2015-2016 Purpose & Mission

Institutional Research and Effectiveness

Purpose & Mission

McNeese State University is primarily a teaching institution whose mission is successful education of the undergraduate students and services to the employers and communities in its region. McNeese uses a traditional admissions process based on courses completed, GPA, and standardized test scores.

All academic programs at McNeese State University emphasize in-depth disciplinary knowledge and its application to academic and professional environments. McNeese graduates achieve success through the studied acquisition of content knowledge, the demonstration of discipline-specific skills and dispositions as well as mastery of general education competencies such as critical thinking, effective communication, and independent learning.

Audiences

McNeese is responsible for serving:

Residents of southwest Louisiana who have completed high school and are seeking either a college degree or continuing professional education;
Two-year college transfer students, particularly those from SOWELA Technical Community College;
Employers in the region, both public and private, school districts, health care providers, local governments, and private businesses;
Economic development interests and regional entrepreneurs; and
The area community, by providing a broad range of academic and cultural activities and public events.

Array of Programs and Services

An array of liberal arts programs at the baccalaureate level – arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences – appropriate to a teaching institution with a predominately undergraduate student body.
Baccalaureate programs in education, engineering, business, nursing, selected allied health fields, mass communication, and criminal justice.
Masters programs primarily related to education, engineering, arts and sciences, nursing, and business.
Support for area K-12 schools seeking college general education courses for advanced students and assistance in ensuring that their graduates are college- and career-ready.
Services specifically designed to meet the needs of regional economic development (small business development, support for entrepreneurs, problem-solving).

Special Programs/Features

Programs in innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business development supported by the Southwest Entrepreneurial and Economic Development Center.
Agricultural and related sciences with opportunities for experiential learning at three working farms and the Center for Advancement of Meat Processing and Production.
Custom academic programs and professional certifications integrated with area business and industry.
Applied undergraduate research partnerships in engineering, sciences, allied health and the Louisiana Environmental Research Center.
Cultural events are designed to connect McNeese with the regional arts community and K-12 education.