Compliance Status

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

Narrative

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) defines and publishes requirements for its undergraduate degree programs, including its general education components.

Conforming to Commonly Accepted Standards and Practices

LSU conforms to the commonly accepted standards and practices for undergraduate degree programs in terms of appropriate numbers of semester hours of credit (or equivalent), coherent course of study and general education components associated with the degree programs. 

All baccalaureate degree programs at LSU require at least 120 credit hours, and because of accreditation board or post-graduation certification requirements, several undergraduate degree programs require more than 120 credit hours [1]. When a degree program is delivered in different modes (i.e., face-to-face or on-line) it does not vary in length or content.

Degree programs at LSU are faculty driven. Coursework and degree program lengths are developed and nurtured by the faculty of the academic unit where they are housed. Stringent procedures for the creation, modification, and removal of courses and curricula are in place. The successful steps that a proposal must make starts with the faculty of the unit and proceeds for approval  to the chair, the dean, the college curricula committee, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Faculty Senate  Courses and Curricula Committee, and back to Academic Affairs for final approval. The complete cycle, including requirements and action forms, is found in the LSU Policy Statement 45: Courses and Curricula [2]. This detailed and thoughtful process maintains the quality of the courses and programs of the institution.  LSU degree program contents and course lengths are further influenced by the requirements of the twenty-four external bodies that accredit various degree programs [3].   The LSU undergraduate degree programs are consistent with the traditions of land-grant and of research-intensive universities. Additional details about curricular development, conformity to academic standards, and accepted practices are found in Core Requirements 2.7.2, 2.7.3, Comprehensive Standard 3.5.1, and Federal Requirements 4.2 and 4.4.

Courses to be considered for the General Education Component of Undergraduate Education must go a step beyond the approval process described above. The process for this designation requires a proposal to be submitted to the Faculty Senate Committee on General Education, a faculty committee charged with maintaining the integrity of the general education component of undergraduate study. Proposal procedures for general education can be found under the link to each focus area on the General Education Web page [4]. The General Education Component of Undergraduate Education also conforms to the Louisiana Board of Regents, Academic Affairs Policy 2.16: Statewide General Education Requirements [5], which stipulate coherence with requirements set forth by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Academic program creation, revision, reviews, and removal must meet further requirements and procedures as set forth by the State of Louisiana Board of Regents (BOR). BOR Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures 2.04 – 2.10 govern in these areas [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12].  In addition, the BOR Academic Affairs Policy 2.12: Delivery of Degree Programs through Distance Learning Technology establishes criteria for maintaining quality programming through the distance learning format [13].

Undergraduate Program Requirements Publication

LSU documents the requirements for its undergraduate degree programs, including the general education component, in the LSU General Catalog. The current 2013-2014 catalog is exclusively on-line on the LSU Website [14]. In addition, the Website includes LSU catalogs, in which undergraduate degree program requirements are listed, archived to the 2000-2001catalog [15]. Earlier hard-copy versions of the LSU General Catalog are housed in the Middleton Library at LSU. The university publishes the catalog yearly. This allows any changes to the academic programs to be published and sets governance for students who are expected to follow the academic requirements as listed in the catalog that is in effect at the time they enter the university. Complete guidelines for the catalog that determines the curricular requirements for an undergraduate degree can be found in each catalog, including the catalog for 2013-2014 [16].

Individual program information is readily accessed through the electronic LSU General Catalog by first accessing the college or school wherein the program resides and then accessing the program curricula from the link on the college or school page. The college or school page includes information on requirements and regulations specific to that unit, e.g. the B.A. in French [17]. The university utilizes the Comprehensive Academic Tracking System (CATS) for guiding students through their program of study, including major, elective, and general education coursework [18]. The curriculum link on each college or school page takes one to an interactive listing of the CATS framework for each degree program in that unit. Individual CATS plans may be accessed through the “View Recommended Paths” link at the center of the CATS home page, e.g., for the B.A. in French [19]. In addition to CATS, each department’s Website contains further clarifying information for each degree program, potential career paths, and important information about the unit where the program is housed. The individual department Websites can be easily accessed from the LSU A-Z page of the university site [20].

The General Education Component of Undergraduate Education is composed of 39 credit hours distributed over the six focus areas of English composition, analytical reasoning, arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences [4]. Details of the program can be found in the LSU General Catalog. The distribution of general education coursework is within the CATS plan for each undergraduate degree program.  The current listing of general education courses can be accessed through the focus area links at the bottom of the general education page in the electronic LSU General Catalog, e.g., for the natural sciences competency [21]. In the “Courses of Instruction” portion of the LSU General Catalog, general education courses are labeled as such in the description for the course, e.g., AAAS 2000 Introduction to African & African American Studies [22] [23]. Additional information on the General Education Component of Undergraduate Education may be found in Core Requirement 2.7.3 and Comprehensive Standard 3.5.1.