With regard to educational programs offered through consortial relationships, the University ensures the following: (1) the quality of educational programs and courses offered through consortial relationships or contractual agreements; (2) ongoing compliance with the comprehensive requirements; and (3) evaluation of the consortial relationship and or agreement against the purpose of the institution.

The University defines a contractual agreement as a relationship established when a degree granting institution does not offer every course or field experience necessary for the degree and so contracts with another entity to provide the needed requirement. McNeese State University has no contractual agreements.

The University defines a consortium as two or more institutions jointly involved in presenting a degree program. One or more of the institutions offers the degree.

McNeese offers only one degree through consortial agreements: the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in cooperation with the Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science Degree in Nursing (ICMN).

Intercollegiate Consortium for the Master of Science Degree in Nursing

The Master of Science degree in Nursing focuses on studies in adult health for Southeastern Louisiana. This program is intimately tied to the mission of the University, of the College of Nursing, and of the Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science Degree in Nursing. Graduates of this program epitomize the University’s commitment to engage “in collaborative ventures to benefit industry and to enhance economic development and cultural growth in this region and beyond” (University Mission Statement). The graduate program in nursing additionally reflects the University’s commitment to create a “learning [. . .] environment [which] integrates discipline-specific knowledge with the values of lifelong learning, ethical responsibility, and civic engagement”.

The College of Nursing articulates its commitment to the University mission and core values in its own Mission Statement: The mission of the College of Nursing is to provide education that will enable graduates to improve the health care system and the quality of life in a multicultural community, value lifelong learning, and enhance the profession of nursing through a focus on:

• Critical thinking

• Communication

• Therapeutic nursing interventions

• Role development

• Professionalism

• Service to the community

Fundamental to this mission is the faculty commitment to student success, academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, community alliances, faculty practice, creative scholarly activity, and research in nursing.

Established in 1988 by the Louisiana Board of Regents and accredited by the National League for Nursing, the Consortium allows the four participating institutions to share their resources in order to produce graduates who are “prepared to assume leadership roles in nursing education, nursing administration, and advanced clinical nursing practice” (ICMSN Mission).

The scope of the Consortium curriculum is the “developmental life span of the human being.” The adult health major provides students with an opportunity to develop advanced skills and knowledge of adult clients with a variety of complex health care problems, while encouraging diversity in nursing functions and levels of intervention.

By agreement, the core courses of the program are rotated among the consortium institutions. However, because the courses are offered using distance education technology and under the course listings of each participating institution, students may sign up at their home institution to take the courses. Courses in the specialty must be taken at the University offering the specialty major. The members of the consortium are McNeese State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Southern University-Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The administration of the Consortium is comprised of the Council of the Intercollegiate Consortium (CINC). CINC membership includes the chief academic officer of each institution, deans of the colleges of nursing, and one graduate nursing faculty presentative from each member institution. The CINC is charged with developing and revising as necessary policies that govern the operation of the consortium. Each institution is to appoint a program coordinator who will meet with other program coordinators at least two times a year.

The University Graduate Council has approved all of the courses in the MSN program and the entire program is subject to the standards review of the Graduate Council. Degree plans for degree candidates of the program must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the College of Nursing and by the Dean of the Graduate School. Graduate students in the MSN program must follow and are subject to all rules in the Graduate School.

Because the courses in the Consortium are delivered via electronic and video media, they must adhere to the University Internet or Web-based Course Policy. The steps below summarize the process for meeting the requirements for internet or web-based courses established by the policy:

• Faculty members must completely develop the course before submitting for approval by the University Curriculum Committee;

• Course content must be clearly articulated; student learning outcomes must be approved by the appropriate program coordinator, department head, and dean;

• Justification for offering the course via electronic media must be included in the request;

• Faculty using electronic media for course delivery must have participated in appropriate training. At a minimum the faculty member must demonstrate competency in appropriate technical methods and an understanding of the pedagogy as related to internet or web-based teaching.

Articulation Agreements

The University defines articulation agreements as written agreements which enable one institution to accept specified courses from another institution as equivalent courses.

The University has an articulation agreement with Louisiana State University at Eunice (LSU-E), which is a community college. Each year the articulation agreement is reviewed by the faculty and departments of both the University and LSU-Eunice to ensure the validity and accuracy of the articulation agreement.

The University also participates in an articulation agreement developed by the Louisiana Board of Regents for all state institutions. Department heads from the University participate in State meetings to keep the articulation agreement accurate and up-to-date.

The University is involved in other contractual arrangements and cooperative agreements involving clinical and field experience, internships, or coop programs. While these situations may involve course credit, the supervision of the course work and the determination of the final mark for the course are done in all cases by a qualified the University faculty member.

At this time any course credit from international institutions for University students studying abroad must receive prior approval and is considered as transfer credit. The University Curriculum Committee and/or the Graduate Council consider the transfer credit on a course-by-course evaluation.

Supporting Evidence

ICMSN Memorandum of Agreement

Process Plant Technology Agreement between McNeese State University and Houston Community College-NE

Articulation Agreement between McNeese State University and Sowela Technical Community College

Cooperative Agreement by and between McNeese State University and Ecole Superieure Libre des Sciences Commerciales Appliquees

Consortium Agreement between McNeese State University and Louisiana State University at Alexandria