Compliance Certification
Educational Programs 3.4
All Educational Programs
C.S. 3.4.1
C.S. 3.4.2
C.S. 3.4.3
C.S. 3.4.4
C.S. 3.4.5
C.S. 3.4.6
C.S. 3.4.7
C.S. 3.4.8
C.S. 3.4.9
C.S. 3.4.10
C.S. 3.4.11
C.S. 3.4.12
C.S. 3.4.13
C.S. 3.4.14
Undergraduate
Programs 3.5
C.S. 3.5.1
C.S. 3.5.2
Graduate Programs 3.6
C.S. 3.6.1
C.S. 3.6.2
C.S. 3.6.3
Faculty 3.7
C.S. 3.7.1
C.S. 3.7.2
C.S. 3.7.3
C.S. 3.7.4
C.S. 3.7.5
Library & Other Learning Resources 3.8
Student Affairs and
Services 3.9
Financial & Physical
Resources 3.10
Internet Access Required:
Comprehensive Standards
All Educational Programs 3.4
3.4 Educational Programs Standards for All Educational Programs (Includes all on-campus, off-campus, and distance learning programs)
3.4.1 The institution demonstrates that each educational program for which academic credit is awarded (a) is approved by the faculty and the administration, and (b) establishes and evaluates program and learning outcomes.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
a.
Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses and Curricula (AP 26.1)
sets forth the policies and procedures for the approval of each educational program. All educational programs at the undergraduate level are approved by faculty in the department, the College Courses and Curricula Committee, the Dean, the Faculty Council Committee on Courses and Curricula, the Provost, and the Chancellor. In addition, all new programs are reviewed by the Council of Chief Academic Officers of the LSU System and approved by the
LSU System Board of Supervisors
and the
Louisiana Board of Regents,
which usually requires an external review of proposals.
The Board of Regents'
has a distinct format of elements that must be included in proposals for new programs. Some of these elements are the need for the program, the ability of the faculty to deliver the program, an analysis of similar programs in the state, and budget data.
Educational programs at the graduate level are approved by graduate faculty in the department, the College Courses and Curricula Committee, the Dean, the Graduate Council, the Graduate Dean, the Provost, and the Chancellor. In addition, all new programs are reviewed by the Council of Chief Academic Officers of the LSU System and the LSU System’s Executive Graduate Council. They are approved by the LSU System Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents, who require external review of all graduate proposals.
b. The University’s Institutional Effectiveness effort requires an Institutional Effectiveness
plan from each educational program as well as from support areas. All educational programs are expected to include student learning outcomes that must include both direct and indirect measures of learning outcomes and to utilize the results to improve the programs as part of the ongoing
planning and review process.
In addition, all educational programs offered for academic credit at the University of New Orleans undergo program review at least every ten years. All programs for which the Louisiana Board of Regents requires accreditation are accredited and meet the standards of the relevant accrediting body. The AACSB accredits the College of Business Administration and its programs; ABET accredits programs in the College of Engineering, and NCATE accredits the College of Education. In addition, the programs in the departments of Computer Science, Drama and Communications, Fine Arts, and Music are accredited by the appropriate agencies in those fields, as is the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning in the College of Urban and Public Affairs.
To insure that all education programs are evaluated on a regular basis, those education programs that are not accredited by external accrediting bodies undergo regular review every ten years. These reviews include a self-study and a site visit by an
external reviewer.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Faculty Council Committee on Courses and Curricula
resources/UNO_fac_council_courses_curricula.pdf
Institutional Effectiveness
Louisiana Board of Regents
LSU System Board of Supervisors
Program review
University of New Orleans Graduate School - External Reviews
3.4.2 The institution's continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the institution's mission.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The university provides a wide range of continuing education, outreach, and service programs to meet the charge of community engagement and life-long learning as indicated in the university’s mission statement.
Formal continuing education activities are primarily the responsibility of Metropolitan College, which offers a wide array of courses, including
college credit and distance learning;
noncredit professional development;
noncredit lifestyle and leisure
along with
personal development classes for adults;
international programs;
conference services;
and
noncredit children’s programs.
As indicated in the university's mission statement, Metropolitan College has developed "strategic partnerships with community institutions and businesses" by obtaining grants and training the workforce through a state-funded
Incumbent Working Training Program.
Outreach and service activities are performed by all colleges of the university. An inventory of community resource programs and outreach activities provides directory information about grant/contract initiatives, community service (e.g., membership on boards/commissions), participation in local education/government, and support of
non-profit organizations.
A few examples of outreach and service programs at the individual college level follow:
College of Business
Small Business Development Center's FastTrac™ Entrepreneurial Training,Louisiana International Trade Center,
College of Education
Pierre A. Capdau-UNO Charter School,College of Engineering
Louisiana Engineering Advancement Program (LEAP),College of Liberal Arts
CHART, the Center for Hazards Assessment Response and Technology focuses on supporting Louisiana community sustainability in light of natural, technological, environmental, and terrorist risk.UNO POLL, an independent academic survey unit offering high quality research services to people inside and outside the university
College of Sciences
Advanced Materials Research Institute Summer Program,College of Urban and Public Affairs
Mississippi River Corridor Initiative,National Ports and Waterways Institute,
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Access to Learning & Teaching: Distance Learning @ The University of New Orleans
Division of Academic Extension
Division of Academic Extension: Noncredit Children's Programs
Division of International Education (general website)
Incumbent Worker Training
Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center
Professional Development
University of New Orleans Business/Higher Education Council,
"Community Resource Programs and Outreach Activities," February 2000, updated 2005
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate
Catalog 2003-2005
3.4.3 The institution publishes admissions policies consistent with its mission.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans, the urban research university of the State of Louisiana, provides essential support for the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the culturally rich and diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. Located in an international city, the university serves as an important link between Louisiana and both the nation and the world.
The University of New Orleans is categorized as an SREB Four-Year 2 institution, as a Carnegie Doctoral/ Research University-Intensive, and as a COC/SACS Level VI institution. The undergraduate admissions policy of the university is designed to fulfill our urban mission.
The admissions standards were designed to serve a large urban area in a state that had no community-college system. For the Fall 2005 semester, the admissions standards are escalating as a result of the creation of a statewide community-college system. The requirements are prominently stated on the admissions application form.
Graduate admissions policy is designed to fulfill the university's graduate urban mission of nationally competitive programs as well as programs that respond to state and regional needs. Graduate admissions must meet program admissions requirements as well as university admissions requirements. Master's programs provide a strong base for doctoral programs. The university also has a sufficient number of doctoral programs to be a doctoral-intensive institution.
Both undergraduate and graduate admission criteria are published in the Admissions Chapter of the 2003-2005 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog (Adobe p. 13-17)
and on the
Admissions Requirements
page of the university's website.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Louisiana Board of Regents, Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education: 2001
Mission Statement
University of New Orleans Admissions Website
University of New Orleans Undergraduate Admissions Form
University of New Orleans Graduate Admissions Form
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005: Admissions Chapter
University of New Orleans Undergraduate Admissions Form
3.4.4 The institution has a defined and published policy for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit for transfer, experiential learning, advanced placement, and professional certificates that is consistent with its mission and ensures that course work and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level and comparable to the institution's own degree programs. The institution assumes responsibility for the academic quality of any course work or credit recorded on the institution's transcript.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans follows established SACS guidelines for awarding credit from other institutions. The university awards credit for learning outside the classroom according to national standards set by the American Council on Education, which includes awarding credit for military service schools, DANTES, Excelsior College Examinations, and courses sponsored by businesses, industry, and professional organizations that are found to be comparable to college instructions as evaluated by ACE. The university does not award credit for portfolio or life experiences if not evaluated by ACE.
