COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Welcome to the College of Liberal Arts at Nicholls State University.
Our College is home to six academic departments; Art, History & Geography, English, Modern Languages, & Cultural Studies including Interdisciplinary Studies, Mass Communication, Music and Social Sciences. The outstanding faculty in each of these programs are dedicated to providing all students with the instruction, high-impact practices and research experiences to reach their full potential and to develop their intellect and creativity.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE
MISSION:
The College of Liberal Arts provides students across the university broad foundational knowledge through in-depth study of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The college is committed to creating critical thinkers and engaged citizens within a free society and to preserving and enriching the culture of the region.
The College of Liberal Arts supports the University mission by offering accredited degree programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences and by providing students across campus with many of the general education requirements common to all degree programs. The College of Liberal Arts provides a challenging and supportive environment that promotes a comprehensive understanding of chosen major disciplines and the development of students’ innate talents and creativity.
An outstanding faculty shapes the teaching, research, creative work, and service of the college. The goal of members is to be:
- caring mentors and positive role models for students;
- motivated to foster learning, disseminate research, and implement innovations in the classroom;
- generous with time, talent, and resources to support the academic and economic development of the region, state, and global communities.
Several programs in the College have specialized National Accreditations. The Department of Art is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the Department of Music is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Music, and the Mass Communication Department is accredited by The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Faculty Spotlights
Mr. Jared Wells is an Instructor of History and the recipient of the College of Liberal Arts 2022 Academic Affairs Award for Teaching Excellence.
Marjan Khatibi, Assistant Professor of Art, presented “Enhancing Digital Empowerment through Extended Reality” at the Broadcast Educators Association Conference in 2022. Her virtual reality animation "Afghanistan Crisis” won the Outstanding Achievement Award and the 2D animated short film "A Girl Who Asked Why" won Best Student Film at ANMTN - An International Animation Film Festival.
Dr. Gilley is an Assistant Professor focused on International Politics. He focuses on sovereignty, technology, institutional construction, and the politics of Outer Space. He is the author of "Space Civilization: an inquiry into the social questions of humans living in space".
Anna Broussard, Assistant Professor of Speech and Theatre, presented "A Free Spinster: Jo March's Asexual Possibility" at the 108th National Communication Association Convention, meriting honors as one of the top papers in the Theatre, Film, and New Multi-Media Division. She has published a book review in Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies and presented at several national and regional conferences. Additionally, she performed in Thibodaux Playhouse's production of Little Shop of Horrors as the principal role of Mrs. Mushnik, earning her the Joel Champagne Trouper Award.
Jason S. Ladd, Assistant Professor of Music and Wind Ensemble Director, conducted the Nicholls Wind Ensemble at the 2022 Southern Division CBDNA Conference, hosted by the University of South Carolina, in "New Music for Flexible Ensemble." He also presented "The Divergent Trends in Programming by High School and College Bands in the United States" at the International Society for Research and Promotion of Wind Music's 24th International Conference on Wind Band Music, in Bolzano, Italy, in July 2022.
Dr. Shana Walton, Belle and Leonard Toups Professor of Cultural Studies and faculty affiliate with the Nicholls Center for Bayou Studies, is the co-author of the forthcoming book Bayou Harvest: Subsistence and Community in Coastal Louisiana (available 2023). She is co-founder of the Bayou Cultural Collaborative, a cross-disciplinary, statewide effort to address the human dimension of coastal land loss, and is a principal investigator and project manager for Digital Curation, a cooperative project of the Nicholls Coastal Center, the Center for Bayou Studies, and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Rebecca Picou is an Instructor of Sociology. She focuses on social work, child welfare, medical sociology, and service learning. She is the founder of the Little Colonels Closet and also serves as the Marketing Liaison for the Department of Social Sciences.
Dr. Ashley Busby, Assistant Professor of Art History, is a member of the Honors Faculty at Nicholls and currently serves as the Recording Secretary for the Faculty Senate. Her recent scholarship focuses on the work of post-war American abstract painter Dorothy Fratt. She was recently appointed as the Louisiana State Director on the board for SECAC, a professional organization for educators in the visual arts and art history.
Dr. Katherine Conner is an Associate Professor of English and was recently awarded the Belle and Leonard Toups Endowed Professorship in Writing. Her short stories have appeared in several literary magazines. Her collection of short stories, The Hanged Man, was named a finalist for the 2022 Hudson Prize from Black Lawrence Press, a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction (University of Georgia Press), and a semifinalist for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction (Sarabande Books). She has just completed her first novel.
Dr. Andrew Simoncelli is an Associate Professor of Mass Communication, the Director of Distance Education, and the John Brady Jr. Endowed Professor of Liberal Arts.
