Honesty is the best policy.

As the time approaches for Governor Bobby Jindal to make his suggestions about budget cuts to higher education, we ask on behalf of students, faculty and staff for administration to be honest and open about the state of the University.

Cuts are projected to be no more than 10 percent; however, 10 percent can still be problematic and painful.

Since Jindal started cutting higher education’s budget, former Nicholls faculty, staff and students have lost opportunities at Nicholls, as there is not enough money to provide the service Nicholls once upheld.

With the possibility that something may need to be cut or someone may lose a job, we ask that the administration remain open with faculty, staff and students just as they were with the last cut.

Don’t wait until the last minute to let people know if they’ll still have a job or be able to graduate in their chosen field. It’s hard enough finding the money to pay tuition. Students don’t need to be worrying if they need to find another school as well.

Faculty and staff, too, have plans they have to settle before a semester starts. Faculty has to make lesson plans. Staff has to prepare the school in various ways. It’s one thing to let those plans go to waste. It’s another to let everyone spend money on fruitless efforts.

If Nicholls administration become aware of the possibility of a cut that could seriously affect the Nicholls community, it’d be best to share that knowledge so that we, too, can be prepared.

We understand the worry of causing mass panic, but in the end, it’s better to plan for what doesn’t happen than run around like headless chickens when something unexpected happens.

If students, faculty and staff know where their jobs and degree programs stand, they know to what degree they should prepare themselves.

For example, it is currently possible that our library will lose its databases, along with the LOUIS network. This knowledge is not very well-known on campus, but LOUIS is what lets students, faculty and staff do all of their research online using the Nicholls library Web site. It is every database, article and interlibrary loan that we access from our computers. Nicholls administration is aware of this problem, but they aren’t raising much awareness amongst students. The Student Government Association mentioned it in a few of their meetings and on a few Facebook posts, but still, nothing else has been mentioned in a big way.

If Nicholls administration spent more time letting us know of these important threats to our University, we could do more to raise money and awareness and find solutions.

We care about our school, but we can’t fight with ignorance.