Information on the processing, awarding, and acceptance of transfer credit, advanced placement, and professional certification is located in the paper and electronic versions of "Credit Where Credit Is Due," and the following:
- University of New Orleans Admissions website on the Transfer Students
- University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005 (Adobe p. 14-15)
in the chapter on Admissions and the Chapter on University Regulations, pages 11-12.
- In recruitment/admissions print documents (Transferring to the University of New Orleans; University of New Orleans: A Special Place for Non-Traditional Adult Students; Credit Where Credit Is Due; Nunez Transfer Credit Course Guide; Delgado Transfer Credit Course Guide)
The extent to which credits earned in colleges and universities are accepted toward the degree program the student follows at the University of New Orleans is determined by the dean of the college in which the student plans to major.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Admissions - Transfer Students (website)
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Delgado Transfer Credit Course Guide
Nunez Transfer Credit Course Guide
Transferring to University of New Orleans
University of New Orleans: A Special Place for Non-Traditional
Adult Students
3.4.5 The institution publishes academic policies that adhere to principles of good educational practice. These are disseminated to students, faculty, and other interested parties through publications that accurately represent the programs and services of the institution.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
University academic policies are found in the
UNO Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005
UNO Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005 that is available on-line and in print versions. General university academic policy information is included in the chapter on "University Regulation" and in the chapters "Admissions"
and "Fees and Financial Aid" (Adobe p. 18) in the Catalog. Policies of individual colleges and schools are published in the beginning of their respective sections in the UNO Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005. In addition to the UNO General Catalog and university website, academic policies are also published in various print media distributed by the university such as UNO recruitment brochures (senior in-state, junior in-state, out-of-state, Fast Facts, Undergraduate Admissions Application) and in LSU Counselor Newsletter, 2003-04, issue 1 (admission requirements).
The University of New Orleans follows the recommendations of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) concerning ethical policies and principles of good practice and strives to clearly communicate its admissions policies and deadlines as described above.
Administrative Procedures (APs) are published online and are updated regularly. Policy statements of particular relevance to educational programs are included in the documents and evidence section.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
2004-2005 University of New Orleans Student Handbook
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) 25.1: “Preparation of Instructional Schedules for Credit Courses”
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) 26.1: "Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses & Curricula”
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) 51.1: “Educational Privacy Rights of Students”
Faculty Handbook 2.4 “Policy and Procedures on Faculty Appointment”
Faculty Handbook 2.9 “Faculty Grievance Procedure”
Faculty Handbook 2.10 “Tenure/Term Appointments and Reappointments”
Faculty Handbook 2.11 “Promotion”
Faculty Handbook 2.12 “Policy and Guidelines for Merit Pay Assessment for Faculty” (Evaluating Academic Performance)
Permanent Memorandum (PM) 23: “Ranks, Provisions, and Policies Governing Appointments and Promotions of the Academic Staff"
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005 “Fees and Financial Aid”
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005 “General University Academic Policy Information” (University Regulation, Admissions, and Fees and Financial Aid)
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005 “Grade Appeal Procedure”
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005 “Graduate Grading System”
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/General Catalog 2003-2005 “Undergraduate Grading System”
3.4.6 The institution employs sound and acceptable practices for determining the amount and level of credit awarded for courses, regardless of format or mode of delivery.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The level of credit for each course is recommended by the faculty of the academic department offering the course and reviewed by either the Courses and Curricula Committee and/or the Graduate Council, depending on whether it is an undergraduate, graduate, or undergraduate/graduate offering. Final approval rests with these committees.
The university follows the following guidelines regarding class meetings per semester:
- Three-credit hour classes that meet three times a week (i.e., MWF) will meet 42 class periods. Each period will consist of 50 minutes of instruction for a total of 2100 minutes of instruction.
- Three-credit hour classes that meet two times per week (i.e., TTh) will meet 28 class periods. Each class period will consist of 75 minutes of instruction for a total of 2100 minutes.
- Classes offered for fewer or a greater number of credit hours must meet the criteria of 700 contact minutes per one hour of credit, which is based on 2100 minutes divided by the standard three-hour credit.
- The standard equivalent for allocation of course credit is to grant one hour of credit for one hour (50 minutes) of lecture. In studio and laboratory courses, two and sometimes three hours of laboratory are considered equivalent to one hour of lecture.
- Non-traditionally delivered courses differ in format from traditional courses as they rely on various forms of technology for delivery. However, non-traditionally delivered courses are commensurate with traditional courses in academic quality and standards
Per Semester Seat Time Recommendation,
(Louisiana Board of Regents).
The Louisiana Board of Regents
has issued
Academic Affairs Policy 2.12: "Delivery of Degree Programs through Distance Learning Technology"
that outlines policies and procedures for offering academic programs in distance-learning settings. The Board also issued "
Per Semester Seat Time Recommendation,"
which was approved by the
Statewide Council of Chief Academic Officers
on January 4, 2001, and addresses the required number of contact hours for college-level courses.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Academic Affairs Policy 2.12: "Delivery of Degree Programs through Distance Learning Technology"
Louisiana Board of Regents
Per Semester Seat Time Recommendation
Statewide Council of Chief Academic Officers
3.4.7 The institution ensures the quality of educational programs/courses offered through consortia relationships or contractual agreements, ensures ongoing compliance with the comprehensive requirements, and evaluates the consortial relationship and/or agreement against the purpose of the institution.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans has ongoing cross-enrollment agreements (Adobe p. 34)
with Southern University in New Orleans, Delgado Community College, Nunez Community College, and all campuses of the Louisiana State University System. All of these agreements are in writing and are reviewed on a regular basis by the appropriate academic departments and colleges for content, participation, and results. The agreements are housed in the Office of Academic Affairs. All agreements are approved by the Provost and the Chancellor.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate
Catalog 2003-2005
3.4.8 The institution awards academic credit for course work taken on a noncredit basis only when there is documentation that the noncredit course work is equivalent to a designated credit experience.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans does not award course credit for life experiences. The only credit the University of New Orleans awards for non-collegiate coursework is credit that has been evaluated and recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) or through testing programs such as CLEP, CEEB Advanced Placement Exams, DANTES, International Baccalaureate Exams, and Excelsior Exams. The credit recommendation for these tests has been reviewed and evaluated by the relevant academic departments. These guidelines are reviewed and set by the individual department. All test results have also been evaluated.
Students may receive limited academic credit through advanced standing examinations such as DANTES, CEEB, and CLEP of the
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005
(Adobe p. 39) and also in
"Credit Where Credit Is Due" (Adobe p. 39)
on the Admissions Office website.
In addition, a limited number of formal education programs sponsored by non-collegiate organizations (business, industry, government, voluntary, and professional agencies) may be awarded credit if recommended by the American Council on Education.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
"Credit Where Credit Is Due"
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate
Catalog 2003-2005
3.4.9. The institution provides appropriate academic support services.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The Office of Academic Affairs includes programs and services designed for all students, from those least prepared to attend college to those who enter as honor students
(University of New Orleans Honors Program).
The
Office of Educational Support Programs
(University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005, p. 25) provides services which, although open to all students, are of special importance and assistance to adult, under-prepared, minority, disadvantaged, disabled, probationary, and English-as-a-Second-Language students.
Academic Orientation Classes,
ACCESS: Talent Search Program,
College Life Program,
New Vision,
Project PASS: Upward Bound,
PREPSTART Program,
Student Support Services,
and the
Upward Bound Program
provide direct instructional support services for prospective and enrolled university students.
