GENERAL INFORMATION
University
Namesake: Francis T. Nicholls
Francis
Redding Tillou Nicholls was born on August 20, 1834, in Donaldsonville,
Ascension Parish. After his graduation from West Point in 1855, he practiced
law in South Louisiana. During
the Civil War he rose to the rank of brigadier general. His battlefield wounds cost him his left arm and leg and he was a
prisoner of war. After the
war he returned to his law practice in Napoleonville. The Louisiana State Democratic Party nominated him for governor in
1876. His election generally
is considered to mark the end to Louisiana's political Reconstruction and
the reestablishment of "Home Rule."
His
second tenure as governor (1888-1892) was climaxed by his successful
opposition to the corrupt Louisiana Lottery Company. With his term completed, he was named chief justice to the
Louisiana Supreme Court. He
retired to his Thibodaux home in 1911 and died in 1912.
Institutional
Purpose
History
Nicholls
State University, located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, is a comprehensive,
regional University serving south central Louisiana.
Tax-supported and coeducational, it opened its doors September 23,
1948, as Francis T. Nicholls Junior College of Louisiana State University.
In 1956, the Louisiana Legislature separated Nicholls from
Louisiana State University and authorized it to develop full four-year
curricula. Thus, in September
1956, the former junior college began operation as Francis T. Nicholls
State College. It granted its
first degrees in May 1958. Act
93 of the State Legislature in 1970 changed the name to Nicholls State
University.
The 210-acre campus, once part of historic Acadia Plantation,
fronts on Bayou Lafourche, about 50 miles southwest of New Orleans and 60
miles southeast of Baton Rouge.
Nicholls is located in the heart of Cajun country, an area rich in
tradition and culture. It is
also located in the heart of the Mississippi River delta, allowing easy
access to the river, its distributaries, Louisiana's wetlands, and the
Gulf of Mexico.
Mission
Nicholls
State University is committed to distinguishing itself as a quality
institution of higher education dedicated to meeting the unique geographic
and multi-cultural needs of the region and beyond through teaching,
research, and service. As a
regional university, Nicholls embraces teaching as its primary mission.
The University also promotes research and appropriate service while
preparing students to interpret and respond to changing regional,
national, and global societies.
Located in the center of the nation's major wetlands and serving an
agricultural and industrial economy, Nicholls State University seeks these
objectives:
-
To
ensure access to higher education for all citizens of the region;
-
To
promote the advancement of knowledge;
-
To
provide high-quality academic programs in disciplines that support the
needs of the region;
-
To
enhance economic development and strengthen the social and cultural
infrastructure of the region.
Primarily an undergraduate institution which offers selected
quality graduate programs, Nicholls State University extends its mission
beyond instruction and requires that the University maintain and improve
programs which develop the character of its students and which encourage
responsible citizenship. The
University is dedicated to continuous improvement in its programs and
services through assessment and evaluation of its processes and its
current and former students.>
Goals
The
University's mission will be achieved through the systemic implementation
of strategies designed to achieve the following goals:
-
To
provide liberal learning as well as professional and technical
education so that graduates are able to interpret and respond to
changing regional, national, and global societies.
-
To
meet the educational and human development needs of an increasingly
diverse student population.
-
To
conduct research appropriate to a regional university.
-
To
support and expand the economic development and the social and
cultural infrastructure of the region.
To
maintain a management environment that promotes faculty and staff
involvement and development.
Regional
Nicholls State University is
accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097:
Telephone number 404-679-4501) to award degrees at the associate,
baccalaureate, master's and specialist degree levels.
* updated March 20, 2006 - Amended Accreditation Statement:
Nicholls State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges
of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award degrees
at the associate, baccalaureate, master and specialist levels. Inquiries
relating to the accreditation status of Nicholls State University can
be mailed to Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia,
30033-4097, or may be directed to (404) 679-4501 via telephone.
College, Departmental and
Program
The
College of Business Administration's baccalaureate and master's degrees
are accredited by the International Association for Management Education.
The College of Education is fully accredited by the National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
The specialist degree program in school psychology has the full
approval of the National Association of School Psychologists.
The Department of Nursing has full status accreditation by the
National League for Nursing for both the bachelor of science and associate
of science degrees. In
addition, the department is accredited as a provider of continuing
education in nursing by the American Nurses' Association's Board of
Accreditation. The Nursing
Continuing Education Program is accredited (as a provider for registered
nurses) by the American Nurses' Health Credentialing Center.
The Department of Allied Health Sciences has full status
accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs in cooperation with the Committee on Accreditation for
Respiratory Care, the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs
for the Emergency Medical Services Professions, and the Cytotechnology
Programs Review Committee of the American Society of Cytopathology.
Degree programs in Music are accredited by the National Association
of Schools of Music and the department is a member of the association.
