McNeese State President Dr. Wade Rousse has been named the new president of the LSU system. Rousse is a Louisiana native and grew up in Golden Meadow. Rousse has been at McNeese as an administrator since 2019 and was named president last year. Rousse says he’s eager to build on LSU’s strong foundation.
“LSU is a tremendous institution and has a globally recognized brand. And I truly believe the beloved university, our beloved university’s best days, are ahead of us,” Rousse said.
Before Rousse was named president by the LSU Board of Supervisors, several students voiced their opposition to him being named president. Ryan Spalt was one of seven students arrested last month during LSU presidential search meeting for speaking past their allotted time. He’s upset that Rousse is perceived as Governor Landry’s handpicked choice.
“It wasn’t just that students had no say in the process, but that you were actively hostile towards us. And that is because we are on the money when we say that, without student accountability, you will pick a Jeff Landry lap dog,” Spalt said.
Another student questioned Rousse’s experience.
“Big nieces no way comparable to LSU and size or scale. It does a single campus structure, which is inherently less complex than LSU’s eight campuses. And the enrolled students in the entire institution is a mere fraction of what we have on our main campus alone,” an unnamed student explained.
LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard calls Dr. Rousse a results-oriented leader, who has demonstrated the ability to lead with vision, discipline and care. Rousse believes with his leadership skills, the governor knows the LSU system is in good hands.
“I have been told, from several people, that he was looking for strong leadership at LSU. So he could back away from any sort of micromanaging that he thought he needed to do, in the existence of a leadership transition or a leadership void,” Ballard said.