The university provides extensive academic support services for its students, faculty, and staff, using both traditional and technological delivery systems.
Current students
can access many resources on the web, and all courses are automatically given a
Blackboard
link. In addition, 33 student computer labs and computer classrooms are located in convenient areas on the main and satellite campuses, and
University Computing & Communications
(UCC) offers technical assistance to students, faculty, and staff in electronically contacting or accessing any of the many academic services available to them. The UCC also provides workshops for faculty and staff and a
resource center
dedicated to meeting technology needs of faculty and staff.
The
Earl K. Long Library's
collection consists of over one million volumes of print material and other collections in various other formats, with about 16,000 volumes added each year. The library holds a collection of nearly two million microforms and maintains over 3,000 current periodical subscriptions, many of which are
electronic journals.
The library has a growing collection of music CDs in the Multimedia Collection Room and is a depository for
Federal, State, and European Union Documents.
It also has an extensive
Louisiana & Special Collections Department
with a wide variety of materials of local interest. In an effort to provide students and faculty with current information, the library also subscribes to a wide selection of
electronic resources (Adobe p. 5)
. These versatile databases contain both bibliographic citations and full-text items, and many are available both on and off campus.
The mission of the
Learning Resource Center
is, simply, to help students succeed. Its offerings include the
Writing Center (Adobe p. 3),
the
Math Tutor Center (Adobe p. 4),
the
Computer Lab (Adobe p. 11),
the
Media Library (Adobe p. 7),
Peer Educators (Adobe p. 8),
and additional tutoring in subjects ranging from biology to Spanish.
University Success 1001
is a one-hour, letter-graded course that can help freshman students become more successful. New students benefit from close personal contact with faculty members and administrators from departments all over campus, who are well-known for their ability to be effective in the classroom and to engage students, both in groups and one-on-one.
The university offers students
distance learning options
via three different methods: compressed video, television broadcast (telecourse), and internet.
The Office of Instructional Media and Technology
provides media and audio-visual support for faculty, staff, and students through the departments of Media Resources and Media Productions. Students are encouraged to visit Media Resources and take advantage of its
instructional video library.
Media Productions manages the electronic and compressed video classrooms and provides video-taping and media-production services; it is also responsible for producing telecourses for the university.
Student development programs, administered by the
Division of Student Life,
demonstrate the university's commitment to the overall care of all its students. More than just an administrative department, Student Life cultivates the education that can happen outside the classroom, through wellness, community membership, social and service-oriented activities, and leadership opportunities. Programs under Student Life include
Career Development,
Counseling Services,
Student Organizations,
the
Office of International Students and Scholars,
Disability Services,
Multicultural Affairs,
and the
Office of Judicial Affairs.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Blackboard
Career Development, Office of
Computer Labs for Students
Computing Center, University Computing Center
Disability Services
Distance Learning at University of New Orleans
Faculty Staff Resource Center
Honors Program
Information for Current Students
Instructional Media and Technology
International Students and Scholars, Office of
Judicial Affairs
Learning Resource Center
Computer Lab Training
Information about the LRC
Math Tutor Center
Media Library
Peer Educators
Writing Center
Library
Electronic Journals
Government Documents
Indexes & Databases
Louisiana and Special Collections
Media Resources Video Catalog
Multicultural Affairs, Office of
Student Affairs, Division of
Student Organizations
University Success , UNIV 1001
3.4.10 The institution defines and publishes general education requirements for its undergraduate programs and major program requirements for all its programs. These requirements conform to commonly accepted standards and practices for degree programs.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans has clearly defined general-education requirements and major program requirements for every program. The general-education requirements go beyond the
Statewide General Education Requirements of the Louisiana Board of Regents, with, for example, additional requirements in science. The General Degree Requirements are published in the
2003-2005 University Catalog .
The university requires a minimum of 120 semester hour for the baccalaureate. A minimum of 30 semester hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate is required for the Master’s. The Doctor of Philosophy requires a minimum 60 semester hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate although the doctoral degree cannot be earned simply by passing courses. The Ph.D. is conferred only for work of distinction in which the student displays power of original scholarship and only in recognition of achievement and marked ability.
The requirements for both undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the University of New Orleans conform to commonly accepted standards and practices of higher-education institutions. Both undergraduate and graduate degree programs originate in the academic departments. Proposals for new undergraduate programs are reviewed by college-level and university-level faculty committees as well as the Council of Academic Deans, the Provost, the Chancellor, the LSU System Council of Chief Academic Officers, the LSU System Board of Supervisors, and the Louisiana Board of Regents. The Louisiana Board of Regents generally seeks external review for undergraduate programs. Proposals for new graduate programs are reviewed by the Graduate Council, the Graduate Dean, the Provost, the Chancellor, the LSU System’s Executive Graduate Council, the Council of Chief Academic Officers, the LSU System Board of Supervisors, and the Louisiana Board of Regents, which require external review for all graduate programs. This extensive review process is designed to insure that academic programs do, in fact, conform to accepted standards and practices of higher education.
All of the undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the University of New Orleans for which the Louisiana Board of Regents requires accreditation are accredited and meet the standards of the relevant accrediting body. The AACSB accredits the College of Business Administration and its programs; ABET accredits programs in the College of Engineering, and NCATE accredits the College of Education. In addition, the programs in the departments of Computer Science, Drama and Communications, Fine Arts, and Music are accredited by the appropriate agencies in those fields, as is the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning in the College of Urban and Public Affairs.
To further insure conformity with accepted standards, all academic programs not accredited by external accrediting bodies undergo regular review that includes a self-study and a site visit by an external reviewer. These reviews are schedule once every ten years by
outside reviewers.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Statewide General Education Requirements of the Louisiana
Board of Regents
University of New Orleans Graduate School - External Reviews
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005 - General Degree Requirements
3.4.11 The institution protects the security, confidentiality, and integrity of its student academic records and maintains special security measures to protect and back up data.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The official permanent academic records for all University of New Orleans students (undergraduate and graduate) are in the custody of the Office of the Registrar. The maintenance and security of these records follow the standard established by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and policies established by the University of New Orleans. University Computing and Communications maintains the integrity of the academic data with its internal security procedures.
Academic records are available in hard copy and electronic formats. Hard copy records are stored as paper, microfilm, microfiche, or optical disk. To maintain their confidentiality, the university handles and stores these records in areas not accessible to the public. Hard copy ledgers of students attending the university between 1958 and 1988 are stored in the Registrar’s vault and backed up by microfilm copies stored in a secure area of the Earl K. Long Library. The academic records of students attending from January 1989 to present are stored in electronic format and are backed up and secured according to policies of the University Computing and Communications. All supporting documentation for each student, such as admissions information, grade changes, appeals, etc., are maintained by the Office of the Registrar. Microfilm and microfiche were used until the mid-1990s, when optical disk storage was introduced. Backup copies are stored in the Earl K. Long Library. The Office of Admissions maintains the hard-copy files of students who do not enroll for one year and then destroys the records. As stated before, the records of those students who do enroll are transferred to the Office of the Registrar for conversion to the optical-disk format.
The university utilizes a sophisticated password-protected security system that limits access and update capability to authorized users while allowing faculty, staff, and students with a "need to know" viewing capability of certain records. Access to the system is granted only by recommendation of department heads and is granted based on the need of the employee in accordance with university and department policies.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) 51.1: "Educational Privacy Rights of Students"
Office of Admissions
Office of the Bursar
Office of the Registrar
Office of Student Financial Aid
Office of Student Life
3.4.12 The institution places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of its curriculum with its faculty.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Chapter I, Section 1-2.3 b) (Adobe p. 16)
delineates the responsibilities of the faculty for the curricula.
