McNeese State University

Section 2:
Core Requirements
2.1	2.2	2.3
2.4	2.5	2.6
2.7.1	2.7.2	2.7.3
2.7.4	2.8	2.9
2.10	2.11	2.12
Section 3:
Comprehensive Standards
3.1.1	3.2.1
3.2.2.1	3.2.2.2	3.2.2.3
3.2.2.4	3.2.3	3.2.4
3.2.5	3.2.6	3.2.7
3.2.8	3.2.9	3.2.10
3.2.11	3.2.12	3.2.13
3.2.14	3.3.1	3.4.1
3.4.2	3.4.3	3.4.4
3.4.5	3.4.6	3.4.7
3.4.8	3.4.9	3.4.10
3.4.11	3.4.12	3.4.13
3.4.14	3.5.1	3.5.2
3.6.1	3.6.2	3.6.3
3.7.1	3.7.2	3.7.3
3.7.4	3.7.5	3.8.1
3.8.2	3.8.3	3.9.1
3.9.2	3.9.3	3.10.1
3.10.2	3.10.3	3.10.4
3.10.5	3.10.6	3.10.7
Section 4:
Federal Requirements
4.1	4.2	4.3
4.4	4.5	4.6
4.7	4.8

McNeese State University
Compliance Plan for Reaffirmation

Section 3.4.9: Educational Programs: All Educational Programs

(includes all on-campus, off-campus, and distance learning programs and course work) (See Commission policy "Distance Education")

Judgment of Compliance

Compliance

Partial Compliance

Non-compliance

Requirement

The institution provides appropriate academic support services.

Narrative

McNeese State University is in compliance with Requirement 3.4.9.

In keeping with its' motto "Excellence With a Personal Touch," McNeese is committed to providing its students and faculty comprehensive academic support services to support the academic mission of the university and to foster a well-rounded and appropriate environment to enhance student learning and faculty development. Information on each service is provided through both electronic and hard copy. The Code of Student Conduct, Student Handbook, Faculty/Staff Handbook, and Advising Handbook, the McNeese State University Catalog and the McNeese State University website provide pertinent and important information to all University constituents. University Services, on the McNeese website, provides easy access to many of the services most utilized by students.

Office of Student Services

The Division of Administration and Student Affairs offers support services tailored to student life in and beyond the classroom. Within this division, the Office of Student Services works specifically to create a positive student life environment. The mission statement of the Office of Student Services reflects this commitment: <link: <a

The mission of the Office of Student Services is to promote undergraduate and graduate student development through engagement in extracurricular activities and leadership development, experiential residence life programming, student support services, and civic responsibility. The Office of Student Services supports the University's core value of student success and contributes to instilling within students a sense of ethical responsibility and civic engagement. The departments of residence life, dining services, student health services, and student services collaborate with key units in all divisions of the University to strengthen the culture of learning and improve the quality of co-curricular life on the campus.

General and Basic Studies provides services in three important areas: advising, orientation, and tutoring.

Advising

General and Basic Studies provides academic advising to all first-time freshman, as well as former MSU students who were previously enrolled in Basic Studies at the time of their last attendance and all students enrolled in either the Associate or Bachelor of General Studies degree. The objectives of General and Basic Studies include the following:

to provide advising, guidance and counseling to students in their early stages of college life and to students who have not been able to make a decision on a major field of study;

to expose students through personal conferences with their advisors to ways and means fo acquiring the academic maturity needed for success in the University;

to familiarize initial entry students to the policies and procedures of the University.

Orientation

To aid in accomplishing objective 3, initial entry students are required to enroll in Orientation 101. Orientation is designed primarily for first-time freshamn and is scheduled as a one day workshop prior to the start of the semester with a lab held during the semester. To ensure that incoming students are advised thoroughly of policies and procedures related to both academic issues and student life, Orientation 101 is a one-hour course iand is required for graduattion. The course covers programs and policies of the University which assistfreshmen in adapting to the University environment and inbecoming a part of the University community. A written exam is required and completion of lab work during the semester is used to determine the final grade. Students who completed orientation surveys at the close of orientation indicated a high satisfaction rate with orientation.

