hope that relationships are continued, renewed, or developed so that these two communities continue to flourish together.”
For more information about the forum, contact Chairperson Dr. Julie Holmes at (318) 257-4773 or jholmes@latech.edu.