Faculty Spotlights
Mr. Jared Wells is an Instructor of History and the recipient of the College of Liberal Arts 2022 Academic Affairs Award for Teaching Excellence.
Marjan Khatibi, Assistant Professor of Art, presented “Enhancing Digital Empowerment through Extended Reality” at the Broadcast Educators Association Conference in 2022. Her virtual reality animation "Afghanistan Crisis” won the Outstanding Achievement Award and the 2D animated short film "A Girl Who Asked Why" won Best Student Film at ANMTN - An International Animation Film Festival.
Dr. Gilley is an Assistant Professor focused on International Politics. He focuses on sovereignty, technology, institutional construction, and the politics of Outer Space. He is the author of "Space Civilization: an inquiry into the social questions of humans living in space".
Anna Broussard, Assistant Professor of Speech and Theatre, presented "A Free Spinster: Jo March's Asexual Possibility" at the 108th National Communication Association Convention, meriting honors as one of the top papers in the Theatre, Film, and New Multi-Media Division. She has published a book review in Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies and presented at several national and regional conferences. Additionally, she performed in Thibodaux Playhouse's production of Little Shop of Horrors as the principal role of Mrs. Mushnik, earning her the Joel Champagne Trouper Award.
Jason S. Ladd, Assistant Professor of Music and Wind Ensemble Director, conducted the Nicholls Wind Ensemble at the 2022 Southern Division CBDNA Conference, hosted by the University of South Carolina, in "New Music for Flexible Ensemble." He also presented "The Divergent Trends in Programming by High School and College Bands in the United States" at the International Society for Research and Promotion of Wind Music's 24th International Conference on Wind Band Music, in Bolzano, Italy, in July 2022.
Dr. Shana Walton, Belle and Leonard Toups Professor of Cultural Studies and faculty affiliate with the Nicholls Center for Bayou Studies, is the co-author of the forthcoming book Bayou Harvest: Subsistence and Community in Coastal Louisiana (available 2023). She is co-founder of the Bayou Cultural Collaborative, a cross-disciplinary, statewide effort to address the human dimension of coastal land loss, and is a principal investigator and project manager for Digital Curation, a cooperative project of the Nicholls Coastal Center, the Center for Bayou Studies, and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Rebecca Picou is an Instructor of Sociology. She focuses on social work, child welfare, medical sociology, and service learning. She is the founder of the Little Colonels Closet and also serves as the Marketing Liaison for the Department of Social Sciences.
Dr. Ashley Busby, Assistant Professor of Art History, is a member of the Honors Faculty at Nicholls and currently serves as the Recording Secretary for the Faculty Senate. Her recent scholarship focuses on the work of post-war American abstract painter Dorothy Fratt. She was recently appointed as the Louisiana State Director on the board for SECAC, a professional organization for educators in the visual arts and art history.
Dr. Katherine Conner is an Associate Professor of English and was recently awarded the Belle and Leonard Toups Endowed Professorship in Writing. Her short stories have appeared in several literary magazines. Her collection of short stories, The Hanged Man, was named a finalist for the 2022 Hudson Prize from Black Lawrence Press, a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction (University of Georgia Press), and a semifinalist for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction (Sarabande Books). She has just completed her first novel.
Dr. Andrew Simoncelli is an Associate Professor of Mass Communication, the Director of Distance Education, and the John Brady Jr. Endowed Professor of Liberal Arts.
“I embrace the idea that students learn more from doing than from listening. Through the use of lively class discussion, real world projects and critical thinking activities, students in my classes learn more than what they can read in a textbook. Although the text is important, it is sometimes the impromptu class discussion that leads a student to greater understanding of real world problems and issues.”
Ms. Nicki Boudreaux
FACULTY/STAFF
Jean Donegan, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Jean Donegan has been a member of the Nicholls State University faculty since 1995 and served as the Head of the Department of Art for 12 years. She currently serves as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. She has been recognized for her work at Nicholls by being selected as a Distinguished Service Professor, Outstanding Academic Administrator and for the Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence. She is also a Lorio Endowed Professor of Fine Arts and a recipient of the Marie Fletcher Distinguished Service Award.
Ms. Donegan exhibits her ceramic sculpture in galleries and museums throughout the United States and has been featured in national magazines such as Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter and Arts and Activities. Her work also appears in the books The New Ceramic Art published by North Light, and in 500 Cups and 500 Teapots both published by Lark Press. Her ceramic sculpture is also represented in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Museum’s Renwick Gallery of Contemporary Art.
She is also the director of the Nicholls Study Abroad Program, and has been working with educational travel for over 30 years.
