Although the campus is open admission, students are assessed, and prerequisites assure that a student’s preparation is appropriate to the student's course of study. New degree-seeking freshmen are required to present ACT scores (LSUA Catalog, p. 23) [5] which are used to place students in appropriate remedial or college-level courses in reading, English, and mathematics. College credit courses where a particular basic skill is critical include the appropriate developmental course as a prerequisite (see course listing section of LSUA Catalog, p. 105-151) [6] . When ACT scores indicate a need for developmental reading, additional specialized reading assessment (Nelson-Denny exam) is administered during the first week of each reading class. The Nelson-Denny assessment process is conducted and monitored by the Arts, English, and Humanities department.

New programs are developed with a consideration of financial and instructional requirements in addition to academic considerations. A detailed financial analysis [7] is conducted by the campus administration. Once the campus has determined that a program is feasible, this analysis is included as part of the total degree proposal package that receives additional review and critique by the LSU System administration and ultimately the LSU Board of Supervisors. If the proposal receives approval by the LSU System, it is then reviewed by the Louisiana Board of Regents staff for viability, prior to submission to the Board of Regents for final approval. Financial feasibility is an integral component of the review process at all administrative approval levels.