When higher education prospects and realities of business might not meet, the Workforce and Innovation for a Strong Economy can help direct funds to future jobs.

State education and legislative officials created WISE to increase investments in higher education in Louisiana. This will allow ULM to earn additional funds on a performance-based scale.

After two days of presentations to the Strategy and Performance Committee, the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System and the WISE council have approved university plans for the WISE fund.

The plan requires ULM to receive a 20 percent match from an industry partner to help build private investments within higher education.

These industries hope to become local business partners who are willing to invest in ULM and hope to gain future employees.

George Campbell, Regions Bank area President for the Ark-La-Tex, provided ULM with an industry match of $100,000.

ULM President Nick Bruno said Regions has always been very supportive of the university. According to Bruno, Regions was a discretionary fund.

“Part of their contribution is being used for WISE, another will go into scholarships or some other academic support area through our foundation,” Bruno said.

Bruno said that the university, as well as corporations like CenturyLink, are using a number of internships to provide to students during the year.

“That’s an allowable match that we will use that came up with our overall matching fund. We exceeded the matching fund, we had to have 20 percent and we had 70 percent,” Bruno said.

Funds will be distributed based on faculty and staff performance including journal articles, honors, and awards, research and citations.

Upon partnership with Regions Bank, ULM will be able to focus on online platforms like the university’s online degree program eULM and MyEdu. Funds will also be used to hire professors, enhance programs, upgrade facilities and purchase equipment.

Bruno said plans have been approved that are designed to move students throughout the curriculum much better, recruit students and overall increase ULM’s number of graduates over the next five years.

“The plans have been approved which include visiting professors, modernizing some of our classrooms, adding automotive boards and things of that nature,” Bruno said.

The WISE Plan provides Louisiana colleges and universities with $40 million. The plans asks them to make increasing degree production with “four and five star” jobs their focus.

WISE said these jobs include construction crafts, finance, industrial production, computer science, healthcare, accounting and engineering.

ULM has received $1.3 million with $1 million already dedicated to the pharmacy program.

“We are very optimistic and happy about this decision and believe it is a good start to give a little more resources into the programs that the state has identified as critically needed and we think by doing that it will help other programs, particularly math,” Bruno said.

Bruno said the funds would be available to the university in January.

Eric Pani, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said he is excited about the new mathematics program.

“The transition from high school to college is a big one. Even if you’re a really good student in high school it can still be a challenge and many people find that challenge in mathematics especially,” Pani said.

Pani said the mathematics faculty is developing a 3-week long “math boot camp” for the summer.

“The idea is to bring students in to get them acclimated to what college is like: living on campus, eating at the cafeteria, developing study habits, forming social groups, so that by the time fall classes start they have a little leg up that will help them find their place in college and be successful,” Pani said.

Drake Graves said he sees potential in the WISE program, especially the summer mathematics program.

“I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like once the ball gets rolling. I know a lot of people will definitely benefit from it,” said Graves, a freshman nursing major.

Graves said the program shows that the administration cares for students,