Narrative (Continued)
Post-Baccalaureate Degree Programs
Post-baccalaureate degree programs available at LSU are published in the Graduate School portion of the LSU General Catalog [7] and listed in Table 2. All post-baccalaureate, graduate (including masters degrees), or professional-level programs at Louisiana State University require a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit. Course and credit-hour requirements of each degree program can be found in the General Catalog [8]. Specific credit-hour requirements for MS and PhD degree programs in the Veterinary Medical Sciences and for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine may be found in the School of Veterinary Medicine Website [8] and in Table 2.
Development of the Curriculum
As described in the Core Requirement 2.7.2 and Comprehensive Standards 3.4.1 and 3.4.10, LSU faculty have the responsibility to ensure that courses, concentrations, and curricula have the content and rigor appropriate to the highest standards of the discipline. The curricula for the degree programs offered through the colleges and schools are developed by faculty in the appropriate disciplines, vetted through the faculty governance approval process, and published in the university’s General Catalog [5] [7]. The Louisiana Board of Regents has final approval authority for all academic programs, but all programs are initiated by faculty. Proposals for all new academic programs are initiated by the faculty and reviewed and approved by the faculty in the unit, the curriculum committee in the school or college, the dean of the school or college, the Graduate Council and Graduate School dean, if applicable, and the Faculty Senate Courses and Curriculum Committee. Further approvals are required from the provost and executive vice chancellor, the chancellor, the president of the system, and the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors before the proposal is sent to the Board of Regents (Figure 1). The details of the initiation and approval process for all curricula and program additions and changes are presented in LSU Policy Statement 45 [9].
Each approved curriculum undergoes a systematic evaluation every seven years through the university's rigorous Program Review [10]. The Program Review process utilizes experts in the field drawn from our national peers to ensure that a program's academic content represents the cutting edge in the discipline.
NOTE: A full list of attachments is available in the first half of the narrative.