University of New Orleans Administrative Procedure, AP 2.7: "Departmental Governance -- Academic Departments" states, "the faculty's responsibilities lie in the broad area of educational policy. This includes establishing or modifying curricula, fixing standards of instruction, determining requirements for degrees, adding or dropping courses, and so forth. Departmental faculties have jurisdiction over these matters, with the reservation that the policies of a given department may not conflict with those of its own college or school, the campus, or the LSU System."
Administrative Policy and Proceedues (AP) 26.1: "Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses and Curricula," further defines the role of the faculty with respect to the curricula. As stated in the policy, proposals for courses and curricula "should originate with the faculty of the department under its appropriate leadership. A course should never be presented for college-level or campus-level consideration until it has been thoroughly discussed at the department level."
All undergraduate educational programs at the University of New Orleans are approved by faculty in the department, the College Courses and Curricula Committee made up of faculty representatives, the Dean, the Faculty Council Committee on Courses and Curricula, the Provost, and the Chancellor. Graduate programs are approved by the
Graduate Faculty of the Department (Adobe p. 12),
the college courses and curricula committee, the Dean, the Graduate Council, the Graduate Dean, the Provost, and the Chancellor.
The effectiveness of academic programs is a required component of the university’s Institutional Effectiveness Program. Each program has an Institutional Effectiveness Plan that includes direct measures of student-learning outcomes. Institutional Effectiveness plans are assessed each year through empirical data and then updated. Closing the loop in the
Institutional Effectiveness process provides measures of the effectiveness of the curricula.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Administrative Procedure (AP) 2.7: "Departmental Governance -- Academic Departments"
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) AP 26.1: "Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses"
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VII, Section 7 p. 9: "The Executive Graduate Council")
/6BC07CF5353512B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.
+2003.pdf#page=12Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Chapter I, Section 1-2.3 b)
/6BC07CF5353512B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.
+2003.pdf#page=16Institutional Effectiveness
3.4.13 For each major in a degree program, the institution assigns responsibility for program coordination, as well as for curriculum development and review, to persons academically qualified in the field. In those degree programs for which the institution does not identify a major, this requirement applies to a curricular area or concentration.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
As stated in University of New Orleans Administrative Policy 2.7: "Departmental Governance -- Academic Departments",
"the faculty's responsibilities lie in the broad area of educational policy. This includes establishing or modifying curricula, fixing standards of instruction, determining requirements for degrees, adding or dropping courses, and so forth. Departmental faculties have jurisdiction over these matters, with the reservation that the policies of a given department may not conflict with those of its own college or school, the campus, or the LSU System." However, the Department Chair in each academic unit is ultimately responsible for program coordination and curriculum development and review. Referring again to
AP 2.7,
"In matters for which the faculty has primary responsibility (curricula, standards of instruction, requirements for degrees, admission requirements), action will be required by the faculty as a whole or by a representative committee of the faculty , the majority of whose members are elected. In transmitting recommendations on such matters the chairman must certify that the action has been approved by the faculty or by such a committee."
Chairs of academic departments hold the terminal degree for the academic discipline. The Chair or Director of interdisciplinary programs is required to hold a terminal degree in one of the curricular areas.
The Institutional Effectiveness
process that includes annual assessments and review of goals, objectives, and strategies for each academic program must be reviewed by the faculty of each department.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) 2.7: "Departmental Governance -- Academic Departments"
Institutional Effectiveness Website
3.4.14 The institution’s use of technology enhances student learning, is appropriate for meeting the objectives of its programs, and ensures that students have access to and training in the use of technology.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
Technology in various forms supports the educational mission of the institution and enhances student learning outcomes. Over the past decade, UNO has met the challenge of acquiring, deploying, maintaining and assessing relevant technologies. Important features of that effort are the
Student Technology Fee
and the large-scale transformation of Information Technology.
Students are active participants in supporting technology on the campus as evidenced by the monies collected each semester through the Student Technology Fee. The fee has been active since the fall of 1997, and various initiatives are funded each year through a competitive grants process. Thus, all academic programs have an opportunity to upgrade their instructional technologies. The fee continues to
support projects
both wide in scope (upgrades in open computer labs and campus wide installation of LCD projectors) and narrow in scope (upgrades for a piano lab and equipment for field geology). The fee has recently supported upgrades in microscopes for Biology labs, wireless capacity within the College of Engineering, hand-held devices for Geography coursework, portable demonstration labs for the College of Education, economic/financial data bases within the College of Business, and a classroom "feedback" system to enhance the quality and effectiveness of lectures.
The connection between instructional technology and academic program objectives is maintained through department control of STF applications, Institutional Effectiveness feedback, and the activities of a campus-wide advisory group, the Strategic Technology Planning and Implementation Group (STPIG).
Information Technology (IT)
is used in all areas of the university and is guided by the
UNO Information Technology General Use Policies,
which states, “The University of New Orleans provides students, faculty, and staff with Information Technologies (IT) to support learning, discovery, and service.” A full overview of the university’s information resources is clearly presented on the University Computing and Communications (UCC) website University Computing and Communications (UCC) website.
The campus resources for learning technology include the following elements:
- IT Network Infrastructure – A state-of-the art high-speed campus network with a multi-Gigabit Ethernet (GE) backbone provides access to every academic building, and 6000 ports of switched 10/100 Ethernet serve student and research areas. A new Firewall and Intrusion Detection system were installed as part of a complete renovation of the
campus network infrastructure
in 2003-2004.
- Computer Labs/Classrooms –
Labs
are equipped with computers to support courses requiring hands-on access to PCs. Over 800 computers in
33 different locations
are available to all students. Equipment is replaced on a three- to four-year cycle. A
software suite
appropriate for the courses taught is available in each lab/classroom. In addition to the wired data connections offered in labs and wireless classrooms (English, Library, Education), an increasing number of areas has wireless network coverage.
- Distance Learning – The university offers
13 telecourses (Adobe p. 2)
via broadcast and packaged VHS and DVD formats. Live courses are offered via
compressed video formats (Adobe p. 1) and received by videoconferencing facilities
at satellite campuses. The university is part of the Louisiana state network and offers courses from and to
other universities (Adobe p. 4)
across the state. The university offers more than 60 distance-learning courses, and about half of these are delivered
via the internet (Adobe p. 2.)
Metropolitan College leads this effort through its Access to Learning and Teaching (ALT)
office. Established in 2001, ALT has aligned its objectives with the university’s strategic plan. ALT promotes and supports distance-learning students,
instructors,
and courses, and it provides project management and execution for distance and e-learning for academic, professional, and government clients.
- Blackboard Learning System and Community Portal – This electronic course-delivery service and community portal enhances student learning by significantly reducing the constraints of geography and time. The UNO Blackboard Course-Management System directly supports hundreds of courses each semester.
- Classrooms – Large auditoria are equipped with 100Mb network connections, VCR/digital videodisk players, liquid crystal display (LCD) projectors, and other peripherals. Smaller classrooms are equipped with 100Mb network connections. Many have LCD projectors, and the remainder are renovated systematically to provide LCD projectors. Portable equipment is available to faculty and students through the department of Media Resources. Four multi-media classrooms are available to classes and individual students through the department of Media Productions.
- Student and Faculty Training – The ability of students and faculty to utilize instructional technology effectively is enhanced by hands-on computing instruction. Successful completion of a course or a series of courses assuring computer literacy is part of the university's General Degree Requirements (Adobe p. 34).
