Louisiana State University and A&M College

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  2. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION
  3. PART 1. Signatures Attesting to Compliance
  4. PART 2. List of Substantive Changes Approved Since the Last Reaffirmation
  5. PART 3. Institutional Assessment of Compliance
    1. Section 2: Core Requirements
      1. 2.1 Degree-granting Authority
      2. 2.2 Governing Board
      3. 2.3 Chief Executive Officer
      4. 2.4 Institutional Mission
      5. 2.5 Institutional Effectiveness
        1. 2.5 Institutional Effectiveness (Continued)
      6. 2.6 Continuous Operation
      7. 2.7.1 Program Length
        1. 2.7.1 Program Length (Continued)
      8. 2.7.2 Program Content
      9. 2.7.3 General Education
      10. 2.7.4 Course work for Degrees
      11. 2.8 Faculty
      12. 2.9 Learning Resources and Services
      13. 2.10 Student Support Services
        1. 2.10 Student Support Services (Continued)
      14. 2.11.1 Financial Resources
      15. 2.11.2 Physical Resources
    2. Section 3: Comprehensive Standards
      1. 3.1.1 Mission
      2. 3.2.1 CEO evaluation/selection
      3. 3.2.2 Governing board control
      4. 3.2.3 Board conflict of interest
      5. 3.2.4 External Influence
      6. 3.2.5 Board dismissal
      7. 3.2.6 Board/administration distinction
      8. 3.2.7 Organizational structure
      9. 3.2.8 Qualified administrative/academic officers
      10. 3.2.9 Personnel appointment
      11. 3.2.10 Administrative staff evaluations
      12. 3.2.11 Control of intercollegiate athletics
      13. 3.2.12 Fund-raising activities
      14. 3.2.13 Institution-related entities
      15. 3.2.14 Intellectual property rights
      16. 3.3.1 Institutional Effectiveness
        1. 3.3.1.1
          1. 3.3.1.1 (Continued)
        2. 3.3.1.2
        3. 3.3.1.3
          1. 3.3.1.3 (Continued)
        4. 3.3.1.4
          1. 3.3.1.4 (Continued)
        5. 3.3.1.5
          1. 3.3.1.5 (Continued)
      17. 3.4.1 Academic program approval
      18. 3.4.2 Continuing education/service programs
      19. 3.4.3 Admissions policies
      20. 3.4.4 Acceptance of academic credit
      21. 3.4.5 Academic policies
      22. 3.4.6 Practices for awarding credit
      23. 3.4.7 Consortial relationships/contractual agreements
      24. 3.4.8 Noncredit to credit
      25. 3.4.9 Academic support services
        1. 3.4.9 (Continued)
        2. 3.4.9 (Continued - 2)
      26. 3.4.10 Responsibility for curriculum
      27. 3.4.11 Academic program coordination
      28. 3.4.12 Technology use
      29. 3.5.1 General education competencies
      30. 3.5.2 Institutional credits for a degree
      31. 3.5.3 Undergraduate program requirements
      32. 3.5.4 Terminal degrees of faculty
      33. 3.6.1 Post-baccalaureate program rigor
        1. 3.6.1 Post-baccalaureate program rigor (Continued)
      34. 3.6.2 Graduate curriculum
      35. 3.6.3 Institutional credits for a graduate degree
      36. 3.6.4 Post-baccalaureate program requirements
      37. 3.7.1 Faculty competence
      38. 3.7.2 Faculty evaluation
      39. 3.7.3 Faculty development
      40. 3.7.4 Academic freedom
      41. 3.7.5 Faculty role in governance
      42. 3.8.1 Learning/information resources
      43. 3.8.2 Instruction of library use
      44. 3.8.3 Qualified staff
      45. 3.9.1 Student rights
      46. 3.9.2 Student records
      47. 3.9.3 Qualified staff
      48. 3.10.1 Financial Stability
      49. 3.10.2 Financial aid audits
      50. 3.10.3 Control of finances
      51. 3.10.4 Control of sponsored research/external funds
      52. 3.11.1 Control of physical resources
      53. 3.11.2 Institutional environment
      54. 3.11.3 Physical facilities
      55. 3.12.1 Substantive change
      56. 3.13 Policy compliance
        1. 3.13.1 "Accrediting Decisions of Other Agencies"
        2. 3.13.2. "Collaborative Academic Arrangements: Policy and Procedures"
        3. 3.13.3. "Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or Its Accredited Institutions"
        4. 3.13.4. "Reaffirmation of Accreditation and Subsequent Reports"
          1. 3.13.4.a.
          2. 3.13.4.b.
      57. 3.14.1 Publication of accreditation status
      58. 3.13.5. "Separate Accreditation for Units of a Member Institution"
        1. 3.13.5.a.
        2. 3.13.5.b.
    3. Section 4: Federal Requirements
      1. 4.1 Student Achievement
      2. 4.2 Program curriculum
        1. 4.2 Program curriculum (Continued)
      3. 4.3 Publication of policies
      4. 4.4 Program length
        1. 4.4 Program length (Continued)
      5. 4.5 Student complaints
      6. 4.6 Recruitment materials
      7. 4.7 Title IV program responsibilities
      8. 4.8 Distance and correspondence education
        1. 4.8.1
        2. 4.8.2
        3. 4.8.3
      9. 4.9 Definition of credit hours
  6. PART 4. Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews
  7. FOCUSED REPORT
  8. QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN (QEP)

