Regents terminate low-completer academic programs 1/24/02

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Board of Regents for higher education today (Thursday, Jan. 24) terminated 15 low-enrollment degree and certificate programs at six state colleges and universities as part of the board’s comprehensive statewide academic review.

Today’s action was the latest step in an eight-year statewide process that has resulted in the termination of 266 low-completer programs since 1994. Low-completer is a term used to designate a long-term pattern of low enrollment and low graduation rates.

Today, the Regents approved its committee’s recommendation that 15 programs be terminated immediately or consolidated with other programs, 20 programs be maintained, two be revised and five be temporarily maintained
to give campuses an opportunity to submit revised proposals.

Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie said the low-completer review program “is one of many on-going board initiatives to create a postsecondary system that is efficient, relevant and makes best use of the state’s resources. In addition to terminating low-completer academic programs, Regents over the last six years also have eliminated hundreds of unnecessarily duplicated programs at public colleges and universities statewide.”

Programs recommended for immediate termination or termination through consolidation with other programs include:

• LSU Health Sciences Center, terminate doctorate in human genetics;
• Southern University-New Orleans, terminate bachelor of science in transportation;
• Delgado Community College, terminate certificates in electrical construction, business training and office careers;
• Grambling State University, terminate bachelor of science in manufacturing engineering technology, bachelor of science in construction engineering technology, bachelor of science in automotive engineering technology, bachelor of science in institutional management-food production, and the masters of arts in teaching natural sciences.
  Consolidate master of science in elementary education and master of science in early childhood-general into a single master of science program in elementary and early childhood education;
• McNeese State University, terminate science in chemistry and master of science in environmental science into a new master of science and environmental science; and
• University of Louisiana at Monroe, terminate associate degree in airline flight attendant.
  

In other action, the Board of Regents:

• Welcomed two new board members - Artis L. Terrell, Jr., Shreveport investment banker and financial adviser, and William A. Oliver, New Orleans resident and president of Louisiana Operations for BellSouth.
• Awarded grants totaling almost $400,000 to Loyola University ($76,259), LSU and Southeastern Louisiana University ($144,435), Northwestern State University ($34,780) and University of New Orleans ($144,500). These grants, awarded through the Regents Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, will finance academic programs aimed at undergraduate pre-service teachers who want to be certified in teaching mathematics, science, social studies and English in the 4th through 8th grades and mathematics in grades 7 through 12.
• Approved the formation of a committee to study the academic structure of existing non-master’s alternative teacher certification programs offered by Louisiana colleges and universities. Non-masters certification programs are part-time college programs designed for people who have bachelor degrees and are working in non-teaching jobs but want to teach. Consultants have suggested that the structure of these programs be re-examined and possibly revised. The study group will be made up of practicing teachers, principals, university personnel, and staff from the Board of Regents, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and state Department of Education.