The
Learning Resource Center (LRC)
provides
training and support for students
throughout the year with workshops on word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, databases, computer basics, and Blackboard. The
Faculty and Staff Resource Center (FSRC)
provides similar
training and support services for faculty and staff
via hands-on workshops and on-line guides.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
University of New Orleans Information Technology's General
Use Policies
University Computing and Communications website: General information, services, facilities and labs
Complete renovation of the campus network infrastructure: graphics of the present network and proposed changes
List of open and college/department maintained labs and links to locations (Student Computer Labs)
Map of the campus with the listing of computer labs (Computer
Lab Locations)
List of open and college/department-maintained labs with links to description of equipment and software in each lab (Courses)
List of open and college/department-maintained labs with links to description of equipment and software in each lab (Software Suite)
Information on distance-learning programs and services (Telecourses)
Information on distance-learning programs and services
(Compressed Video)
Information on types and locations of videoconferencing facilities (Videoconferencing facilities)
Information on distance learning programs and services (Courses from and to other universities)
Information on distance learning programs and services (Via the Internet)
Information about distance learning at University of New Orleans with links for student, instructor and course information [Access to Learning and Teaching (ALT)]
Information and resources for becoming a successful distance learning student (Distance-learning students)
Information and resources for faculty teaching at a distance (Instructors)
Blackboard online portal for web-based learning
Information on media services and equipment available on campus (Media Resources)
Contact information for media classrooms (Media Productions)
General requirements for a baccalaureate degree from University of New Orleans, including computer literacy requirement. (General Degree Requirements)
Learning Resource Center (LRC) provides information on programs and services for students
Links to workshop schedules, descriptions and tutor training (Training and support for students)
Faculty and Staff Resource Center (FSRC) workshops available to Faculty/Staff
Current workshop calendar (training and support services for faculty and staff)
Workshop descriptions and links to online handouts (online guides)
Authorization for the Student Technology Fee
Information about 2004-2005 proposals, the list of committee members and links to funded proposals for 2004-2005 (Support projects)
3.5.1 The institution identifies college-level competencies within the general education core and provides evidence that graduates have attained those competencies.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans identifies college-level competencies within the general education core and provides evidence that graduates have attained those competencies.
The Louisiana Board of Regents has established Statewide General Education Requirements. As stated in Board of Regents, Academic Affairs Policy 2.16, Statewide General Education Requirements, “The Board of Regents accepts fully the commonly accepted premise that graduates of similar undergraduate degree programs should attain a broad-based common educational experience. The most appropriate method to ensure that such occurs among students at state colleges and universities is through mandated statewide general education requirements (see
Attachment IV - Statewide General Education Requirements).
The goals of the Statewide General Educational Requirements are that undergraduate program completers, depending on the respective degree level, shall attain appropriate competencies, in the following:
- to communicate effectively in oral and written English;
- to read with comprehension;
- to reason abstractly and think critically;
- to understand numerical data and statistics;
- to understand the scientific method;
- to be familiar with key technological and informational applications;
- to learn independently;
- to recognize and appreciate cultural diversity;
- to understand the nature and value of the fine and performing arts;
- to develop a personal value system while retaining a tolerance for others; and
- to understand the American political and economic system.
Consequently, the University of New Orleans General Degree Requirements further these goals by providing a common general education for all undergraduate majors. Toward this end, curricula leading to a baccalaureate degree should
1. further the development of the intellectual potential within each student;
2. assure proficiency in the basic skills of English and mathematics, so that students are able to communicate effectively in written English and to understand numerical data;
3. increase proficiency in oral communication skills, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning, so that students are able to listen with comprehension, reason abstractly, and communicate ideas clearly to others;
4. develop scientific literacy and afford exposure to scientific inquiry, so that students are able to understand the methods of science and be familiar with key technological applications of the basic sciences;
5. foster those habits necessary for the pursuit of knowledge in a systematic way, so that students are able to learn independently and sustain life-long learning;
6. assure exposure to the rich heritage of human culture, so that students are able to recognize and appreciate cultural diversity;
7. encourage an appreciation of the arts, so that students are able to understand the nature and value of the fine and performing arts;
8. present systematically and critically the great ideas, issues, and questions concerning nature, society, and the individual;
9. develop an awareness of value systems in the student ’s own and different cultures, so that students are able to develop a personal value system while retaining a tolerance for those of others; and
10. develop an understanding of the American political and economic system in the context of the world order.
The University of New Orleans operationalizes the above, with the following catalog entry under General Degree Requirements: (Adobe p. 34)
To become eligible for a baccalaureate degree from the University of New Orleans, a student must complete the following courses:
a. English Composition -- English 1157, and 1158 or 1159, with a grade of C or better. A passing grade in the English 1158 Proficiency Exam is required for all degrees.
b. Literature -- six hours of the study of literature.
c. Mathematics -- six hours at or above the 1000 level.
d. Science -- 11 hours, including eight hours of one science (two of them laboratory) and three hours of another. One of the sciences must be Biology and the other one must be Chemistry, Geology, or Physics.
e. Humanities and Arts -- six hours; to include three hours to be taken from the departments of Drama and Communications, English, and three hours to be taken from the departments of Fine Arts, Foreign Languages (above the level of 1001 or 1011)1, Music, or Philosophy and three hours to be taken from the departments of Fine Arts, Music, or dance or theater-related Drama and Communications courses.
f. Social Sciences -- six hours from Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or Urban Studies.
NOTE: At least six of the hours in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences must be courses at or above the 2000 level.
g. Computer Literacy -- Each student should develop a reasonable competence in those computing techniques most relevant to his/her major program.
h. Oral Competency -- Each student should demonstrate competence in the techniques of oral communication relevant to his/her major program.
In addition, the Faculty Council has approved a Diversity Requirement to be included in the General Degree Requirements in a manner to be determined by the Faculty Council Committee on Courses and Curricula, the faculty body that provides oversight of the General Education.
The university provides evidence that graduates have attained those competencies by
- requiring an English Proficiency Exam that measure effective writing skills as a graduation requirement for all undergraduates.
- All students earning a baccalaureate degree from the institution must earn a passing grade on the English 1158 Proficiency Exam. The exam is a timed, in-class writing sample, which is blind graded by two to three instructors of English 1158 who are not the instructors of record of the student whose work is being assessed.
- requiring completion of six hours of mathematics course work
- College-level competency in at least six credit hours of Mathematics is identified by successful completion of the courses required by each curriculum.
- requiring the demonstration of oral communication skills in the major.
- Each major determines how graduates of the program will demonstrate competency in oral communication skills. Some examples of how this is fulfilled include the following:
- All graduates in the College of Business Administration must have a passing grade in the oral presentation component of MANG 3471 (Business Communication) required of all undergraduate business majors.
- To earn a degree in Fine Arts, students must successfully complete a senior project that includes a critical analysis of the project and an oral presentation of it to a jury of department faculty.
- All graduates of the Department of Music must be able to explain orally the basics of music theory and history.
- Graduates in the Department of Chemistry must successfully present a jury-judged oral report in the advanced physical chemistry laboratory.
A variety of other measures are used by various academic programs to assess the extent to which graduates have attained those competencies set forth in the General Education Requirements. Further, as part of the university’s Institutional Effectiveness Planning process, many departments have implemented either capstone courses or examinations to enable them to assess the competency of their graduates. For example:
- All graduates of the College of Education must attain a score on the Praxis examination at a level suitable for Louisiana State Teacher Certification
- Graduates of the College of Engineering must possess the capabilites required by ABET Criteria 2000. In addition, students must complete the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE).
