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NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu
)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
1/18/2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES -A new program is underway to support economic development initiatives in north Louisiana by providing more educational opportunities for adults. Northwestern State University and Bossier Parish Community College have partnered with the Consortium for Education, Research and Technology of North Louisiana (CERT), the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to develop multiple new approaches to raise the educational attainment level of our adult workforce and make it easier for area adults to enroll in college and earn credentials.
The Continuum for All Louisiana Learners (CALL) will target three groups of adult learners: adults with no college experience, adults who attended college but did not complete a degree and those with college degrees who desire an additional college credential for career advancement.
"Our state desperately needs more adults with college credentials," said Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Savoie. "Not only more four-year degrees, but associate's degrees and other skills certification beyond the high school diploma as well."
"It's no secret Louisiana has a leaky educational pipeline," said Bruce Chaloux, director of SREB's Electronic Campus and primary SREB liaison for the initiative. "The CALL initiative will establish a progressive set of strategies that build on a number of efforts planned or now underway across the state to address educational needs and to support economic and workforce development."
Chaloux said the goal of CALL is to expand adult participation in postsecondary education by:
1. better understanding the needs of adult learners in Louisiana
2. establishing innovative programming to respond to those needs
3. aggressively promoting adult learning services and programming
4. creating convenient pathways to postsecondary certificates
and degrees.
Among the ideas BPCC and NSU are considering are: expanding office hours for university offices which work with adult learners, offering accelerated degree programs that allow students to complete programs in less time and presenting classes in formats beyond the traditional semester. Distance education will be a component of the program.
Both NSU and BPCC are experienced at offering classes through
distance education, which makes coursework available any time
and any place.
"We are excited to be part of CALL because this program has
the potential to transform the state of Louisiana," said
Northwestern State University President Dr. Randall J. Webb. "A
program like this fits perfectly within our mission of being a
responsive, student-oriented university."
"For forty years, Bossier Parish Community College has served the citizens of Northwest Louisiana," said Chancellor Tom Carleton. "The CALL initiative is simply another way for us to reach those who wish to improve their futures-through education. BPCC is ready to be a part of this noble endeavor."
CERT is a unique non-profit collaboration formed to expand business activity across North Louisiana through the resources of the 12 member institutions. CERT strives to create a highly skilled workforce and to foster economic development by partnering industry, education, and government. CERT serves as the intermediary the convener and facilitator that links the five post-secondary systems with industry to match north Louisiana's diverse educational resources with the workforce and research and developmental needs of the citizens and businesses in the region's 22 parishes.
Participating CERT member institutions include: Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, BPCC, Centenary College, Grambling State University, Louisiana Delta Community College, LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, LSU-Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana Technical College, NSU, Southern University at Shreveport, and The University of Louisiana at Monroe.
"As a pioneer in assisting North Louisiana colleges and universities to raise the education levels of our region's workforce, CERT strongly supports this innovative Board of Regents and SREB pilot with NSU and BPCC." said Patti Trudell, Executive Director of CERT. "These two powerful concepts-"fast-track" college degree programs and awarding adults college credit for knowledge and skills they have gained through life experiences-make this an exciting innovation. CERT is proud to play the economic-workforce facilitator role."
The CALL initiative is part of the Board of Regents' "Education.Go for More!" campaign, being implemented in cooperation with the SREB's Adult Learning Campaign, supported by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, and the Go Alliance, a consortium of SREB member states chartered to cooperatively prepare for and launch media outreach campaigns that motivate all students to complete school at high levels of achievement.