The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is accredited by the
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
The Department of Mass Communication is accredited by the
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
The Department of Computer Science is accredited by the Computer
Science Accreditation Commission of the Computing Sciences Accreditation
Board, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Commission on
Recognition of Post-secondary Accreditation.
Allen
J. Ellender Memorial Library, an imposing three-story contemporary
structure, houses more than 400,000 volumes, 3,000 journal titles, and
350,000 catalogued federal and state documents.
It provides well lit study areas for fifteen hundred patrons.
Centrally and conveniently located, it faces the Student Union, is
no more than a block or two from campus dormitories, and no more than a
four-minute walk from most classroom buildings.
Service is the first priority of the library's faculty and staff.
At the central reference desk librarians offer one-on-one help by
answering questions and instruction in library skills. Library faculty also provide instruction in basic library skills,
an integral part of Junior Division classes in student development.
Interlibrary loan personnel offer personalized services to patrons
who need materials from other libraries.hey use the latest on-line computer technology to locate and
request materials from nearby and distant libraries. Ellender librarians
also visit classes to explain topics of particular interest to students
and instructors.
The Ellender collections can be found on all three floors.
On the fir2st floor are the Allen J. Ellender Archives and the
Multimedia Center (audio and visual media, and music listening rooms).
The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Lab is located on the first
floor also. On the second
floor are the central reference desk, the circulation desk, and the
reference, reserve and general book collections. The third floor houses serials (periodicals) and government
documents. All collections
are easily accessible through open shelving, convenient service stations
and the computerized card catalogue known as ELMO.
Ellender Archives, part of the Special Collections Department,
serves as a repository for primary and secondary materials relating to
Louisiana. The largest
collection within Archives is the papers of Senator Allen J. Ellender
(1,500 linear feet), which document his thirty-five-year career in the U.
S. Senate. Other original
materials available to patrons include antebellum plantation papers, local
business records, diaries and journals, historical photographs, regional
and rare books, and a genealogy collection. Archives is also home to the papers of past University
presidents and to University yearbooks, student newspaper files, special
reports, photographs, and related items that document the growth of the
institution.
Although the information needs of Nicholls students and University
personnel are the first priority of the staff, all patrons are welcome to
use the resources of the Library. Detailed
information concerning borrowing privileges is available at the
circulation desk.
When classes are in session, the library is open from 7:30 a.m.
until 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on
Fridays; from noon to 4 p.m. each Saturday; and from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m.
each Sunday. Archives follows
a different schedule: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. each Tuesday, and noon to 4 p.m. on the first
Saturday of the month. Service
hours during examination periods, holidays, and intersessions are posted
at the library and published in the student newspaper and the
faculty-staff newsletter.
The
Nicholls State University Alumni Federation, chartered in 1960, is
composed of graduates and former students who have successfully completed
at least one semester and a minimum of twelve semester hours.
A board of directors elected by the general membership directs
Federation activities. The Federation conducts an annual business meeting each
spring on campus. Active
members are those who have paid annual dues of $15 per person for the
first year after graduation and $25 thereafter or $40 for a husband and
wife. The board bestows
special honorary membership on carefully chosen friends of the University.
Nicholls faculty members hold associate membership in the
Federation.
The organization maintains and promotes a mutually beneficial
relationship between the University and its alumni.
It publishes The Colonel, a quarterly; sponsors homecoming activities; and awards 10
scholarships each year: eight $800 awards per semester based on academic
performance (four to freshmen, four to upperclass students), the Clift
Gresham Scholarship awarded to an upperclass business major on the basis
of academic performance valued at $800 a semester, and the F. Smith
Knoblock Legal Assistant Studies Major Scholarship valued at $350 a
semester awarded to an upperclass student having a 3.0 grade-point
average.
The director of Alumni Affairs supervises day-to-day activities
from an office on campus in the Clarence James Jr. Alumni House at 203
Audubon Drive. The mailing
address is P. O. Box 2158, Nicholls Station, Thibodaux, LA 70310;
Telephone number 985-448-4111.
The
Institute preserves and fosters the rich culinary heritage of Louisiana.
It administers both a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Arts
and an Associate of Science Degree in Culinary Arts and provides
opportunities for professional and personal development in the culinary
arts to the community.
The institute serves as a center for partnerships with the
foodservice industry within and outside the state.
The
mission of the Center for Women and Government at Nicholls is to encourage
the future leadership of women by preparing them for public service
through non-partisan provision and support of education, research,
training, and the development of creative programs.
Among the programs offered by the Center are a unique internship
program and faculty research grant. The
Center also hosts seminars and conferences, and has instituted a Hall of
Fame to honor outstanding Louisiana women for their contributions to the
public sector.
The
Center was established to train professionals in the provision of services
to individuals with dyslexia. It provides services to Nicholls students who have been found to
have characteristics of dyslexia.