Tutoring

The Learning Center, which provides academic assistance in the form of tutoring on an individual basis, is also the responsbility of General and Baisc Studies. A survey of conducted Learning Center activities provides evidence of the student satisfaction with the Learning Center tutoring services

The Office of Special Services and Equity provides services to faculty, staff, and students in the areas of Equal Opportunity, Human Resources, Counseling, Upward Bound, and Services for Students with Disabilities. The mission of the Division of Special Services and Equity is to"ensure that all students, afculty, and staff have an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of University life. McNeese State University does not discriminate with regard to race, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, veteran status, or age in employment or the provision of services."

Counseling Center

One of the critical services provided to students, faculty, and staff is offered through the on-campus Counseling Center. The Center's mission is to "provide mental health counseling and assessment services to the McNeese State University student body, faculty, and staff. To achieve this goal, the Center maintains counseling facilities within the Division of Special Services and Equity under the supervision of a Director."

In 2005, the Counseling Center served 703 clients in a total of 2495 sessions, made 28 presentations to campus and community organizations, and provided counseling services to 20 people referred by the Pre-trial Diversion Program. In collaboration with Student Services, Student Housing, and University Police, eight people were hospitalized for in-patient psychiatric care. Additionally, eight people were referred for evaluation for disciplinary reasons, 14 students were assessed for learning disabilities, 12 clients were provided psychological assessment, and 64 clients were referred to physicians and/or psychiatrists for evaluation for medication.

The Counseling Center also served as a field site to provide practical experience for eight graduate interns, one practicum student, and two licensure level LPC interns during 2005. Campus-wide consultations included five with administrators, nine with deans, seven with department chairs, seven with faculty, eight with parents or family members, ninety with community members, eleven with other area counselors, and five with substance abuse/mental health counselors from out-of-state (these occurred due to student displacement following Hurricane Rita).

Services for Students with Disabilities

Another essential support service provided for students is afforded through the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. The purpose of this unit is to ensure that students who require accommodation in order to facilitate their academic progress are provided with information and resources. The mission of Services for Students with Disabilities is to "provide post-secondary services to emotionally, physically, and learning impaired students. Our goals are to facilitate the transition from high school to college; to assist students in developing the necessary skills to succeed in college; to provide counseling, including career counseling; and to assist in the successful transition from college to employment. Services for Students with Disabilities operates under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Services for Students with Disabilities serves any student who has presented appropriate documentation stating his or her disability."

Services for Students with Disabilities had 106 students registered for fall 2005 and 86 students registered for spring 2006. Due to Hurricane Rita, these numbers represented a decline in student served by approximately one-third. Services provided included: interpreters (17 hours), note-takers (1331.5 hours), and scribes for testing (25 hours). Other services provided included: extended test time, testing in other formats such as taped or oral tests, tables for students in wheelchairs, tables and chairs for student who are obese, typed notes for blind students to be scanned into computers, enlarging, distraction reduced testing environment, and the use of specialized equipment such as visual techs, computers, and Alpha Smart word processors.

The Frazar Memorial Library houses over 2,000,000 volumes and materials available to students and faculty, and provides rooms for study and service areas. Departments include Reference, Circulation, Serials, Government Documents, Interlibrary Loan, and Archives. Services in the McNeese Library, and data from the 2004-2005 academic year, provide evidence of its use by faculty, staff, and students. The Library registered 207,496 uses of the building through a turnstile count and answered 15,086 reference questions throughout the library. Students checked out 2,376 items made available on Reserve. In addition the McNeese Library borrowed 2,491 items through interlibrary loan requested by students and faculty. The library also provides laptop computers to be signed out for in-library use and houses the Technology Advancement Student Committee (TASC) Computer Center. While students enrolled in the Burton College of Education (BCOE) have full access to all resources of the Frazar Memorial Library, Farrar Hall, which houses faculty and staff employed by the BCOE, is the location of the Curriculum and Materials Center (CMC), a specialized resource library for students majoring in education and/or teacher preparation. Its collection includes materials appropriate for students and faculty engaged in study and research related to teacher preparation, including juvenile books from pre-kindergarten through high school, sample elementary and high school textbooks, a library science collection, study guides for PRAXIS and GRE exams, instructional and literary videocassettes, and equipment and materials to augment the work of a teacher. Based on a count by the Library Specialist coordinating CMC activity through the 2004 calendar year, approximately 6,000 students utilize the center on an annula basis. Surveys conducted by Library staff indicate a high level of use and satisfaction with library servcies by both students and faculty.

