Contact: David West (west@alpha.nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

12/4/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- Dr. Sally Clausen, president of the University of Louisiana System will be the speaker at Northwestern State University's Fall Commencement Exercises Friday, Dec. 14 in Prather Coliseum.

Commencement ceremonies for students receiving degrees in the Colleges of Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing and the Graduate School will be at 10 a.m. The College of Business, Science and Technology, Louisiana Scholars' College and the University College will hold commencement ceremonies at 3 p.m.

Individual college recognition ceremonies will be held at 11:30 a.m. A reception for all graduates will begin at 1 p.m at the President's Home.

Clausen became system president in July after a successful tenure as president of Southeastern Louisiana University.

During Clausen's tenure at SLU, academic standards were put in place and students live in state-of-the-art, apartment-like dorms across from the new $13 million recreation and wellness center. Students at Southeastern attend classes in one of several new technology-rich academic facilities, and they experience the value of partnerships with local K-12 schools and internships with business. Community service and international study also are expected of every student. Faculty and staff salaries increased 30 percent and African-American enrollment rose 68% while international student enrollment grew 48 percent.

Clausen made national headlines when she "guaranteed" that Southeastern's teacher graduates would be able to infuse technology throughout their curricula, would be knowledgeable of the subject matter they taught, and would be able to teach students from diverse backgrounds. Any graduate who did not satisfy the teaching needs of principals and superintendents by advancing student achievement would be retrained by Southeastern.

The University of Louisiana System includes eight public institutions including Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern, Southeastern, the University of Louisiana at Monroe and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

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