- Graduates of the Department of English must understand the literary histories of Britain and the United States from their origins to the present as measured by juried senior portfolios and end-of-program written assessments.
- The Department of Chemistry requires all students completing general chemistry during the spring semester to complete the National ACS exams during the spring semester. The Department uses
student performance
on this examination to improve its approach to teaching.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Attachment IV - Statewide General Education Requirements
The University's Chemistry Department's Student Performance on the National ACS exam
3.5.2 The institution awards degrees only to those students who have earned at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree through instruction offered by that institution
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans awards degrees only to students who have earned at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree at the University of New Orleans. As stated in the University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005, a student must "earn a minimum of 120 hours including at least 25 percent of the credit hours for the degree through instruction offered by the university." According to residency requirements,
"a transfer student who enters with advanced standing from another university and becomes a candidate for a bachelor’s degree at the university must fulfill a minimum residence requirement of two semesters (or four summer sessions) at the university and must earn at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree through instruction offered by the university. For all students, the last 25% of all course work must be taken in residence while enrolled in the college from which the degree is to be earned."
To ensure that all students are in compliance with this requirement, graduation check-outs are conducted in each degree-granting college. In addition, the University Registrar verifies the degree audit report to ensure that all degree requirements are met.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Addendum to University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005 - Residence Requirements
3.6 Educational Programs: Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Professional Programs
3.6.1. The institution's post-baccalaureate professional degree programs, and its master's and doctoral degree programs, are progressively more advanced in academic content than undergraduate programs.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The university’s degree programs – undergraduate through doctoral – are progressively more advanced in content and instructor credentials. As stated in the
2003-2005 University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog (Adobe p. 42), "graduate degrees are not conferred merely upon the basis of number of courses passed or on length of time spent in residence, but rather upon the basis of the quality and scope of a candidate’s knowledge and power of investigation." The catalog also describes the various program requirements that fulfill this standard. Master's students, for example, must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate work. (Adobe p. 114).
Doctoral students must complete
"at least 60 semester hours" (Adobe p. 115)
beyond the BA level.
Courses for graduate students are designated through a university numbering system:
- No graduate credit is awarded for any course numbered less than 4000.
- A subset of university courses (numbered 4000-4999) may be available for graduate or undergraduate credit. Graduate credit is awarded for courses numbered 4000G-level and above that are taught by a member of the graduate faculty and are taken while the student is enrolled as a graduate student or under limited conditions in which an undergraduate may earn graduate credit as shown in the
2003-2005 UNO Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog (Adobe p. 42).
- Courses numbered 4000G-level or above require students to complete additional assignments conforming to the higher standards of scholarship and research that guide the Graduate School. As approved by the
University Senate in March 2003 (Adobe pages 1 & 5)
(Page 1, item #3) syllabi are required to set forth expectations of performance for both undergraduates enrolled for undergraduate credit and graduate students enrolled for graduate credit. (Examples of syllabi available on the CD include
GEOL 4200,
POLI 4990, and
URBN/MURP 4670.)
The graduate faculty determines the academic content of graduate degree programs. Academic content and rigor are assured through the
university's standards for graduate faculty,
which include the
requirements for graduate faculty status, the qualifications for appointment to the graduate faculty, and the privileges and responsibilities of graduate faculty for graduate education.
Departmental graduate faculty criteria are approved by the Graduate Council and are reviewed every five years. The criteria guide the Graduate Council in the review of each graduate faculty nomination in terms of teaching, research, and service. Regular monitoring ensures the qualifications of faculty and their commitment to advanced instruction in graduate courses.
In compliance with the university's Administrative Policy & Procedure AP 26.1: Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses, all graduate-level course proposals, whether for new courses or course changes, and new graduate academic programs and program changes are approved in a regular process through the graduate faculty in the department, the Dean of the college offering the course, the
Graduate Council,
the Provost, and, for new graduate programs, the Chancellor. All courses and curricula recommended for approval to Academic Affairs are included in the
Graduate
Council minutes.
In addition, all new graduate programs must be approved by the
LSU System Board of Supervisors (Adobe p. 12),
as well as the
Louisiana Board of Regents.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VII, Section 7 p. 9: "The Executive Graduate Council")
/6BC07CF5353512B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws
+Oct.+2003.pdf#page=12Graduate Council
Graduate Faculty Status
Graduate School, Introduction: (University Standards for
Graduate Faculty)
Louisiana Board of Regents
Administrative Policy & Procedure (AP) 2.7
Administrative Policy & Procedure (AP) 26.1: "Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses"
University of New Orleans Senate Meeting Minutes, March 24, 2004
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog
2003-2005
3.6.2. The institution ensures that its graduate instruction and resources foster independent learning, enabling the graduate to contribute to a profession or field of study.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
University requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy and other advanced degrees are specified (beginning on page 114) in the University of New Orleans Undergraduate/ Graduate Catalog 2003-2005. These requirements ensure that the Ph.D. is conferred only on students whose work demonstrates individual scholarly achievement and ability through course work, advising, examinations, research or creative activities, and dissertations. Concomitant requirements apply to the Master’s degree.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Graduate School Awards Program
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate
Catalog 2003-2005
University of New Orleans Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2003-2005 (p109) for merit-based, competitive graduate assistantships, scholarships and research opportunities
3.6.3 The majority of credits toward a graduate or a post-baccalaureate professional degree is earned through the institution awarding the degree. In the case of graduate and postbaccalaureate professional degree programs offered through joint, cooperative, or consortia arrangements, the student earns a majority of credits from the participating institutions.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The University of New Orleans is compliant with this requirement as a majority of the credit hours for all graduate programs must be earned at the University of New Orleans. All graduate programs require a minimum of 30 hours of course work. As stated in the University of New Orleans Catalog, "A total of 12 hours of extension and transfer credit may be used in a master's degree program, if approved by the department and the Dean of the Graduate School, and if the candidate has completed at least nine hours of graduate residence at the University of New Orleans with an overall B average. Transfer credit is approved only for coursework taken as a graduate student; no work graded lower than a B can be transferred. Transfer credit offered toward a degree is subject to the same time limits as coursework taken at the University of New Orleans. The majority of credits toward a graduate degree (either master's or doctoral) must be earned at the University of New Orleans. The maximum hours that can be transferred for doctoral degrees vary. The specific program of interest should be consulted for the limitations and conditions on transfers for doctoral degrees. Only credits earned in courses may be transferred; thesis/dissertation research credits may not be transferred."
Further, "To petition for acceptance of these credits, the student must be currently enrolled, must have completed at least nine hours of graduate course work in a degree program at the University of New Orleans, and must be in good academic standing. Transfer of credit is approved only for course work taken as a graduate student; no work graded lower than a B can be transferred, unless the course is a joint degree program requirement. Transfer credit offered toward a degree is subject to the same time limits as course work taken at the University of New Orleans."
The Master of Science in Health Care Management is offered as an interdisciplinary degree program in conjunction with Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. A majority of the credits for this degree are earned at the University of New Orleans.
Professional staff members in the Graduate School perform a degree audit/check-out on the records of each graduate student, which leads to the final verification of degree requirements. Careful monitoring of hours earned, grade point averages (GPAs), examination results, and committee approvals is included in this process. Confirmation of degree verification is communicated to the Office of the University Registrar for final review before the conferral of degrees.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Graduate School Regulations (Adobe p. 10)
Doctoral Programs
3.7.1 The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, an institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline in accordance with the guidelines listed below. The institution also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes. For all cases, the institution is responsible for justifying and documenting the qualifications of its faculty.
