Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           
    Date: Oct. 24, 1996
      Contact:                           John Kemp   01

BOARD OF REGENTS SMILES ON SLU CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
     HAMMOND -- The Louisiana Board of Regents, the state's top policy-making board for
higher education, has approved capital projects of almost $30 million in new and continuing
building projects for Southeastern Louisiana University.
     The full board, meeting on the campus today and yesterday, approved:
     -- $12.75 million for the renovation and expansion of the university's biology building.
Of that amount, $1 million will be spent next year for pre-construction planning.
     -- $12 million for the construction of a new classroom and laboratory building. Last year,
the board approved the $1.3 million in planning money for the project. Today, the board
approved the full $12 million for construction.
     -- $4.575 million for the continuing renovations to the former Westside elementary
school that will house university offices and classrooms.
     All three projects, which actually are recommendations, will be forwarded to the
Louisiana Division of Administration for inclusion in a state's 1997 capital outlay budget. The
administration's plan then goes before the spring session of the state legislature for approval.
     "The Board of Regents understands Southeastern's critical needs," said SLU President
Sally Clausen only moments after the board voted to approve the projects. "We sincerely
appreciate the time board members took to evaluate how badly we need these new facilities.
They are important to our rapid growth, but more important they are critical to our academic
success."
     -30-