During the Burckel Presidency, major changes were made to the organizational structure and an emphasis was placed on providing a high-level student experience across all facets of the university.

The Division of Student Affairs was reinstated with a vice president and dean of students, sending a clear message to students, faculty, and staff that McNeese was serious about being a student-centric university with an emphasis on providing a cohesive student and academic experience.

There was a reorganization of the College of Science and the College of Engineering into the College of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, the first of its kind SEM college in the state.

A new College of Agricultural Sciences was formed encompassing the academic programs and departments in the Dripps School of Agricultural Sciences.

New deans were chosen for the Burton College of Education, College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing and Health Professions, and College of Science and College of Engineering.

The online RN to BSN program was fully implemented offering a new pathway for licensed registered nurses to earn their baccalaureate degree and increase their chances for attaining higher ranks in the health care industry.

To reduce students’ textbook costs, the McNeese Bookstore partnered with the Louisiana Library Network and RedShelf, an online textbook company.

A doctoral program was established in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in advanced practice psychiatric mental health nursing was the first DNP program in Louisiana to focus specifically on psychiatric mental health advanced practice nurses and the needs of the people of Louisiana. The first doctoral degrees were awarded in December 2023.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded McNeese a $2.8 million grant to create a Center of Excellence to support the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. The LNG Center of Excellence at McNeese will serve as a hub for research, workforce development, and safety and as a depository for best practices for the industry and regulators.

To meet the growing LNG industry’s growing demand for engineers and business majors, the College of Business and the College of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics collaborated to develop an 18-hour undergraduate LNG certificate program in business that is the first of its kind in the state and the nation. The program provides students with direct access to LNG industry leaders and opportunities for industry-related internships. The specialized skill set will give McNeese graduates a competitive edge in an evolving job market.

The Cowboy Closet supports students by alleviating financial barriers of professional clothing for interviews, internships, and professional development activities. The Closet collects gently used professional clothing and provides them at no cost to students.

Ensuring students have the support they need to help them persevere to graduation is critical. Dr. Burckel advocated for a one-stop student support center on the first floor of the Frazar Memorial Library. The Student Success Center houses the Office of Accessibility Services, tutoring services for math and science, the Write to Excellence Center, where students can receive assistance with writing assignments, and a large open access student computer lab.

There was an emphasis on creating clear pathways for students to transfer from community colleges to McNeese.

Fall 2019

• McNeese and Lamar State College Orange, a two-year institution in Southeast Texas, formalized an agreement to create seamless pathways for students to transfer to McNeese for a four-year degree.

Spring 2020

• McNeese and SOWELA Technical Community College established an MOU to make the transition easier for SOWELA students completing two-year associate degrees in business administration to pursue four-year bachelor’s degrees in business at McNeese.

Fall 2022

• McNeese and SOWELA Technical Community College have signed multiple agreements that allow students earning an associate degree to seamlessly transfer to McNeese in nursing, history, English, mass communication, and criminal justice programs.

Spring 2023

• McNeese and South Louisiana Community College (SLCC) signed an agreement that allows students to seamlessly transfer to McNeese after earning an associate degree in business administration. The new agreement will welcome students from SLCC to complete the coursework for a bachelor’s degree in McNeese’s College of Business.
• McNeese and Lamar State College Orange signed an agreement that allows students to seamlessly transfer to McNeese after earning an associate degree in business to a program in McNeese’s College of Business.

Fall 2023

• McNeese and Louisiana State University-Eunice (LSUE) signed multiple agreements that allow students to seamlessly transfer to McNeese after earning an associate degree in business administration, health sciences, nursing, and radiologic technology.

Dr. Burckel and members of his leadership team also worked with area school superintendents in Calcasieu, Jeff Davis, Acadia, Beauregard and Allen parishes to develop a program in the Burton College of Education to address the growing teacher shortage and provide more certified teachers in our region. Non-education graduates with a bachelor’s degree can enroll in the McNeese alternative certification program and become credentialed while they are gaining experience as a K-12 classroom teacher.