Credential Guidelines:
Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level: doctor's or master's degree in the teaching discipline or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree: doctor's or master's degree in the teaching discipline or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: bachelor's degree in the teaching discipline, or associate's degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline.
Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses: doctor's or master's degree in the teaching discipline or master's degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline). At least 25 percent of the discipline course hours in each undergraduate major are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate--in the discipline.
Faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate course work: earned doctorate/terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.
Graduate teaching assistants: master's in the teaching discipline or 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, regular in-service training, and planned and periodic evaluations.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU Board of Supervisors, Permanent Memoranda, and Administrative Policy and Procedure statements prescribe the appointment and employment of faculty. Specific guidelines for faculty appointment are found in the following documents:
-
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU Board of Supervisors (Chapter II, Section 2: "Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure" (Adobe p. 19)
-
Permanent Memorandum (PM) 23: "Ranks, Provisions & Policies Governing Appointments and Promotion of Academic Staff"
-
University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook: "Procedures for Appointments, Teaching Loads, Grievances, Promotions, Tenure and Review of Faculty Achievements" (Adobe p. 5)
-
Administrative Policy & Procedure (AP) 2.7: "Departmental Governance —
Academic Departments" - The criteria for evaluating academic performance are defined by each college at the University of New Orleans and are implemented by the respective Dean.
a. Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level: doctor’s or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
All full- and part-time faculty teaching general education courses at the University of New Orleans have appropriate credentials as shown in the
Credentials Roster.
A listing of all instructional faculty who were primary instructors of record, their assigned courses, and their qualifications to teach their courses are presented for Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 by department. The university has a very limited number of faculty without a terminal degree or at least 18 semester hours of graduate course work in the discipline; however, as noted in the Credentials Roster, the university has documented the extraordinary high accomplishments of these faculty in the discipline in which they are teaching.
b. Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree: doctor’s or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).
The University of New Orleans does not offer associate degree courses.
c. Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to the
baccalaureate degree: bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline, or associate’s
degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline.
The University of New Orleans does not offer associate degree courses.
d. Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses: doctor’s or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline). At least 25 percent of the discipline course hours in each undergraduate major are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree--usually the earned doctorate--in the discipline.
All full- and part-time faculty teaching baccalaureate courses at the University of New Orleans have appropriate credentials as shown in the
Credentials Roster.
A listing of all instructional faculty who were primary instructors-of-record, their assigned courses, and their qualifications to teach their courses are presented for Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 by department. The university has a very limited number of faculty with neither a terminal degree nor at least 18 semester hours of graduate course work in the discipline; however, as noted in the Credentials Roster, the university has documented the extraordinary high accomplishments of these faculty in the discipline in which they are teaching. For example, some of the faculty teaching in the Jazz Studies Program in the Department of Music do not have terminal degrees, but are nationally and internationally recognized jazz musicians.
e. Faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate course work: earned doctorate/terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.
Faculty who teach graduate and post-baccalaureate courses must meet additional requirements beyond those noted in Part D. In addition to the credentials required in Part D (above), faculty must meet additional requirements and must also remain current and active in their research disciplines according to the university’s standards for graduate faculty. Members of the graduate faculty must apply for reappointment at least every five years. The review includes full members of the graduate faculty in the respective department, Dean of the college, Graduate Council, Dean of the Graduate School, Provost, and Chancellor. This regular review process ensures the qualifications of faculty and their commitment to advanced instruction in graduate courses.
Faculty who do not have ordinary, standing terms as graduate faculty members may petition for permission to teach graduate level and post-baccalaureate courses and/or to serve on graduate student advisory committees as noted. These requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Dean of the Graduate School. The basis for approval is noted for each case and vitae and justifications are kept on file in the Graduate School.
f. Graduate teaching assistants: master’s in the teaching discipline or 18 graduate
semester hours in the teaching discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member
experienced in the teaching discipline, regular in-service training, and planned and
periodic evaluations.
Graduate teaching assistants teaching courses are identified on the rosters. Each department must certify that graduate teaching assistants have completed at least 18 semester hours of graduate study in the discipline.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Administrative Policy (AP) 2.7: "Departmental Governance --
Academic Departments"
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU Board of Supervisors (Chapter II, Section 2: "Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure")
/6BC07CF5353512B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws
+Oct.+2003.pdf#page=19Credentials Roster
Permanent Memorandum (PM) 23: "Ranks, Provisions & Policies Governing Appointments and Promotion of Academic Staff"
/A0022D3F387B0F3486256C250062B88D/$File/PM-23.pdfUniversity of New Orleans Faculty Handbook: "Procedures for Appointments, Teaching Loads, Grievances, Promotions, Tenure and Review of Faculty Achievements"
University of New Orleans Graduate School: "Graduate Council"
3.7.2 The institution regularly evaluates the effectiveness of each faculty member in accord with published criteria, regardless of contractual or tenured status.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
Faculty members are evaluated on a regular basis; the evaluations are guided by the following policies and procedures:
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Adobe p. 19) (Chapter II, Section 2: "Appointments, Promotions, And Tenure" )
LSU System Permanent Memorandum (PM) 35: "Review of Faculty Ranks"
Official faculty files are maintained by the Office of Academic Affairs. External reviews of scholarly work are also maintained in Academic Affairs in a separate file. Negative PM-35 evaluations are reviewed by the Academic Dean. Most other faculty evaluation records are maintained by the faculty member’s departmental office.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Chapter II, Section 2: "Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure")
/6BC07CF5353512B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.
+2003.pdf#page=19Permanent Memorandum (PM) 23: "Ranks, Provisions & Policies Governing Appointments and Promotion of Academic Staff"
A0022D3F387B0F3486256C250062B88D/$File/PM-23.pdfLSU System Permanent Memorandum (PM) 35: "Review of Faculty Ranks"
http://appl003.ocs.lsu.edu/ups.nsf/afc0e646082759b286256bf9006c3bfd/
0F6D7CAEA42B954C86256C250062B8A9/$File/PM-35.pdfUniversity Policy on Faculty Conduct
3.7.3 The institution provides evidence of ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
University of New Orleans faculty members actively participate in numerous local, state, regional, national, and international professional organizations each year that offer enrichment for their research and teaching endeavors. For tenure-track faculty, this participation is documented in the regular faculty-evaluation process, especially the third-year review and the tenure review. All tenured faculty are evaluated at least every other year as defined by the university's
PM-35 Implementation Policy
(also refer to
PM-35).
Faculty members are also eligible for sabbaticals as defined in the
University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook
and
PM-20
on leaves. Faculty members participate in a wide variety of enrichment activities while on sabbatical leave, and reports summarizing accomplishments during each sabbatical leave are included in the faculty members' personnel files.
The University of New Orleans also recognizes and rewards faculty contributions in teaching and research through a number of award programs. For example, Seraphia Leyda Teaching Fellowships (for a term of three years) are awarded to up to three faculty per year who demonstrate teaching excellence beyond normal expectations as demonstrated by (1) students assessments of teaching, (2) evidence of innovative teaching, including course design, revision of course syllabi, new technology applications, portfolio or other innovative student assessment methods, (3) service to students, including advising, thesis supervision, and diversity of students served, and (4) relevance of teaching to the university's urban mission, including breadth of impact. Up to three faculty per year are also designated Research Professors based on their excellence in scholarship and creative activities. Each of these programs includes a $5,000 support fund. In addition, the university’s Alumni Association supports two annual faculty research: one for a senior faculty member and one for a junior faculty member, as well as awards for excellence in teaching.
