December 1, 1998    

    The Louisiana House of Representatives Appropriations Committee will hold a series of meetings on economic diversity and the role of higher education. The first meetings are scheduled for December 3 and 4, both at 9:30 a.m. at the state capitol. Appropriations Chairman Jerry LeBlanc said during December and January the committee will examine the broad issue of how to position Louisiana's public institutions of higher education as an integral component of economic diversity and development in the state and the resources which would be necessary to accomplish this goal.

    "Diversification of the state's economy is a way to address future significant economic downturns, such as occurred in the oil patch in the 1980s. I am encouraging the higher education community, as well as the state's economic development agency, to pursue strategies that will result in diversity during times of economic prosperity in the state. Additionally, we must adopt economic development models that can be sustained over the next 15 to 20 years which place a premium on higher education institutions as prime facilitators in the expansion of existing Louisiana businesses and creation of new businesses in the state. This push for diversification through technology, using higher education as a conduit, will be a major component of Governor Foster's Louisiana Vision 2020 initiative."

    The first meeting, scheduled for Thursday, December 3, will explore four related issue areas to gain perspective and context relative to fostering and enhancing economic development and diversity. The committee will explore regional diversity efforts, Louisiana's historical experience, future thrusts of the Department of Economic Development and higher education toward economic diversity, and the private sector standpoint.

    Dr. Louis Tornatzky, a private consultant who is the former director of the Southern Technology Council, a division of the Southern Growth Policies Board will provide the committee with a regional perspective of programs, both successes and failures, ventured in other states.

    The committee will also hear about effective practices relative to scientific and technological transfer between higher education institutions and the private sector. For a historical perspective, the committee will hear about the development of technology policy in Louisiana, with special focus on what has been tried, what has worked, what hasn't worked, and why. Kevin Reilly, Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie will discuss their respective strategic goals and what research or information underpins the pursuit of these goals.

    Jim Clinton of the Louisiana Partnership for Innovation and Technology will discuss the history of technology policy development in Louisiana.

    The second meeting on Friday, December 4, will focus on the inventory of existing economic development resources within higher education institutions and the Department of Economic Development. House budget analysts will also analyze the efforts of other states as they relate to economic development programs and efforts to use higher education institutions to effect economic diversity.

    A third meeting is planned for sometime in January.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Committee members and some participants will be available to answer questions from members of the media immediately following the Thursday meeting.

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