Tag: Nicholls Education

A Gift to Bridge to Independence Paves the Way for Academic Accessibility at Nicholls

The Bridge to Independence program at Nicholls State University has recently received a significant boost in support through a generous donation from Jeannette Guillory Thomason. Contributing $500,000 to the Nicholls Foundation,Thomason secured naming rights for the Independent Learning Lab, now officially known as the Bridge to Independence H. Allen Thomason Independent Learning Lab. This renaming honors her late husband, Hebert “Allen” Thomason, and marks a milestone in a $1 million project aimed at renovating the academic center and Independent Learning Lab facilities, as per this news release from Nicholls.

Jeannette Guillory Thomason expressed her admiration for the program, stating that its mission to equip students with life skills for independent living and workforce readiness deeply resonated with her. She saw the initiative as an invaluable effort to help students with intellectual disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) become productive and self-reliant members of society.

The Bridge to Independence program at Nicholls stands out as the first of its kind in Louisiana to receive certification from the U.S. Department of Education. Designed to offer students with intellectual disabilities or ASD a fully immersive college experience, the program goes beyond academics to foster leadership, social skills, and life competencies essential for their transition to independent living and future employment.

Students in the program benefit from attending regular classes at Nicholls State University, joining campus organizations, and participating in various events and activities. This inclusion allows them to experience college life alongside their peers while receiving the specialized support they need.

The program offers two distinct pathways to cater to the diverse needs of its students:

  • Certificate Pathway: This track focuses on developing workforce skills and preparing students for independent living. It is ideal for those seeking to enhance their life skills and gain practical experience for future employment.
  • Support Pathway: Tailored for students already accepted into Nicholls who are pursuing traditional college degrees, this pathway provides added support to ensure academic success while integrating these students into the broader university community.

Both pathways include assistance from peer mentors trained in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.These mentors play a pivotal role in guiding Bridge students through their coursework, enhancing their socialization skills, and fostering a sense of belonging on campus.

The renovation of the Independent Learning Lab aligns with the Nicholls Foundation’s broader mission of enhancing educational opportunities in the Bayou Region. As an independent 501(c)(3) corporation, the Nicholls Foundationactively supports the university by securing gifts and grants, managing these funds, and channeling them into endowments, scholarships, professorships, and other initiatives.

The foundation envisions a future where programs like Bridge to Independence inspire donors to invest in the region’s educational advancement. By supporting projects like the Learning Lab renovation, donors contribute to the development of resources that empower students to achieve their fullest potential.

Programs like Bridge to Independence underscore the transformative impact of inclusive education. By creating an environment where all students, regardless of their abilities, can thrive, these initiatives challenge traditional boundaries in education and demonstrate the importance of accessibility. Inclusive education benefits not only students with disabilities but also enriches the broader community by fostering empathy, understanding, and collaboration among peers.

Jeannette Guillory Thomason’s contribution is more than a financial gift; it is a testament to the power of community support in shaping lives. Her generosity will ensure that the Bridge to Independence program continues to provide its students with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed in life. As the program evolves, it stands as a beacon of hope and progress in the Bayou Region, setting a precedent for other institutions to follow.

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Nicholls is Preparing Teachers for Hybrid and Digital Learning

It was recently announced via this news release from the school, that Nicholls State University has signed a pledge that commits the University to prepare its educators with skills to successfully utilize digital learning technology for face-to-face, hybrid, and online classrooms.

This pledge, which is a commitment to the skillful use of technology in order to continue higher learning no matter if the class is taught in person, virtually, or a combination of both is called the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge. This pledge was created that resulted from a partnership between the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the U.S. Department of Education.

The International Society for Technology in Education is a nonprofit organization that strives to work alongside the global education community in order “to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems and inspire innovation.” The ISTE’s worldwide network “believes in the potential technology holds to transform teaching and learning.”

In the statement released by Nicholls State University, the school reported that they were “proud to be a leader in the field of educational technology.” This pride is not simply due to the University’s signing of the ISTE pledge for digital equity and transformation, but it’s also due to the fact that Nicholls’ Master of Educational Technology Leadership degree is currently only one of 3 Universities to also provide an ISTE Certification for Educators.

In 2021, Nicholls began this provision of the ISTE Certification for Educators with the help and support of two members of Nicholls faculty: Dr. Cynthia Vavasseur, professor of education, and Dr. Sara Dempster, assistant professor of education. Both Dr. Vavasseur and Dr. Dempster are two of only 1000 ISTE-certified educatorsworldwide.