It also offers psycho-educational assessments of students enrolled
in or applying to NSU or community/technical colleges. The Center also
provides training for teacher education candidates and teachers in methods
of teaching students with dyslexia.
In addition, it disseminates information and research findings
about dyslexia. The Center also serves as a resource to parish schools and
organizations.
The
Rural Development Institute was established to provide leadership to
communities and to facilitate programs and services that enhance regional
community development efforts in rural South Louisiana.
The mission for the Institute is fulfilled through four
interrelated programs: education and training, community outreach, applied
research and development, and telecommunications.
The programs are designed to build active partnerships with
communities, businesses, industries, and governmental agencies.
Nicholls
State had a vision over a quarter of a century ago to expand its classrooms from
a regional campus in Louisiana to a global environment.
Today, the university has ten international study sites around the world.
The university continues its commitment to this vision.
As part of its mission, the university strives to prepare students to
interpret and respond to changing regional, national, and global societies.
One way of accomplishing this goal is to educate students in different
parts of the world as well as in diversified cultures.
DEPARTMENT
OF STUDY PROGRAMS ABROAD
Office:207 Peltier Hall
Phone: 448-4440
Director: Cynthia Webb
The Department of Study
Programs Abroad has established international study sites in Costa Rica,
Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, France (Nice and Paris), Germany, Austria, and
Italy. Students have the opportunity to earn undergraduate or
graduate credit in Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Students may choose to study a minimum of two weeks up to one
year and most classes begin every Monday. Classes are entirely taught in the target language and conducted in
an open dialogue format between students and teachers. Students are housed with host families who are native to the
country. The length of a study program determines the number of credit hours
a student may earn in a given program. Programs are available for beginners as well as for advanced
speakers. Non-credit programs
are also available.
Art
Program
Office:
221-225 Talbot Hall
Phone: 448-4597
Program Director: Dennis Sipiorski
Program Coordinator: Jean Donegan
The Department of Art offers an educational travel opportunity each
summer which departs in early June.Accompanied
by faculty of Nicholls State, students participate in an organized tour which
concentrates on a few countries in Europe. Some past itineraries have included Ireland, England and France; Spain,
the French Riviera and Northern Italy; and Greece and Italy. The length of the program is approximately nineteen days and is designed
to offer on-site experiences while providing the opportunity of fulfilling
academic courses in art, fine arts, art history, humanities and field study for
studio courses in photography and drawing. Annual programs are available to all students and individuals in the
community.
EUROPE
PROGRAM
Office:
245 Peltier Hall
Phone: 448-4462
Program
Director: Jim Barnidge
Nicholls
Europe is the second oldest international study program in the state of
Louisiana. Students have an
opportunity to travel and study in England, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the
Czech Republic. The
twenty-day summer travel program takes place in the months of June and July.
Students are provided with an up-close and personal study of art, drama,
architecture, government, and history. Students
of all disciplines are eligible to earn undergraduate or graduate credit in
history, humanities, and art courses.
HONORS
ABROAD PROGRAM
Office: 245 Peltier Hall
Phone: 448-4462
Program Director: Martin Simpson
Program Coordinator: Paul Wilson
The university has established a study abroad program to England for
students who are enrolled in the Honors Program.
The program offers a cross-cultural educational opportunity by
placing students in England as part of their undergraduate experience. Students are enrolled in a special set of courses such as
History and English. Students
begin their courses on the campus of Nicholls.
n a four-week period during the semester, students attend classes at
the University of Plymouth in England.
Students return to the campus of Nicholls to complete their courses
and semester. Nicholls faculty
teach the courses and design extra-curricular activities to take advantage
of the different cultural setting. Students
are housed in the dormitories of the university.
One of the largest universities in England, the University of
Plymouth is located in Plymouth and has approximately 23,000 students.
The city of Plymouth is a port city in the southwestern part of
England.
Glossary
Academic Sequence
Courses - Those
which must be taken in designated order of sequence. Completion of a
lower-numbered course is a requisite in order to master subject matter
presented in the next higher course. Each department designates sequence
courses within its department. Placement tests may be used to determine
where a student begins a sequence.
Academic Year - That
period beginning with the summer session and including the fall and spring
semesters.
Adjusted (Internal) Grade
Point Average ? A student's grade-point average computed by
subtracting the hours and quality points earned in all previous attempts in
a repeated course from the overall number of hours and quality points.
Audit - To pay fees and register for a class or classes as an observer
only and receive no credit for it.
College - An academic unit of the University, administered by a
dean and staffed by faculty members, which provides an academic program.
Concentration ? An
alternative track of courses within a Major or Option, accounting for at
least 30% of the Major requirements. Concentrations
may be instituted by the affected system and campus without prior approval
by the Board of Regents.*
Corequisite - A concurrent requirement; usually a course or some other
condition that must be taken or met at the same time as another course.