Career Services provides lifetime career assistance to students and alumni in the preparation of resumes and cover letters and the development of interviewing skills through tipps and mock interviews, career counseling, and job search activities (career fairs, employment classifieds, career and job search links, etc). Students are encouraged to register on eCampus Recruiter, which can be done via the Career Services website, to have the opportunity to apply and interview for job opportunities. The use of electronic applications for students and employers, eCampus Recruiter, enables the Career Services Center to be of greater assistance in the registration and employment process for students, alumni, and employers. Career fairs and teacher fairs are both held biannually. Career testing is also available to McNeese students by appointment for a fee of $35. The Career Management Battery consists of three assessment tools including aptitude, interest, and personality. Some of the online programs available to aid in career development and planning are the computerized career guidance and planning system (SIGI 3), "Type Focus Careers," and "What Can I Do With This Major?"

Technology support is provided to both students and faculty through a variety of resources. The Coordinator of Distance Learning provides both training and technical assistance to faculty utilizing distance learning means to provide instruction. There is also a Distance Education Librarian available to assist both students and faculty in the use of the library's online databses and electronic resources. Either the Coordinator of Distance Learning or the Distance Learning Librarian is available for instruction, document delivery, reference and research assistance, technical assistance, and distance learning course information. The Center for Teaching and Learning Technology (CTLT) provides beginner and advanced level courses in Microsoft Office, FrontPage, Outlook, Blackboard and other applications for faculty and staff. Since spring semester 1999, 38 different sessions have provided training to a total of 294 faculty and staff. University Computing Services maintains the university computing operations and provides assistance to faculty, administration and staff in the application of the Student Information System, the Financial Records System, and the Human Resources System. To ensure that students' technology needs were being fully met, the Technology Advancement Student Committee was originally formed in 1997. Students are assessed a technology fee each semester. These funds are utilized to provide either direct technological services to students or to enhance instruction for students in their classrooms. The Office of Information Technology provides technical assistance in the installation of software and the repair of hardware for both university computer equipment and student labs.

The McNeese State University Honors College provides a nurturing and inspiring environment for selected students who will pursue a curriculum including 24 hours of honors credit. Students must have a minimum 3.4 gpa in a high school college preparatory program and either a 27 ACT or 1210 SAT to be considered for Honors College. Honors College scholarshiup recipients totaled 70 in 2004-2005 and 71 in 2005-2006. Three courses are offered specifically for incoming honors students, as well as four one-hour seminars and a number of social, cultural, and intellectual activities, including movie nights, study nights, and sponsored lectures. The Honors College also sponsors students to attend study abroad programs and national conferences. Finally, a lounge and reading room are provided for Honors College students to gather.

The Louisiana Academy for Innovative Teaching and Learning (LAITL) is a grant project begun in fall 2005 designed to develop and implement a model for improving success rates of marginal students. Students work closely with designated faculty who serve both as instructors and advisors to a select group of students in developmental and freshman English, mathematics, and study skills. During fall 2005, 62 freshman students participated and 51 participated during spring 2006.

Due to the effects of Hurricane Rita during the fall 2005 semester, student teachers and interns had a difficult task to complete the state-mandated experience requirement. The Director of Student Teaching and Professional Education Services and university supervisors personally contacted all 93 students. Housing issues, transportation, and new placements were dealt with so that each student could successfully complete their required hours prior to the Christmas holidays.