Nicholls State University

Nicholls State University
File:Https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262964 10150353220542774 57493882773 9582767 3571407 n.jpg
Motto	Different. Better.
Established	September 23, 1948
Type	Public
President	Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert
Students	7,093[1]
Location	Thibodaux, LA, USA
Colors	Red & Gray
Website	www.nicholls.edu

Nicholls State University, founded in 1948, is a public university located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA. Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System of universities. Originally called Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the institution split from the Louisiana State University System in 1956. The university is named for Francis T. Nicholls, a former governor of Louisiana, and member of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

The 287-acre (1.16 km²) campus, once part of historic Acadia Plantation, fronts on Bayou Lafourche, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of New Orleans and 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Baton Rouge.

Nicholls is located in Acadiana, also known as "Cajun Country," an area rich in tradition and culture. It is also located in the heart of the Mississippi River Delta, allowing easy access to the river, its distributaries, Louisiana's wetlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. The school is sometimes referred to as "Our Harvard on the Bayou;" the university bookstore even sells shirts sporting this light-hearted nickname. More recently, however, students and faculty have been referring to Nicholls as "Berkeley on the Bayou," because of the university's encouraging atmosphere towards creativity and innovation that goes hand-in-hand with faculty and student engagement. The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) at Nicholls—which focuses on critical thinking—has the motto "L'esprit engagé," which means "the engaged mind."

Nicholls is the home of the John Folse Culinary Institute.

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 Center for Women in 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 (see The Princeton Review http://www.princetonreview.com/NichollsStateUniversity.aspx). 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.

Athletics

Nicholls sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision or FCS for football) in the Southland Conference.

Nicholls' colors are red and gray (two-tone) and the athletics teams are nicknamed the Colonels.

On November 19, 2005, the No. 24-ranked Nicholls Colonels football team clinched its first Southland Conference Championship by defeating the McNeese State Cowboys 39-26 at John L. Guidry Stadium. With that win, Nicholls finished the regular season tied atop the conference standing with Texas State. The Colonels advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs as the conference champion, based on their 32-29 overtime victory over then fifth-ranked Texas State, but eventually lost to the then No. 3 ranked Furman Paladins, 14-12, in Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C.

Nicholls official athletics mascot is the colonel. President Stephen Hulbert stated that "The Colonel is and will remain the mascot designation for Nicholls State University and its intercollegiate athletics program" on March 31, 2004 while calling the current Colonel depiction antiquated and reminiscent of the Civil War in the South. The decision to retire the mascot was made to avoid portraying racist sentiments associated with the Civil War confederacy. Although met with criticism from the school and surrounding community who were in favor of preserving the colonel mascot, the retirement of the mascot was considered vital to the public relations outlook of the university and its policy of solidarity with The University of Louisiana System's policy on discrimination. Hulbert banned the old Colonel from the university and tasked student leaders to work on a suitable replacement. That process lasted six years. The new Col. Tillou was introduced to the campus community in August 2009, sporting a bright red uniform topped off with a contemporary-style military officer's cap.

The Nicholls State University Department of Athletics currently sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, basketball, football, golf and tennis along with women's intercollegiate basketball, softball, soccer, tennis, track, volleyball and cheerleading.

Nicholls' primary athletic rival is Southeastern Louisiana University.

School of Art

Art Program Accreditation

The art program is built upon a broad liberal arts foundation and preparation in studio disciplines required for careers in the visual arts and design. The Division of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Mission

The Division of Art supports the university mission in offering individuals an opportunity to study the visual arts. It aims to provide quality studies in all visual media (photography, graphic design, printmaking, painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, and art history), to provide an environment in which students from the region can understand their personal place in the history of art, to provide the skills needed for both employment or continued studies in their area, and to provide a degree in visual arts, with a concentration in studio art, applied arts, or art education.

The university awards the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in art to students who, in addition to satisfying the minimum requirements for graduation from the College of Arts and Sciences, complete the art curriculum outline.

Notable alumni

• Jody Amedee, state senator since 2004 from Ascension, Livingston, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes
• Gordon Dove, state representative since 2004 from Terrebonne Parish
• Hunt Downer, former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives; assistant adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard
• Joe Harrison, state representative since 2008 from Assumption, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes
• Lardarius Webb, current kickoff returner and cornerback with the Baltimore Ravens.
• Kareem Moore, safety for Washington Redskins
• Hunter Smith, restaurateur, Ticket Broker
• Dwight Walker, former Running Back for the Cleveland Browns, and wide Receiver for the New Orleans Saints
• Antonio Robinson, wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers
• Anatoly Bose, guard/forward for the Sydney Kings

Notable faculty

• Robert A. Calvert (1933-2000), Texas historian
• Walter M. Lowrey (1921-1980), Louisiana historian
• Joe Gray Taylor (1920-1987), historian

References

1. ^ http://www.nicholls.edu/news/2010/09/15/enrollment-data-at-nicholls-reveal-higher-caliber-students/

External links

• Nicholls State University Web site
• John Folse Culinary Institute Web site
• Nicholls Athletics Web site
• Ellender Memorial Library, Nicholls State University Web site