Credit - A measurement of course work completed satisfactorily.
Ordinarily, one semester‑hour credit is given for one hour of class
attendance per week for a period of one semester.
However, in some courses, such as laboratory courses, two or three
clock hours of attendance per week are required to earn one semester hour. A
specified number of credits must be earned for a degree.
Some colleges and universities, unlike Nicholls, operate on a quarter
basis; that is, they divide the year into four quarters and give quarter
credits. Quarter credits
multiplied by two‑thirds equal semester credits.
Semester credits multiplied by one and one‑half equal quarter
credits.
Curriculum? A description of required and elective courses for a Degree
Program.*
Degree ? The title of the award conferred on students by a
college, university, or professional school upon completion of a unified
program of study (e.g., Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts).*
Degree Program ? Any grouping of campus-approved courses and
requirements (e.g., minimum
GPA required, comprehensive examinations, English and Math proficiency)
which, when
satisfactorily completed by a student will entitle him or her to a degree
from a public institution of higher education.*
Degree of Subject Area ?
The primary discipline which constitutes the focus of a Degree Program. When
a student satisfactorily completes a Degree Program, he/she will be entitled
to a degree in the appropriate subject area (e.g., Biology, History, Vocal
Arts).*
Degree Title ? The
complete label of a Degree Program, consisting of a Degree Designation
(e.g., Associate of Science) and the Degree Subject Area (e.g., Biology).
Department - The unit of instructional organization in a particular
discipline.
Developmental Course - One
designed to enable students to develop the skills required to do
college-level work.
Elective - A course chosen by the student, as opposed to a required course.
The term "elective," without a qualifier, will be
understood to be a free elective, chosen by the student at his or her option
from all the courses offered by the University for degree credit, with due
regard for prerequisites. An
approved elective is not open to the free choice of the student.
Equivalent - When used in a course prerequisite, this term means either credit
in a comparable course or adequate preparation by other experience.
Determination of equivalency is at the discretion of the individual
departments.
Good Standing - The status
of a student who is eligible to continue in or return to the University. *As
defined by Board of Regents.
Graduate Student - A
student who has received a baccalaureate degree and has been officially
admitted to Graduate Studies.
International Student - A
student who is a citizen and resident of a foreign country and who is
attending Nicholls on a visa from the United States Immigration and
Naturalization Service.
Junior Division - An academic and administrative unit for
freshmen who later transfer to a degree-granting college.
Major ? That part of a Degree Program which consists of a specified
group of courses in a particular discipline(s) or field(s).
The name of the Major is usually consistent with the Degree Subject
Area. A Major usually consists
of 25% or more of total hours required in an undergraduate curriculum.
Establishment of a Major requires prior approval by the Board
of Regents.*
Major Professor - A member
of the graduate faculty who closely advises and counsels a graduate student.
Minor ? That part of a Degree Program which consists of a specified
group of courses in a particular discipline(s) or field(s), consisting
usually of 15% or more of total hours required in an undergraduate
curriculum. Minors may be
instituted by the affected system and campus without prior approval by the
Board of Regents.*
Official Cumulative (External)
Grade Point Average - A student's grade‑point average based on the total number
of quality points earned divided by total number of quality hours attempted.
This is the official GPA posted on the transcript and used to
determine academic honors and class standing.
Option ? An alternative
track of courses within a Major, accounting for at least 50% of the Major
requirements. Establishment of
an Option requires prior approval by the Board of Regents.*
Prerequisites - A course
or courses to be completed or conditions to be met before a student is
eligible to enroll in a more advanced course.
rerequisites are listed in each course description.
Quality Point -
Result obtained when the numerical value of a letter grade (A=4, B=3, C=2,
D=1, F=0) is multiplied by the credit hours for the course.
Registration - The process by which a student, upon payment of required fees, is
enrolled in one or more classes.
Residence Credit - Credit
earned by a student in residence by virtue of enrollment in University
day or evening classes conducted on campus.
Resident - A student whose home or legal residence, as defined by the policy
of the University of Louisiana System Board of Trustees, is in Louisiana and
is therefore not required to pay the out‑of‑state fee.
Semester - A period consisting of about four and one-half months.
Semester Average - A
student's grade-point average based on the total number of quality points
earned divided by total number of semester hours attempted in a given
semester.
Semester Hour - The unit
by which course work is measured. The
number of semester hours assigned to a course is usually determined by the
number of hours the class meets each week.
Student Schedule - The
courses in which a student is enrolled.
Transfer Student - One who
has attended another college or university before entering Nicholls.
Undergraduate - A student
who has not yet received the baccalaureate degree.
Upperclass student - A
sophomore, junior, or senior.
*As defined by Board of Regents. |
Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310 
