Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
publicinfo@selu.edu
SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
Date: 12/17/98
Contact: Christina Chapple 1
Editors: Photo accompanies release
NEW DISTANCE LEARNING CLASSROOM DEDICATED AT SOUTHEASTERN
HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University is now officially hooked up to a new
Board of Regents distance learning network connecting 29 universities and other sites statewide.
Mike Abbiatti, the board's associate commissioner of information and learning
technology, dedicated the university's new distance learning classroom December 16, officially
certifying that the classroom's $80,000 worth of video conferencing equipment in the "up and
running."
The fully-interactive classroom, equipped and wired to deliver and receive compressed
video, is located in Room 136-37 in the Southeastern University Center. It was funded through a
$5 million Board of Regents initiative designed to allow higher education to "maximize its
resources," Abbiatti said.
"This is an historic day for Southeastern," said Provost Randy Moffett. Praising Abbiatti,
whom he called the Regents' technical "guru," for having "the energy, vision and know how to
unite the state and merge education initiatives," Moffett said the new distance learning network
will help make education "seamless in the way we instruct the young people and adults of this
state."
Abbiatti said network's goals are to eliminate duplicate programs, disseminate unique
academic programs and support workforce development. The network is scheduled to be
completed by Dec. 31.
In 1997 and 1998, Governor Foster and legislators approved a total of $5 million to create
and maintain a statewide distance learning network. When completed, a fully interactive
classroom will be set up on every state college campus throughout Louisiana as well as at
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Louisiana Public Broadcasting in Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Universities Marine
Consortium (LUMCON) in Chauvin. The appropriations also provide money for network staff
and faculty training. Next year, Regents will ask for additional money to help develop distance
learning course work and classes.
Abbiatti said 4,095 hours of course work will be delivered via the network this spring and
that the network will eventually carry 10,000 hours per academic year. "This is no small feat,"
Abbiatti said. "It was said, 'You can't do that in Louisiana.' It has indeed been done."
Southeastern, Abbiatti said, "has always been a leader in distance education." Moffett
said the university has been delivering courses by satellite through LPB for a number of years
and for the past year "has taught classes on the internet with great success."
Mike Asoodeh, Southeastern's assistant vice president for technology, said in addition to
the new Regents classroom, Southeastern has distance learning facilities in the Garrett College of
Business Building and in Mims Hall, where the technology is utilized by the School of Nursing.
A fourth interactive classroom is being considered in the Cate Teacher Education Center,
Asoodeh said.
"Distance learning expands access and opportunities for the people of our state," said
Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie. "Our new statewide distance learning
network will bring critical educational opportunities into interactive classrooms at nearby
colleges, agricultural centers, hospitals and other locations."
Abbiatti said the network, which is connected to higher education distance learning
networks worldwide, has four central connecting points around the state that provide a single
circuit to each college, center and university. Once the circuit reaches the location, it is then
divided into four circuits, each of which can support a full, interactive classroom. The Board
of Regents has contracted BellSouth of North Carolina to provide scheduling services for the
network.
The network is a joint project between the Regents and the state Office of
Telecommunications Management.
At Southeastern, Board of Regents and Southeastern personnel connected with BellSouth
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technicians in North Carolina to certify that the new classroom was fully operational.
"You're on your own to go forth and prosper," Abbiatti declared.
Locations of interactive distance learning classrooms include Bossier Parish Community
College, Louisiana Board of Regents, Louisiana Public Boardcasting-Baton Rouge, Louisiana
State University-Alexandria, Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge, Louisiana State
University-Eunice, Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University-Ruston,
McNeese State University-Lake Charles, Northeast Louisiana University-Monroe and the
University of New Orleans.
Also, Baton Rouge Community College, Delgado Community College-New Orleans,
Grambling State University, Louisiana State University-Agriculture Center-Knapp Hall,
Louisiana State University-Agriculture Center Camp-Grant Walker, Louisiana State
University-Law Center-Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University-Veterinary School, Louisiana
Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana State University-Medical Center-New Orleans,
Louisiana State University-Medical Center-Shreveport, Nicholls State University-Thibodaux,
Northwestern State University-Natchitoches, Nunez Community College-Chalmette,
Southeastern Louisiana University-Hammond, Southern University-Baton Rouge, Southern
University-New Orleans, Southern University-Shreveport, and University of Southwestern
Louisiana-Lafayette.
- SLU -
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