The Faculty Staff Resource Center within University Computing and Communications provides professional development workshops and training in the use of technology. Each year the Faculty Staff Resource Center offers approximately 125 workshops a year and trains close to 600 faculty and staff. The training is conducted with the specific goal of developing or improving faculty and staff use of new tools and strategies to aid in the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. Workshops are offered in areas such as Blackboard, PeopleSoft, the use of various statistical packages, etc.
Most faculty and staff professional development is centered in the colleges. The College of Business Administration provided more than $63,000 to the departments and individual faculty to attend various conferences and seminars to enhance their teaching and research skills and capabilities. In addition, the College has a standing committee on faculty development that has submitted a comprehensive evaluation of faculty-development programs in the college with recommendations for improvements. The newly appointed Dean will review and act on this proposal during the current academic year.
Due to recent shifts in accreditation standards related to preparation of personnel for school careers (NCATE), as well as changes in state certification requirements, the College of Education and Human Development has prioritized faculty-development activities related to performance-based preparation models. Funds awarded by the Louisiana Board of Regents for the teacher-education program were dedicated to support a faculty team to participate in NCATE training. A recent grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents will support four teams of faculty representing the colleges of Education and Human Development, Liberal Arts, and Sciences to collaboratively address content and performance standards for secondary education majors. In addition to these activities, faculty members have also participated in numerous professional associations and conferences.
The College of Engineering has always been supportive of faculty development through teaching workshops held in the college by outside experts in the field, travel to American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conferences, travel to technical conferences, and support for participation in professional societies.
In addition to providing available funding to faculty for individual professional development in their respective academic fields for teaching, scholarly, and creative activity, the College of Liberal Arts provides ongoing professional development opportunities for its faculty as teachers by assigning teaching mentors in every department, by providing regular workshops and written updates and information on advising, and by a defined protocol for remediation for any faculty member found deficient in teaching in the course of the required biennial evaluation. In terms of faculty development for scholarship and creative activities, the College of Liberal Arts assigns an Associate Dean to aid faculty in securing outside funding, co-sponsors academic and creative conferences held in the New Orleans area, and awards Summer Scholar funds on a competitive basis. Finally, the College of Liberal Arts provides faculty development through its four research centers and institutes.
In the College of Sciences, professional development, especially faculty professional development, includes support for attendance at professional meetings and workshops, seminar programs including a lecture program that brings experts in various sub-fields, support for visiting faculty, some bridge funds to help faculty between grants, and the purchase of some equipment and supplies.
The College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA) is a professional college with three graduate programs; its faculty-development process differs from that of more traditional colleges. Core faculty in both Urban Planning and Public Administration are expected not only to be active in the local chapters of their professional associations, but also to help design and present short courses to practitioners on a regular basis. As part of the programmatic accreditations in both Planning and Public Administration, active participation by faculty in professional practice on a technical-assistance/community-service basis is expected. Research is often conducted in conjunction with practitioners in the field. Practitioners are regularly brought into the CUPA classroom, and CUPA faculty meet regularly with practitioners offsite for working sessions on problems of agency concern. Finally, a large and diverse applied-research component of CUPA regularly involves both faculty and graduate students in funded research/service projects and the development of both faculty and staff.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Faculty Staff Resource Center
Permanent Memorandum (PM) 20: "Leave Policies for Academic and Unclassified Employees and Classified Personnel"
fd/0c1f0dcb431c5b9d86256c250062b88b?OpenDocumentPermanent Memorandum (PM) 35: "Review of Faculty Ranks"
bfd/0f6d7caea42b954c86256c250062b8a9?OpenDocumentUniversity of New Orleans PM-35 Implementation Policy
University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook
3.7.4 The institution ensures adequate procedures for safeguarding and protecting academic freedom.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
Academic freedom at the University of New Orleans is protected by the Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors as noted in
Article VIII, Section 1: "Academic Freedom" (Adobe p. 13). This section states,
The Louisiana State University System is committed to the principle of academic freedom. This principle also includes the right of a member of the academic staff of the university system to exercise in speaking, writing, and action outside the University other ordinary rights of a citizen, but it does not decrease the responsibility that the member of the academic staff bears to the university system, the state, and the nation. A member of the academic staff not officially designated to represent the university system must indicate clearly that he or she is speaking as an individual citizen.
Among the many implicit responsibilities that must be assumed by those enjoying the privileges of academic freedom is that of refraining from insisting upon the adoption by students or others of any particular point of view as authoritative in controversial issues. Moreover, although all faculty are entitled to freedom of speech in public forums, they are expected to make clear in these instances that they speak as private citizens and not as official representatives of the university.
In addition, the following university policies and practices also apply:
- University Policy on Faculty Conduct [see
Faculty Handbook, Section 2.8
(Adobe p. 13)] -
LSU System Permanent Memorandum (PM) 23: "Ranks, Provisions & Policies Governing Appointments and Promotion of Academic Staff"
- Academic Freedom [see
The University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook, Section 2.2 (Adobe p. 7)]
- Grievance Procedure [see
The University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook, Section 2.9 (Adobe p. 14)]
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors(Article VIII: Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities of the Academic Staff, Section 1, "Academic Freedom")
/6BC07CF5353512B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.+2003.pdf#page=13Permanent Memorandum (PM) 23: "Ranks, Provisions & Policies Governing Appointments and Promotion of Academic Staff"
/A0022D3F387B0F3486256C250062B88D/$File/PM-23.pdfUniversity of New Orleans Faculty Handbook, Section 2.2
University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook, Section 2.8
University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook, Section 2.9
3.7.5 The institution publishes policies on the responsibility and authority of faculty in academic and governance matters.
Compliance Certification
Compliance Partial Compliance Non-Compliance
Narrative
The Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VIII, Section 1: "Academic Freedom," and Section 2: "Duties of Academic Staff") (Adobe p. 13) serves as the authority for the rights and responsibilities of the faculty.
The University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook provides further detail of the faculty’s authority and responsibilities. Additional policy information may be found in the following sources:
- AP New -- Courses and Curricula
-
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VIII: "Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities of the Academic Staff") (Adobe p. 13)
-
The University of New Orleans Faculty Conduct Policy
-
The University of New Orleans Promotion and Tenure Policy
The University Senate is a major institutional component of shared governance at the University of New Orleans. The University Senate is an elected body composed of forty-two (42) members, including 31 elected faculty representatives from each of the colleges plus student members, including the President of the Student Government, the President of the Alumni Association (or his/her designee), the President of the The University of New Orleans Staff Council (or his/her designee), four members of the Council of Academic Deans, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs, and the Chancellor. This body represents the interests of the faculty in a variety of matters.
The Policy Committee
represents the faculty as an advisory committee to the Chancellor, making recommendations and stating faculty viewpoints concerning the policies and proposed policies of the university. It is composed of one faculty member elected from each of the major units for staggered two-year terms. It serves as both the Committee on Committees for the Faculty Council and as a standing committee of the University Senate.
Supporting Documentation and Evidence
Administrative Policy and Procedure (AP) 26.1: "Information and Procedures Pertaining to Courses"
Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VIII: "Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities of the Academic Staff")
2B186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.+2003.pdf#page=13Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VIII: Section 1, "Academic Freedom")
186256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.+2003.pdf#page=13Bylaws & Regulations of the LSU System Board of Supervisors (Article VIII: Section 2, "Duties of Academic Staff")
256CBE007190A5/$File/Complete+Bylaws+Oct.+2003.pdf#page=13Policy Committee
Promotion and Tenure Policy
University of New Orleans Faculty Conduct Policy
University of New Orleans Faculty Handbook
University Senate