Dr. Vavasseur, who is the program chair and lead professor in the program, spoke about Nicholls providing the ISTE Certified Educator Status by saying, “this will provide teachers in the Bayou Region the opportunity to gain this prestigious, internationally recognized certification. Moreover, it will provide the area with teachers who are highly qualified to implement technology into K-12 learning. Graduates will be experts at utilizing innovative technology for teaching and learning. Especially during a pandemic, graduates become key resources for their peers in best practices using technology for teaching and learning.”

Since Nicholls is an ISTE Recognize Program and now also an integral part of this innovative pledge that ensures future Nicholls teachers will be well-versed in the digital skills and tools that can potentially transform learning with the use of technology, Nicholls State University is a leader in the field of preparing innovative educators for K-12 students and beyond.

The CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education Richard Culatta spoke of Nicholls’s signing of the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge by saying, “knowing how to use technology to support student learning is an essential skill for any teacher to thrive in a post-COVID world. I’m thrilled that Nicholls State University is committed to embedding tech skills into their program so all Nicholls State University teacher candidates will be prepared to hit the ground running!”

After signing the pledge, Nicholls State University joined 33 other institutions that are committed to supplying and preparing teachers to successfully thrive in various types of digital learning environments. Additionally, this pledge aims to equip faculty members to continuously improve expertise in technology for learning, prepare teachers to use technology to pursue ongoing professional learning opportunities, apply various frameworks in order to accelerate transformative digital learning, and collaborate with school leaders to identify shared digital teaching competencies.

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Nicholls to Start Cybersecurity Training Program

Soon Nicholls State University will be establishing and unveiling a much-needed cybersecurity and cyber-defense training program, as announced in a recent Nicholls press release.

The training program will make possible the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), a federal-state partnership created in 2000 by Congress to promote economic development of the lower Mississippi Delta and the Black Belt of Alabama. The DRA had awarded Nicholls State University $150,000 to establish the cyber-defence training program.

Nicholls will create a sustainable program that expands cyber-defence knowledge and cybersecurity training across the campus by utilizing the efforts of on-campus personnel, local nonprofits, and economic agencies.

The training program’s curriculum will be developed by both Nicholls Continuing Education and the Institute for Industry-Education Collaboration. The goal of the curriculum is to train nearly 150 workers in the parishes of Lafourche, Terrebonne, and St. Mary over one year, and the project is expected to launch in early 2021.

The cybersecurity training will be conducted by the conjoined, collaborative efforts of Nicholls’ own Small Business Development Center, the South Louisiana Economic Council, other industry partners, and Terry Evans, who is an established instructor of computer and information systems.

Nicholls President, Dr. Jay Clune had stated, “the downturn in the oil and gas industry combined with the economic impacts of COVID-19 have left many Louisiana workers without jobs. This is a unique opportunity to provide our state and the Bayou Region with sustainable training in a high-demand industry.”

Before 2026, the demand for information security analysts is expected to increase by 28 percent, according to estimates made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; the Bureau also reported that the median pay within the industry is set at $98,000 per year. Therefore with that median pay and that noted expectation of the rising need for information security analysts within the next decade, this training program couldn’t have come at a better time.

Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune noted that the program aligns with the goals set forth by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, remarking, “this collaboration is the best of both worlds. We can offer continuing education for our community while strengthening our state’s economy. I want to thank Rep. Garret Graves and his staff, who made us aware of this grant opportunity and supported our efforts from day one. I also want to acknowledge the support of Sen. Bill Cassidy and his staff, as well as State Rep. Joe Orgeron.”

The $150,000 awarded by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) wasn’t the only amount awarded recently, as the institution awarded a total of 13 projects totaling $1.7 million across the southeast United States, including three in Louisiana. Those three being, Nicholls State University as well as Baton Rogue’s Research Park Corporation and New Orleans’ University of Holy Cross.

Each Louisiana institution received their incentive investment that was designed to support initiatives and programs that expand both job training and re-employment opportunities, align workforce strategies as well as economic development strategies, create sustainable pipelines of talent, establish or enhance locally and regionally-significant public-private partnerships, and support enhanced workforce productivity through innovative programming.

According to the DRA’s announcement of the initiatives, in total, “grants ranging from  $76,800 to $150,000 were awarded to industry-driven workforce development programs and initiatives in six DRA states.  Eligible applicants demonstrated at least one employer partner seeking to hire more skilled workers in a high-demand industry sector and will aid communities particularly hard hit by industrial downsizing, business closures, and job losses as a result of the public health and economic crisis. “

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NSU Nursing Program Recognized

The nursing program at Nicholls State University has been recognized for the quality and affordability of the program by several online resources. Registered Nursing, a nursing advocacy organization of registered nurses that bridges the gap between resources and future nurses, ranked the Nicholls online bachelors in nursing number seven in the country and best in Louisiana.

Best Health Degrees, a website dedicated to spreading awareness of healthcare education, named Nicholls nursing program the number four most affordable accredited program in the country.

