LSUE chancellor: 60 days on the job

After about 60 days on the job, LSUE Chancellor Kimberly Russell told Eunice Kiwanis Club members of emerging partnerships and achievements.
Tops on her list is the accreditation of the nursing program in October. Russell said expanding the nursing program is a goal. The expansion would include a licensed practical nurse program that offers a pathway to becoming a registered nurse.
Louisiana State University Eunice is also expanding its modular mathematics program into college-level algebra, she said. The modular math program allows students to improve their math skills in a semester so they can take college-level math courses.
Aspen Institute and the Community College Research Center at Columbia University representative visited the campus because LSUE is one of six institutions in the country with high transfer rates to baccalaureate degrees, Russell said. The national average is about 25 percent while about 50 percent of LSUE students go on to get four-year degrees, he said.
Russell said she has been having a series of focus groups with faculty, students and staff. The focus groups will expand to the community, she said.
“We are trying to assess where we are and where we are going,” she said.
Enrollment is the lowest in decades, which creates funding issues, she said.
“That translates to faculty and staff,” Russell said. “Because of financial constraints we are not able to have raises. They are not able to have incentives. Morale on campus has been kind of low.”
But the issues are about developing opportunities, she said.
“I’m so excited to see where LSUE is going to be over the next five years,” she said.
Russell said the university is reaching to businesses and industry to find out their needs.
In the case of the Lake Charles area, the economic development is beyond that area’s ability to completely serve. LSUE will work with McNeese University and SOWELA Technical Community College to provide the training that will be needed.
In the next five years, the Lake Charles area will see about $62 billion of investment in new industry and the population is projected to grow by 50,000 people, she said.
“The need far exceeds what those two institutions are able to give them,” she said.
One of LSUE’s strengths is its science, technology, engineering and math programs, and programs should be able to help the needs of the Lake Charles development.
LSUE may also receive funding through St. Landry Economic Development for a position to work on workforce development in the region, Russell said.
A program to allow engineering students to complete their degree at LSUE is to be launched in the spring in a 2 plus 2 program, she said. A similar program is planned in agriculture.
Russell said the University of Louisiana Lafayette representatives area expressing interest in developing 2 plus 2 programs at LSUE. A teacher training program already exists with ULL, which allows education students to complete their degree at LSUE.