As early as February 2013, Сòòò½APP of Louisiana System institutions will begin accepting applications for the Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership, a 100 percent online degree offered jointly by nine public universities. The accelerated degree completion program is designed for adults who stopped out of college.
"According to the 2009 American Community Survey there are over 600,000 adults in Louisiana with some college credit and no degree. This pioneering program is a way to reach out to that market and entice former students to finish their degrees, while capitalizing on the unique strengths of nine public universities," said UL System Interim President Tom Layzell.
Students who enroll in the organizational leadership degree can choose from nine distinctive concentrations that enhance their career goals:
Сòòò½APP¢ Cultural and Arts Institutions at the Сòòò½APP of New Orleans;
Сòòò½APP¢ Disaster Relief Management at Southeastern Louisiana Сòòò½APP;
Сòòò½APP¢ Financial Services at the Сòòò½APP of Louisiana at Monroe;
Сòòò½APP¢ Foodservice Strategies and Operations at Nicholls State Сòòò½APP;
Сòòò½APP¢ Health and Wellness at the Сòòò½APP;
Сòòò½APP¢ Human Relations at Grambling State Сòòò½APP;
Сòòò½APP¢ Project Team Leadership at Louisiana Tech Сòòò½APP;
Сòòò½APP¢ Public Safety Administration at Northwestern State Сòòò½APP; and
Сòòò½APP¢ Strategic Global Communication at McNeese State Сòòò½APP.
The Board of Supervisors for the Сòòò½APP of Louisiana System has approved an agreement signed by the presidents of all nine universities to share faculty, staff, technology and other resources in the online collaborative program.
"The system-wide organizational leadership degree is a cost-efficient collaborative that will benefit higher education in Louisiana and the state's workforce. UL Lafayette's concentration in Health and Wellness will positively impact Louisiana citizens' quality of life," said Dr. Joseph Savoie, president of the Сòòò½APP.
The degree will consist of 30 hours of courses offered jointly by faculty at the nine universities and 30 hours of concentration and elective courses offered by each institution. The online platform will be seamless and the cost will be uniform across concentrations and universities.
To enter the program, students must be at least 25 years old and have completed 60 hours of college credit including general education courses. However, students with less than 60 hours will have opportunities to earn credit online or through prior learning assessment that gauges skills learned on the job.
Offered in five, eight-week terms each year, and charging a flat per credit hour rate of $325, the program can be completed in two years well below the cost of other online degree programs.
"We can offer a competitive price for the program because our universities are willing to share resources. Their faculty and staff are working together in unprecedented ways and the result will be a cost-effective, flexible degree for Louisiana's working adults," said Layzell.