Name of Institution Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Accreditation Liaison
Carol A. Corbat
Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and Professor of Biology
318.473.6496
ccorbat@lsua.edu

Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Technical Support person for the Compliance Certification
Deron Thaxton
Director of Computing Services
318.427.4441
dthaxton@lsua.edu

Educational Programs

1. Level of offerings (Check all that apply)

• Diploma or certificate program(s) requiring less than one year beyond grade 12
  
• Diploma or certificate program(s) of at least two but fewer than four years of work beyond grade 12
  
• Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
  
• Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent not designed for transfer
  
• Four or five-year baccalaureate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 120 semester hours or the equivalent
  
• Professional degree program(s)
  
• Master's degree program(s)
  
• Work beyond the master's level but not at the doctoral level (such as Specialist in Education)
  
• Doctoral degree program(s)
  
• Other (Specify) Certificate program of 40 hrs. or 1.5 years
  

Types of Undergraduate Programs (Check all that apply)

• Occupational certificate or diploma program(s)
  
• Occupational degree program(s)
  
• Two-year programs designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
  
• Liberal Arts and General
  
• Teacher Preparatory
  
• Professional
  
• Other (Specify)
  

History of Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Louisiana State University at Alexandria is located six miles south of Alexandria in a predominantly-rural area of central Louisiana. The Louisiana Legislature authorized the establishment of LSUA in 1959 as a two-year commuter college under the governance of the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors. The institution enrolled its first students in 1960. The first degree program offered was the Associate of Nursing in 1964. It was the only degree program at LSUA until 1986, when the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science transfer degrees were approved. Over the next 15 years, several more associate degrees were developed.

On June 5, 2001, following approval by both the LSU Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Legislature passed legislation allowing LSUA to offer baccalaureate degrees. In December 2002, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools approved a substantive change request allowing LSUA to offer bachelor's degrees beginning with the Fall 2003 semester.

Characteristics of Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Louisiana State University at Alexandria is an open admission institution that enrolls almost 3,100 students. In Fall 2003, nearly 75% of the student body was female, and there were slightly more part-time students (51%) than full-time students (49%). The average ACT composite score for entering freshmen was 18.7. Roughly 57% of the student body was less than 25 years old, with the remaining 43% being 25 years old or older. Slightly over 76% of the students were white, with almost 19% being African-American and the remaining 5% other races or students who did not indicate their race. At present, LSUA is a commuter institution and all students reside in surrounding parishes. However, LSUA anticipates completion of on-campus housing facilities in 2005.

Degrees Offered by Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Certificates

Certificate in Pharmacy Technology

Associate Degrees

Associate of Arts (transfer degree)
Associate of Science (transfer degree with emphases in Science and Business)

Associate of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science
Associate in Criminal Justice
Associate of Science in Computer Information Technology
Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education
Associate in Nursing
Associate of Science in Radiologic Technology

Bachelor's Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Biology
Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
Bachelor of General Studies (areas of concentration in Biology, Business, English, History, Psychology, and Speech/Theatre)
Bachelor of Liberal Studies (majors in Business and Psychology)

Locations and Distance Education

LSUA has no off-campus sites where 50% or more of the course work toward a degree can be obtained through traditional classroom instruction. There is only one off-campus site where LSUA regularly offers traditional instruction. Course work supporting the Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education is offered at the Marksville School Board office in Marksville, Louisiana, for the convenience of teacher aides from that school system. Theoretically, if a student enrolled there every semester for many years, they could complete 50% of the course work toward the degree, but it would take a much longer than normal time frame.

No LSUA degree or certificate programs can be completed primarily through electronic means.

LSUA has offered a small number of electronic courses each semester since Spring 1999. Delivery methods have varied and include compressed video, Internet, and telecourses (with content videos aired through Louisiana Public Broadcasting). During the last two years, LSUA has awarded credit for 10 different compressed video classes that have been either sent to or received from other accredited institutions including LSU A&M, LSU at Eunice, Delgado Community College, Bossier Parish Community College, and LSU in Shreveport, or delivered to a classroom in Marksville, LA. Fourteen different courses have been offered via the Internet (using Blackboard) in the past two years, nine of which are being offered this semester. Two different telecourses have been offered in the past two years.

Accreditation

Relationship to the U.S. Department of Education

LSU Alexandria does not have, nor has it ever had, any limitations, suspensions, or terminations by the U.S. Department of Education in regard to student financial aid or other financial aid programs.

Quality Enhancement Plan

Improving Student Learning Through Comprehensive Curriculum Development & Assessment

Louisiana State University at Alexandria is designing a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) consistent with the University's Strategic Plan and institutional effectiveness process. LSUA's objectives for curriculum development were appropriate for a two-year degree granting institution, but the University now has an expanded mission as a baccalaureate degree granting institution. LSUA established several basic requirements for bachelor's degree development as part of its initial bachelor's degree planning process. However, no course selection criteria were developed to ensure specific learning outcomes, nor were any logical criteria established to define either the general education core or which courses would be selected for a major or included as related electives. LSUA saw a need for a more consistent and coherent approach to curriculum development soon after it offered its first bachelor's degree programs. Additionally, after assessing learning outcomes for General Education for many years, LSUA faculty members were frustrated with their inability to link those outcomes to specific general education courses. LSUA also identified a need to improve learning outcome development and assessment for all degree programs during its strategic planning process. A SACS Substantive Change Visiting Committee, after examination of LSUA's new baccalaureate programs, indicated a need for improvement in curriculum development.

LSUA intends to improve its approach to curriculum development with the following components of its QEP:

• Thoroughly review existing literature, and practices at other institutions, to determine best curriculum development and assessment practices.
• Review basic bachelor's degree requirements and definitions (e.g., major, concentration, and so forth) and revise as necessary.
• Define criteria for including classes in the general education core based on each class' contribution to established general education learning outcomes.
• Develop (or revise) learning outcomes and assessments for all bachelor's degree programs, and systematically review the library collection to assure appropriate support.
• Develop clear connections between courses contributing to the major and learning outcomes expected of program graduates.
• Revise existing curricula as needed to incorporate changes in the general education core and ensure inclusion of major courses appropriate for established student learning outcomes, and modify learning outcomes assessment practice to reflect changes in curriculum.
• Define criteria for a campus-wide Honors Program.
• Expose students in all curricula to creative use of technology throughout the learning process.

The overall goal of the project is to provide a solid rationale and process by which curricula are developed so as to result in student achievement of program-specific learning outcomes.

• Download Adobe Reader 6.0
• Recommended Web Browsers
  • Internet Explorer 6
  • Netscape 7