The new Center for Medical Education (CME) building at LSU Health Shreveport was funded through a combination of private donations and public state funding from taxpayers with a clear vision: to support the educational success of students across the institution. 

Throughout fundraising campaigns, public statements, and university communications, the CME was presented as a shared resource designed to meet the needs of students from the School of Medicine, School of Allied Health/Health Professions, and School of Graduate Studies. The facility was promoted as a place where students could study, collaborate, access wellness resources, and learn together in a modern educational environment. The LSU Health Shreveport foundation page clearly describes the purpose of the CME building was to "create a new educational home for student doctors and other health care professionals, such as physician assistants and physical therapists."(https://www.lsuhsfoundation.org/groundbreaking/  )

Currently, proposals have been disseminated that would revoke access to significant portions of the CME for SHPS students and Graduate students, spaces that have been available to these students since the building opened. Based on the most recent CME space allocation maps, which were distributed to students but not shared with faculty, the only dedicated study spaces allocated as "shared spaces" for SHPS student use include a kitchen area and a single study room. Additional "shared spaces" are limited to hallway seating areas. This raises important questions regarding equity in both the quality and quantity of student study spaces allocated among the schools within the institution. 

This petition is intended to advocate for equitable access to student study spaces and resources across all programs within the institution. We recognize the important of maintaining a strong learning environment for every student and believe that space allocation decisions should reflect the institution’s commitment to equity, collaboration, and interprofessional education. 

However, creating exclusive access to facilities for certain schools that were publicly promoted as shared resources undermines the collaborative and interdisciplinary mission that helped justify the building's construction in the first place. Physician assistant students, physical therapy students, occupational therapy students, graduate students, and other health professions students are also future healthcare providers who contribute to the LSU Health Shreveport community.

We respectfully ask LSU Health Shreveport leadership and the LSU Board of Supervisors to:

1.) Honor the original vision of the CME as a shared educational resource, including access to study spaces, that promotes interdisciplinary education and collaboration among future healthcare professionals.

2.) Preserve meaningful access to CME study spaces for all current and future LSU Health Shreveport students, including SHPS and Graduate students.

3.) Provide transparency in communications to include both students and faculty, with data-driven decisions regarding the removal of SHPS and Graduate student access to the CME spaces. Any future proposed changes to building access policies should be communicated openly and include the rationale and supporting data used to inform those decisions. 

4.) Consider alternatives that address program-specific needs without excluding other student groups.

Equal investment in students ought to include equal opportunity to benefit from the spaces built to support their success. The CME was built with the promise of serving the broader LSU Health Shreveport community. We implore our institution to uphold that promise.

Sign this petition to support fairness, transparency, interdisciplinary education, and equitable access for all LSU Health Shreveport students.

Please include your program of study and graduation year when signing, if applicable.