2.1 Degree-granting Authority

The institution has degree-granting authority from the appropriate government agency or agencies. (Degree-granting Authority)

Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) was established as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy by the Louisiana State Assembly in 1853 and opened in January 2, 1860, in Pineville, Louisiana [1]. The institution was moved to Baton Rouge in 1869 and renamed the Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1870. Since its first commencement in 1869, LSU has awarded nearly 233,000 degrees.

LSU’s authority for granting degrees is established in the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974. Article VIII, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 recreated the LSU Board of Supervisors with corporate powers, including the awarding of degrees:

The Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College and the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College are created as bodies corporate. Subject to powers vested by this Article in the Board of Regents, each shall supervise and manage the institutions, statewide agricultural programs, and other programs administered through its system [2].

The Louisiana Board of Regents was created in the 1974 Constitution as a coordinating body for postsecondary education. As it relates to degree programs, Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution gives the Regents the power:

(1) To revise or eliminate an existing degree program, department of instruction, division, or similar subdivision.

(2) To approve, disapprove, or modify a proposed degree program, department of instruction, division, or similar subdivision.

The Board of Regents powers are limited to Article VIII, Section 5, and any power not vested with them is the jurisdiction of the management boards. Specifically:

(E) Powers Not Vested.  Powers of management over public institutions of postsecondary education not specifically vested by this Section in the Board of Regents are reserved to the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities, the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges, and any other such board created pursuant to this Article, as to the institutions under the control of each [3].

The authority to award degrees is not vested in the Board of Regents;  that power resides with the management board. For further clarity, Louisiana Revised Statute R.S. 17:3351A (15) lists awarding authority as one of the powers of the Board of Supervisors:

§3351. General powers, duties, and functions of college and university boards

A. Subject only to the powers of the Board of Regents specifically enumerated in Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution of Louisiana, and as otherwise provided by law, each postsecondary system management board as a body corporate shall have authority to exercise power necessary to supervise and manage the day-to-day operations of institutions of postsecondary education under its control, including but not limited to the following:

 (15) Award certificates, confer degrees and issue diplomas certifying the same.[4]

Louisiana Revised Statute R.S. 17:3352 specifically enumerates the rights of the management boards to confer degrees and also recognizes the degree as an accepted credential in the state:

§3352.  Degrees; conditions

A.  Each board shall confer degrees evidencing satisfactory completion of the principal courses of study and award diplomas in certification thereof at the colleges and universities under its jurisdiction. However, no degree shall be issued to a student who has failed to comply with all grade point requirements for obtaining such degree as published in the institution's catalog.  Each board may provide for the issuance of certificates to evidence satisfactory pursuance of studies not leading to a degree [5].

File Attachments:
  1. [1] LSU General Catalog Historical Perspective [1] LSU General Catalog Historical Perspective
  2. [2] Board of Regents La Const Art VIII (5) [2] Board of Regents La Const Art VIII (5)
  3. [3] Board of Supervisors La Const Art III(7) [3] Board of Supervisors La Const Art III(7)
  4. [4] Other Powers La R.S. 17.3351 [4] Other Powers La R.S. 17.3351
  5. [5] Degrees La R.S. 17:3352 [5] Degrees La R.S. 17:3352
Author: Stephenie Franks
Last modified: 7/1/2015 8:33 AM (EDT)