NEWS RELEASE

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

9/25/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- Northwestern State University has received conditional approval from the Louisiana Board of Regents for a master's degree program in heritage resources. The implementation date of the program will be determined after the Board receives a progress report from the university next year to address several issues.

NSU plans to work closely with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission, the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies in developing the program.

"The program was enthusiastically received because of the opportunities to work with these agencies," said Dr. Kathleen Byrd, head of the Department of Social Sciences at Northwestern. "The University has an outstanding opportunity to develop internships with a number of agencies to give our students first-hand opportunities."

"This program will be unique and any time you can add such a program it adds an additional dimension to the Graduate School at Northwestern," said Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Anthony Scheffler. "The program will draw a diverse graduate population which will add to the character of the university and that will make it easier to attract more quality graduate and undergraduate students."

Over the next academic year, faculty in the Department of Social Sciences will review the proposed curriculum and develop a plan to recruit students. Byrd said NSU would provide a report to the Board of Regents with the hope of receiving final approval.

"This is a program that should draw students from all over the country because of what we have to offer," she said. "Because of the partners we have, there is an opportunity to develop an excellent program."

Those who complete the master's program would be qualified for positions with the federal or state governments or the private sector with museums or cultural resources management firms, Byrd said.

Another unique aspect of Northwestern's program is that it will be interdisciplinary, drawing on faculty from several disciplines in the Department of Social Sciences.

"The purpose is to get people to look at the historical landscape holistically rather than to just look at the history, architecture or archaeology," said Byrd.

Graduate students will complete the program with either a major research paper or thesis that could be useful to the agency they have interned with.

"This would give them the chance to work hands on in an area that would be useful to the agency," said Byrd.

According to Byrd, the master's program in heritage resources will be structured so graduates could enter doctoral programs.

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