Dr. Sue Westbrook, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, is delighted about the program recognition. The former dean of the College of Nursing says “It’s satisfying to know that our program offers high quality at an affordable price.”

The Nicholls nursing program is the most popular on campus, and also remains one of the most successful program in the South with their graduates regularly passing the RN licensure exam at rates that are higher than both state and national averages.

Nicholls nursing program offers a traditional BSN, LPN to BSN Articulation Program, RN to BSN Articulation Program, and a Master of Science in Nursing. The MSN program is offered in affiliation with the Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science in Nursing (ICMSN) and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In the MSN program, you can choose from three specialty concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Nursing Education.

With a mission to prepare students to contribute to a global society and a diverse workforce as productive, responsible, and engaged citizens and as well-educated nurses to meet the healthcare needs of the Bayou region and beyond, it’s estimated that eighty percent of the Bayou’s Region’s nurses are Nicholls alumni. Students will receive hands-on education from experienced and award-winning faculty, and 100 percent of Nicholls recent nursing grads are either employed or in nursing school.

Anna Busalacchi, a graduate from Nicholls with her Bachelors of Science in nursing, states “It’s cool to be prideful of my alma mater. I had so much on my resume because I attended Nicholls and it helped me get a job so much easier.”

Nicholls’ College of Nursing aims to send off their graduates embracing these core values:

  • Civic responsibility
  • Diversity
  • Excellence
  • Integrity
  • Leadership
  • Respectfulness
  • Responsibility
  • Caring
  • Professionalism
  • Safety

Registered Nursing determines its school rankings using a variety of higher education statistics, while also factoring in school accreditation, graduation rates, cost of tuition, the ratio of instructional faculty to tenured faculty, and student acceptance rate.

Best Health Degrees determines its school rankings based on accreditation from either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and by the cost of tuition.

Best Health Degrees helps prospective students learn what skills and training they need for their ideal career field, the salary they can expect to earn, and advice on how to land their dream job, as well as information they may need about the college or university of their choice.

For more information about Nicholls nursing program visit nicholls.edu/nursing.

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Nicholls Educator Participates in new World Class Professor Program

Nicholls State University biology professor Dr. Raj Boopathy was chosen to visit Indonesia as a part of the Indonesian government’s relatively new World Class Professor program. Nicholls news gives us more information, check out the article here. The World Class Professor program, also known as WCP, is a program that is funded by the Indonesian government. This research project aims to help institutions cooperate together by strengthening and promoting research on a global level. The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education wanted to promote a global satellite research center.

Only ten World Class Professorships are awarded each year. The Indonesian government bases its program recipient decisions in publication and research output in addition to a strong, consistent publication record. Dr. Boopathy’s works have been cited over 7000 times internationally.

Dr. Boopathy will travel to Indonesia to visit the Institute of Technology, Bandung for two weeks. He will discuss his research in environmental biotechnology on the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment, biodegradation and bioremediation of hazardous chemicals, biofuel production and biological treatment of wastewater.

He will also talk to students on how to write and publish scientific papers.

Not only will Dr. Boopathy travel to Indonesia to discuss his research, a professor from the Institute of Technology, Bandung will travel to Louisiana in October to shadow Dr. Boopathy. The professor from the Institute of Technology, Bandung will study Dr. Boopathy’s process in collecting data and publishing research in the most notable scientific journals in the world.

This is not the first award or honor Dr. Boopathy has received. He is also a Fulbright Specialist. The Fulbright Specialist Program sends faculty and professionals from the United States to academic institutions worldwide to consult on curriculum, faculty development, and institutional planning. Dr. Boopathy has been the recipient of three Fulbright awards since 2007. The last place to request his services was Malaysia- who was aiming to curb the country’s pollution. Malaysia has been struggling from air pollution for close to twenty years. Dr. Boopathy visited the country right before Nicholls’ Spring 2019 semester began.

Last year Dr. Boopathy was the keynote speaker at the 13th Asian Biohydrogen and Biorefinery Symposium in Zhengzhou, China. It was here that he gave a speech on his research in the area of bioethanol production from sugarcane waste for energy use. The research is based on the idea of extracting sugar from agricultural waste that would typically be burned during a given season. The symposium had approximately 400 attendees from 28 countries share their research into bioenergy.

Dr. Raj Boopathy is a 2008 recipient of the Nicholls State University Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence. He is also considered an Alcee Fortier Distinguished Professor at Nicholls- an honorary title given to showcase academic excellence. He has published 167 papers in various peer-reviewed journals, 17 book chapters, and has edited a book.

“It is a big honor to be selected as a World Class Professor,” he said. “This says that Nicholls accommodates professors with high research output, and Nicholls always encourages the scholarly work of its professors.”

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