Academics
The University of Louisiana System has identified the following areas as Unique Areas of Excellence at Nicholls State University. These are areas of study that, because of either their unique classes or their leadership in Louisiana education, have been selected for this special honor. John Folse Culinary Institute, Biological Sciences – Marine and environmental sciences emphasis, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Teacher Education, Accounting and Information Systems, and Child, Family and Social Services. Other notable degree programs include: Bachelor degrees in Art, English, Mass Communication, and Music; and Master degrees in Biology, Education, and Business Administration (in addition to an Executive MBA program). Education at the undergraduate and graduate level at Nicholls is one of the most affordable in Louisiana itself as well as in the country.
Nicholls is one of the first institutions in the United States to offer bachelor degrees in Culinary Arts. Students gain expertise in both Cajun and French cuisine. The John Folse Culinary Institute is the only American member of the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse. Students also have the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and then work towards earning the MBA.
Nicholls' faculty have been recognized nationally and internationally by the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Phi Kappa Lambda, the Renaissance Society of America, and by many other organizations and associations. In the past three years, several faculty members have been awarded grants from the Louisiana Board of Regents. The university has the only certified geneticist in the South. It also has the highest rate of librarians with PhDs in both public and private universities and colleges in the state. Nicholls is also the home of the Louisiana Center for Women and Government as well as the Dyslexia Center of Louisiana.
Recent Princeton Review statistics from 2010 list the student-to-faculty ratio as 20:1 at Nicholls. Admissions has become selective. The average GPA upon entry is 3.2 with an ACT score of 21. As expected, the average GPA of Honors students is 3.6 with an ACT score of 26. Almost 62 percent of the student body are women; and nearly 3 percent are international students. As with nearly all academic institutions in Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina has had an impact on Nicholls' completion rate and overall ranking. During the aftermath of Katrina, Nicholls suspended its admissions selectivity in order to accommodate students from hurricane affected institutions. The university also had many matriculating students who were affected by the hurricane and did not return. College ranking systems and review publications fail to recognize these factors.
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Famous quotes containing the word academics:
“Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with a vested interest in stressing only some of the implications and falsifying others. The idea that academics should remain “above the fray” only gives ideologues license to misuse our work.”
—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)