LSU System official to address LSUS commencement
12/08/04

Dr. Robert H. Rasmussen, the LSU System’s assistant vice president for system relations, will deliver the commencement address Wednesday (Dec. 15) at LSUS graduation ceremonies. About 300 LSUS students are expected to be graduated by the university at the summer/fall commencement exercises beginning at 7 p.m. at the CenturyTel Center.

In addition to LSUS administrative and academic officials, the commencement platform party will include Dr. William Jenkins, president of the LSU System; Michael Woods, president of the LSUS Foundation and chair of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, and Francis M. “Hank” Gowen, a member of the LSU System Board of Supervisors. Gowen will confer degrees on behalf of the System’s board.

Rasmussen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies education from Nicholls State University in 1970, a Master of Education degree in educational administration from the University of New Orleans in 1972 and a Doctor of Education degree in educational administration from UNO in 1975.

Following graduation from Nicholls State, he taught junior high civics, speech and remedial reading in Orleans Parish for one academic year before accepting a graduate research/teaching assistant position at UNO from 1971 to 1974. He was assistant coordinator of instructional services at the LSU School of Dentistry from 1974 to 1976 and served as coordinator from 1976 to 1978. He was named executive assistant to the chancellor of the LSU Medical Center (New Orleans) in 1978 and became assistant to the president of the LSU System in 1985. He was named assistant vice president for academic affairs of the LSU System in 1994 and executive assistant to the system president in 1999. He continues to serve in that capacity and was also named assistant vice president for system relations in 2003.

Rasmussen is also a professor of instructional services at the LSU School of Dentistry, where he has served on the faculty since 1974. He has also been an adjunct professor of educational administration at LSU A&M (1994-98), an adjunct professor of instructional services at UNO (1992) and an associate professor of allied health auxiliaries at the LSU School of Allied Health Professions (1981-85).

He has authored or co-authored 24 publications, presented or co-presented 35 papers at professional meetings, conducted more than 50 continuing education programs and workshops, has delivered nine invited lectures and has written and produced 14 self-instructional videotapes. He has also served as an educational consultant to the American Dental Association, Louisiana Department of Education, Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.) School of Nursing and Lincoln and Jefferson parish public schools.

Rasmussen and his wife, Shelia, live in Baton Rouge and have one daughter, Celeste.