University President

To: The Nicholls State University Community
From: Stephen T. Hulbert, President

At the Annual Business Administration Honor’s Banquet earlier this week, Dean Ridley Gros announced the decision of the AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation Committee, as ratified by the Association’s International Board of Directors, to reaffirm the accreditation of the College of Business Administration. I am taking this opportunity to share that announcement campus-wide and, at the same time, to offer my congratulations to Dean Gros and the faculty, staff and students who worked so hard to insure this successful outcome.

When the AACSB Peer Review Team visited Nicholls from February 27th to March 2nd of this year they concluded that the business program had achieved high quality and accordingly the Team was recommending reaffirmation of accreditation.

While we believed then that the business program had been evaluated successfully, the action of the AACSB International Board of Directors and its Maintenance of Accreditation Committee still remained as the final hurdles to be surmounted. The news that Ridley Gros received by e-mail confirming reaffirmation brought closure to a long and difficult review process.

I use this means to publicly thank Ridley Gros for his willingness to return to the University to provide leadership to this most important task. At the same time I want to congratulate Betty Kleen for her outstanding contributions in the preparation of the self-study report and support documents and to all of the faculty and staff who worked so hard to contribute to this successful outcome.

The quality that is represented in the Business Administration program results from years of effort by the faculty in building the curriculum and in evolving their own scholarship and service within the broader community. The Self-Study and Peer Review process clearly indicated that in achieving high program quality the faculty has also put into place the processes to assure the maintenance of that quality within an environment committed to continuous improvement.

To: The Nicholls State University Community
From: Stephen T. Hulbert, President

I am writing to let the University community know that representatives from Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas are scheduled to conduct a demonstration on campus from 11:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., April 18, 2005. The demonstration will take place on the cement area directly to the right of the entrance to the student union. This group is coming to campus to protest the establishment of a student group named the NSU Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA).

The University’s position is that students have the right to assemble and to establish student organizations without censorship relative to content or purpose. Therefore, student groups will be permitted to operate at Nicholls as long as their purpose and activities do not thwart the aims and purposes of the University or violate state or federal law.

Nicholls is a diverse community. This diversity is respected on a daily basis as we go about our academic and extracurricular endeavors.

Please note that we did not invite the Westboro Baptist Church to our campus. However, as a state institution, we are obligated to provide for public protests, including the expression of political and religious speech. The University has followed U.S. Supreme Court rulings regarding the designation of areas where protests may occur on campus. These two sites are the flagpole area near the entrance of the campus and an area just to the right of the main entrance of the student union. Designation of these areas allows protests to take place without disruption of classes and scheduled campus activities.

The Kansas group has reportedly conducted protests which include hateful and provocative language. Some believe this type of protest is aimed at inciting onlookers to lose their tempers and assault members of the protesting group. I strongly urge that members of the Nicholls community not provide this group the reaction they may desire. Let’s not bring any attention to the protesting group or the hateful message that they spread.

Nicholls State University celebrates its diversity. We must continue to support a campus environment which is inclusive. Please join me in celebrating what Nicholls is about on April 18, 2005. Ignore these individuals, respect their constitutional right to protest while they are on campus, and let them go their way.

To: Members of the University Community
From: Stephen T. Hulbert, President

During the Spring Semester 2004, the Campus Operations Committee was created to receive additional recommendations, suggestions and expressions of concern from faculty and staff on how to further improve university services. Attached you will find a copy of the list of recommendations and related issues that were forwarded to me by the Committee. Each vice president was asked to respond to the list of suggestions, implementing change where ever possible, and to report how these matters were being or will be addressed. Our collective intent was to administratively make service improvements where ever possible and to refer issues warranting broader campus participation to the appropriate individual or committee for further study and recommendation.

A wide range of service change have been implemented since receipt of this report. Others are being prepared for implementation or will be so considered as time and resources permit. A copy of the Campus Operations Committee Report, along with the response from each vice president, will be posted on the administrative M drive (Campus Improvement Initiatives) for review by the interested members of the campus community. A paper copy is also being shared with Faculty Senate, the Unclassified Advisory Committee, and the Classified Advisory Committee.

We thank the Committee members for their considerable effort in this process. We especially thank everyone who took the time to make suggestions on how to make Nicholls better. While much progress has been made over the past twenty months, just as clearly, the University has a long way to go in enhancing service. The continued interest and support of everyone in the University community is appreciated as we affect further change.

To: Faculty and Staff
From: Stephen T. Hulbert, President

The official numbers are complete for the Spring 2005 semester and I am pleased to report that the University’s enrollment reflects just over a 3% increase. Enrollment is up to 6922; 208 higher than last spring’s total figure. The largest increase is in our first year students. After an increase of 190 new students in the Fall 2004 semester, the University has an increase of 203 students for this spring.

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