2008 Woodie Awards
Student opinion of quality of McNeese 'average or better'
Michael Rivers & Lacy Chism
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: News
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McNeese State University's students rated the academic quality of McNeese higher than the national average with only a few exceptions, according to the Noel Levitz consulting firm's student opinion poll, and MSU President Robert Hebert says that McNeese is implementing programs and initiatives to further improve McNeese.
However, when several students were asked how they rated the academic programs at MSU, the students said the engineering, education and nursing departments were strong but considered others at McNeese average. Hebert believes that is an unrealistic perception and provided data to support it.
"On national exams that our seniors take, the performance level is so far above the state and national averages, in most cases, it's almost astounding," said Hebert. Passage rates for the National Council Licensure Examination and the Praxis, both nursing and teaching license examinations, were at 100 percent the last time it was administered.
Though MSU has a high passing percentage on such exams as the National Council Licensure Examination and the Praxis, for nursing and teaching licensing, respectively, some students were concerned with the College of Liberal Arts. In response, Hebert asserted that the Liberal Arts College is one of the strongest on campus.
"Our professors (in the College of Liberal Arts) are internationally and nationally regarded," said Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Ray Miles in defense of the College. McNeese has had seven Fulbright scholars, which enables professors to teach and research in foreign countries, five out of the seven have instructed in the Liberal Arts College according to Miles. And the language department has had almost 100 books published and professors in other departments are published routinely according to Miles.
But "There is always room for improvement," said Hebert. To help improve the university, the assistance of an outside consulting firm was sought. Eight of the student-related initiatives developed by this partnership were the topic of a meeting that Hebert held with the faculty recently.
However, when several students were asked how they rated the academic programs at MSU, the students said the engineering, education and nursing departments were strong but considered others at McNeese average. Hebert believes that is an unrealistic perception and provided data to support it.
"On national exams that our seniors take, the performance level is so far above the state and national averages, in most cases, it's almost astounding," said Hebert. Passage rates for the National Council Licensure Examination and the Praxis, both nursing and teaching license examinations, were at 100 percent the last time it was administered.
Though MSU has a high passing percentage on such exams as the National Council Licensure Examination and the Praxis, for nursing and teaching licensing, respectively, some students were concerned with the College of Liberal Arts. In response, Hebert asserted that the Liberal Arts College is one of the strongest on campus.
"Our professors (in the College of Liberal Arts) are internationally and nationally regarded," said Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Ray Miles in defense of the College. McNeese has had seven Fulbright scholars, which enables professors to teach and research in foreign countries, five out of the seven have instructed in the Liberal Arts College according to Miles. And the language department has had almost 100 books published and professors in other departments are published routinely according to Miles.
But "There is always room for improvement," said Hebert. To help improve the university, the assistance of an outside consulting firm was sought. Eight of the student-related initiatives developed by this partnership were the topic of a meeting that Hebert held with the faculty recently.