OVERVIEW

A. The Institution

Historical context and characteristics. Southeastern Louisiana University is located in an urban area, Hammond, approximately 50 miles north of New Orleans and about 45 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, the state capital. Hammond is considered the crossroads of the Gulf South and the cultural and business center of South Tangipahoa Parish. Bordering parishes include Washington, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, St.Tammany, and Livingston. 

Southeastern Louisiana University is the outgrowth of the Hammond Junior College established in 1925 by the citizens of the southern half of Tangipahoa Parish. The main objectives were to provide a two-year curriculum in teacher education and the basic undergraduate work in arts and sciences. Act 136 of the 1928 State Legislature made Southeastern part of the state educational system and granted the College the right to establish a four-year curriculum and grant baccalaureate degrees. The work of the College continued, mainly that of preparing teachers, and the first baccalaureate degrees were conferred in 1939.

By 1946, the campus had expanded to 365 acres and was organized into Divisions of Liberal Arts, Education, and Applied Sciences.  That same year, Southeastern was accepted into full membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1954, Southeastern was granted accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) but chose to withdraw in 1960.  Southeastern then reapplied for accreditation in 1974 and has been continuously accredited by NCATE to the present.       

Southeastern was authorized to award master’s degrees in 1960, and in 2006 was authorized to award the Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) through a joint program offered by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana University.

In the 90s, Southeastern experienced a tremendous growth spurt and for several years was nationally recognized as the fastest growing university in the nation. In 1990, Southeastern’s enrollment was 10,398 (enrollment by class). In 1997, Southeastern’s enrollment exceeded 15,000 students for the first time, and from Fall 1925 to Spring 2006, over 55,000 degrees were awarded (Cumulative Degrees Awarded).  Dr. Moffett, former Dean of the College of Education, was appointed the thirteenth President of Southeastern on December 7, 2001.

Mission. The University’s latest strategic plan, “Vision 2010”, was developed by the University Planning Council in 2006-2007. The mission statement from that document states:  The mission of Southeastern Louisiana University is to lead the educational, economic and cultural development of southeast Louisiana.  Core values for Southeastern are as follows:  Excellence, Scholarship, Integrity, Diversity, Service, and Caring. 

B.  The Unit. The Unit is comprised of the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) and its partner colleges. Only faculty teaching professional education courses in partner colleges are included in the Unit. The professional education unit includes the 1) Departments of Teaching & Learning (T&L), Educational Leadership & Technology (ELT), and Counseling & Human Development (CHD) in the COEHD; 2) Departments of Art, English, Foreign Language, History and Political Science, and Music in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS); 3) Departments of Mathematics, Biological Sciences, and Chemistry & Physics in the College of Science and Technology (ST); and 4) the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies in the College of Nursing and Health Studies (NHS).

Candidate enrollment. During the 2006-2007 academic year, there were a total of 2020 candidates enrolled in 25 programs preparing them to work in PK-12 schools.  

2006-2007 Academic Year

Faculty size including clinical supervisors, and administrators: 2006-2007 Academic Year 

Table 1: Academic Rank of Professional Education Faculty for Academic Year: 2006-2007 provides the rank of full time professional education faculty.

Programs offered for the preparation of school professionals. Southeastern offers a total of 25 programs and/or concentrations which prepare candidates to work with students in PK-12 schools.  Nineteen of the 25 programs were submitted to Specialized Program Associations (SPA) for review, of which fifteen are nationally recognized, and four have been revised and re-submitted with an expected decision date of July 1, 2008. Two advanced level programs have state approval and four programs are accredited by other accrediting agencies. School Counseling and Speech Pathology programs will only be included in Standards 1 and 6, since NCATE does not require reporting and evidence for Standards 2, 3, 4, and 5. See Table 2: Programs and Review Status for detailed program and review information. 

Off-campus and alternative certification program.  While Southeastern offers a variety of courses off-campus at the St Tammany Center and Livingston Technology Center, as well as internet courses, no programs are offered in their entirety as off-campus or greater than 50% internet.  Southeastern has participated in the State of Louisiana Alternative Post Baccalaureate Certification Program for the past 17 years. 

Southeastern’s current alternative certification program is not a fast-track program as is found in many states, but it is substantially shorter than a second bachelor’s degree program. Most students complete requirements for certification in one to two years, although some students delay completion by taking only six hours per year (the state minimum to be considered for an emergency teacher certificate when no certified teacher is available). A complete explanation of the current non-degree alternative program, including curriculum sheets, is located on the Alternative Certification web site. Admission requirements require a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 GPA. The program requires supervised student teaching or a year-long supervised internship if the student is employed as a non-certified teacher in a state approved school. 

Substantive changes.  The Unit implemented the following the major changes since the 2002 continuing accreditation visit.

·  Several initiatives have transformed the culture of the Unit with respect to diversity.

·  A Director of Assessment and Program Evaluation was hired to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of the assessment system and maintain the system through an electronic version, PASS-PORT.

·  The COEHD contracted with ILAT, the provider of PASS-PORT to ensure all candidates have access to the electronic assessment system provided for them to submit electronic portfolios.  All paper portfolios have been phased out of each program.

·  A Director of Field Experience was hired to facilitate            required field experiences prior to student teaching and internships in all programs. 

· All programs at the initial and advanced levels were re-designed and implemented to meet the mandates of the Blue Ribbon Commission.

·  A new addition of approximately 40,000 square feet to the existing facility, the Cate Teacher Education Center, was completed Fall 2003.

· A new doctoral program in Educational Leadership was established (2006) in collaboration with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.