As early as February 2013, University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Interim President Tom Layzell.
Students who enroll in the organizational leadership degree can choose from nine distinctive concentrations that enhance their career goals:
• Cultural and Arts Institutions at the University of New Orleans;
• Disaster Relief Management at Southeastern Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ University;
• Financial Services at the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Monroe;
• Foodservice Strategies and Operations at Nicholls State University;
• Health and Wellness at the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Lafayette;
• Human Relations at Grambling State University;
• Project Team Leadership at Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Tech University;
• Public Safety Administration at Northwestern State University; and
• Strategic Global Communication at McNeese State University.
The Board of Supervisors for the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ and the state's workforce. Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette's concentration in Health and Wellness will positively impact Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ citizens' quality of life," said Dr. Joseph Savoie, president of the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Lafayette.
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 Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½'s working adults," said Layzell.