Our Mission
Northwestern State University is a responsive, student-oriented institution that is committed to the creation, dissemination, and acquisition of knowledge through teaching, research, and service. The University maintains as its highest priority excellence in teaching in graduate and undergraduate programs. Northwestern State University prepares its students to become productive members of society and promotes economic development and improvements in the quality of life of the citizens in its region.
Our Vision
Northwestern State University strives for educational quality through excellence in teaching and research, innovative use of technology, and exceptional service to students and other constituencies. The University seeks to attract and develop outstanding students and faculty and to provide them with the resources needed to promote optimal learning and service. By maintaining a student-oriented environment, Northwestern will offer challenging and rewarding academic experiences augmented and enriched with opportunities for cultural, social, athletic, and other extracurricular activities. The essence of this student-oriented environment will be the University's commitment to create a cooperative atmosphere in which faculty, staff, and students treat each other with dignity and respect and recognize the value and worth of all individuals. Electronic learning and distance education will be an integral part of Northwestern's role in delivering degree programs and effective services on campus and throughout Louisiana, the nation, and the world. Northwestern will be responsive to changing views and trends as it works to provide a highly-qualified workforce to promote economic development and to meet the needs that higher education can provide to students, state government, private enterprise, and society.
Our Values
Northwestern recognizes the value of all individuals and strives to create a climate in which faculty, staff, and students treat each other with dignity and respect in an effort to provide students the opportunity to achieve success. The University's desire is to retain and graduate students who are satisfied with, and motivated and enriched by, the quality of education and services that they receive at Northwestern.
Our Colleges
College of Business
Dr. Jerry L. Wall, Dean · Phone: 318-357-5161 · Email: business@nsula.edu
The mission of the College of Business is to deliver a high quality, broad-based undergraduate education in business with a highly qualified faculty that is dedicated to teaching, community service and intellectual contributions. The College strives to be responsive to the rapidly changing business environment and supportive of the needs of our constituencies: both traditional and nontraditional students, alumni, regional businesses, the University, and the State of Louisiana. We aspire to instill the value of life-long learning and ethical behavior in the student constituency to enhance their success in an ever-changing global economy.
College of Education
Dr. Vickie Gentry, Dean · Phone: 318-357-6273 · Email: education@nsula.edu
Founded in 1884 as a teacher's college, Northwestern State University and the College of Education continues its tradition of excellence in educational instruction and leadership. Learn more about how NSU can provide you with the education and skills to meet teaching challenges in the classrooms of today and tomorrow.
College of Liberal Arts
Dr. Steve Horton, Interim Dean · Phone: 318-357-4330 · Email: liberalarts@nsula.edu
The College of Liberal Arts provides a superior undergraduate education in Journalism, the Social Sciences, English, Psychology, and the Fine Arts. Faculty members in the College, educated in the finest universities both in the United States and abroad, are dedicated to teaching using traditional and non-traditional instructional methods, as well as modern information technologies. The College of Liberal Arts seeks to attract highly qualified students to master's programs in the Fine Arts, English, Psychology, and Social Sciences and to place graduates in the best doctoral programs and professional positions. The faculty of the College also seeks to remain on the cutting edge of scholarship and artistic production as reflected in books and articles accepted by leading publishing houses scholarly journals. Artistic efforts created in the College of Liberal Arts are presented at nationally respected galleries and performance centers.
College of Nursing
Dr. Norann Planchock, Dean · Phone: 318-357-6776 · Email: nursing@nsula.edu
The College of Nursing has proudly served Louisiana and beyond since 1949. The Nursing Education Center is home to over 1000 students studying both Radiologic Technology and Nursing. Classes are available in the traditional classroom setting as well as a non-traditional learning environments including compressed video and the Internet.
College of Science and Technology
Dr. Austin Temple, Dean · Phone: 318-357-6699 · Email: sciencetech@nsula.edu
The College of Science and Technology offers a large number of degree-producing programs in its many departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Physics, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Human Performance, Industrial and Engineering Technology, and Mathematics. Students can pursue a number of four-year and two-year degrees. There are several pre-professional programs to prepare students for entry into professional universities and an outstanding aviation program. The college also houses the University's ROTC (military science) program.
Electronic & Continuing Education
Hedy Pinkerton, Director · Phone: 318-357-5682 · Email: ece@nsula.edu
Continuing Education's mission is to provide opportunities to all who seek an education through traditional and non-traditional methods of teaching and to deliver quality courses for business/industry and government.
Graduate School
Dr. Steve Horton, Dean · Phone: 318-357-5851 · Email: grad_school@nsula.edu
The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and the Graduate Council supervise graduate study at Northwestern State University.
Louisiana Scholars' College
Dr. T. Davina McClain, Director · Phone: 318-357-4577 · Email: lscrecruits@nsula.edu
As Louisiana's designated four-year, selective-admissions honors college in the liberal arts and sciences, Louisiana Scholars' College receives applications from the very best students from all over the Bayou State, the rest of the U. S., and several foreign countries. Established in 1987 to meet the special needs of honors students and provide them with an affordable, quality education that is second to none, the Louisiana Scholars' College has developed a unique, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary curriculum that has proven highly successful in helping such students develop their full potential. We have recently been recognized by the John Templeton Foundation as an exemplary program under their College and Character Initiative.
University College
Dr. Sue Weaver, Dean · Phone: 318-357-5000 · Email: univcollege@nsula.edu
The mission of the University College is to provide a quality academic program in the General Studies major for students in the bachelor (four-year) degree program and the associate (two-year) degree program. This major represents a broad education with courses selected from among a wide range of disciplines. It is designed for students whose educational goals and objectives are best served by an individualized and integrated curriculum of study that crosses several disciplines.
BPPC @ NSU
Connie McConathy, Director · Phone: 318-357-5362 · Email: mcconathyc@nsula.edu
Begin your college career with Bossier Parish Community College at Northwestern State University.