Dr. Michele Theriot, Assistant Dean
Michele Theriot holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, an M.A. in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a B.A. in English from Nicholls State. She joined the Nicholls faculty in 1995 and currently serves as an Associate Professor of English, Associate Department Head for the Department of English, Modern Languages, and Cultural Studies and Assistant Dean for the College of Liberal Arts.
She has taught a variety of courses ranging from freshman composition to graduate-level independent study. Her research interests focus on 18th British Literature, 19th and 20th century American literature, and gender issues. She has published and presented on Henry Fielding, Sylvia Plath, and Joyce Carol Oates.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Theriot serves as Advising Coordinator in the Department of English, Modern Languages, and Cultural Studies. She advises all students seeking a minor in English as well as all English majors enrolled in the Nicholls Online program.
In 2017, she was presented the Woman of Achievement Award and the Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence.
Shantel Mokhtarnejad
Administrative Coordinator
Ciara Stegall,
Administrative Assistant
“Through meeting new friends and becoming a part of the Nicholls Community , I have transformed into not only a better student but a better person. I’ve learned so much from my Nicholls Community and love it so much! ”
LIBERAL ARTS DEPARTMENTS
Bachelor of Arts. The Political Science program is designed to give the students a comprehensive understanding of the essential aspects of politics. The Sociology program is designed to provide a sound education in sociological content, theory, and methodology in order to prepare students for employment or for further study.
Bachelor of Arts. The English program offers courses in four areas of concentration (creative writing, film studies, literary studies, and rhetoric/professional writing) that lead to a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree.
Bachelor of Fine Arts. The Nicholls State University Department of Art is much more than just an art program—it’s a well rounded, creative family waiting for students like you.
Bachelor of Arts. The history program is especially strong in modern history, military history, and Louisiana history. The history program promotes awareness of state and local history and culture, especially the history of the bayou region, and faculty are involved in a variety of community events.
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Degree. The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies coordinates and fosters cross-disciplinary connections across all disciplines to help students realize their academic, personal, and professional aspirations.
Bachelor of Arts. Come study in a nationally accredited department that offers an intense and culturally diverse learning environment where you can dig down deep and discover your full potential. Come and be part of an education with a strong emphasis on the applying classroom skills and learning to be a professional.
Bachelor of Arts. The Nicholls Department of Music offers musical performances for the entire campus and community throughout the year. Highlights include a celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday with a series of his piano sonatas featuring our faculty as well as guest artists, world premieres performed by the Nicholls Concert Choir and Nicholls Wind Ensemble, and a stellar season for the Pride of Nicholls.
STUDY ABROAD
NICHOLLS STUDY ABROAD – SUMMER 2024
The Nicholls Department of Art conducts its annual European Study Abroad summer program in a different area of Europe each June. College students of all majors, high school juniors and seniors, and interested community members are eligible to participate. Each trip concentrates on the art, culture and history of one to three European countries. Up to six hours of credit may be earned in various courses by undergraduate and graduate students as well as high school juniors and seniors.
CONTACT
Jean Donegan, M.F.A.
Dean College of Liberal Arts,
Distinguished Service Professor,
Lorio Endowed Professor of Fine Arts,
Director Nicholls Study Abroad
jean.donegan@nicholls.edu
Phone: 985.448.4390
NICHOLLS HIGH SCHOOL EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE - TOUR OF ITALY
NICHOLLS ADULT TRIP
NEWS & EVENTS
ACCREDITATION
The Department of Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
The Division of Art is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, which has fully approved its degree program in Art.
Degree programs in Music are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
- American Criminal Justice Association
- American Institute of Graphic Arts
- Art Club
- Association for Computing Machinery
- Ceramics Club
- CLIO-History Club
- College Republicans
- English Society
- Grupo Cervantes
- Kappa Pi, Zeta Alpha Zeta chapter (honorary — art)
- Kappa Tau Alpha (honorary — mass communication)
- La table française (the French table)
- Law Club
- Nicholls Players (theater)
- Phi Alpha Theta (honorary — history)
- Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (honorary — music)
- Pi Sigma Alpha (honorary — political science)
- Public Relations Student Society of America
- Radio-Television News Directors Association
- Sigma Alpha Iota (honorary — music)
- Sigma Tau Delta, Alpha Theta chapter (honorary — English)
- Society of Professional Journalists
- Sociology Club
- Students of Languages
- Upsilon Pi Epsilon (honorary — computer science)
- Young Democrats
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jean Donegan
Distinguished Service Professor of Fine Arts
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Office: 127 Peltier Hall
Phone: 985-448-4388
Email: Administrative Assistant
CAMPUS LOCATION:
