SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE ECONOMIC, WORKFORCE, AND CULTURAL IMPACT February 9, 2010 Southeastern Louisiana University is an SREB Four-Year 3, Carnegie Master’s L College and University, and COC/SACS Level V Institution whose mission is “to lead the educational, economic, and cultural development of southeast Louisiana.” To fulfill its educational mission, Southeastern provides challenging and relevant undergraduate and graduate programs that meet regional and state needs. The university’s core values are Excellence, Caring, Community, Diversity, Integrity, Learning, Scholarship, and Service. The objectives of the Department of History and Political Science with regard to undergraduate education are (1) to provide all students with general humanistic knowledge in the fields of history, political science, and philosophy; (2) to aid them through this knowledge to analyze and interpret problems and achievements of past and present societies; (3) to further their intellectual development through opportunities to think, to speak, and to write logically and analytically; (4) to prepare them to become dynamic citizens who understand the structure, powers, and procedures of national and state governments and have some knowledge of other world governments as well; and (5) to provide specific background training for such professions as law, journalism, government service, and teaching. Additional objectives of the Department of History and Political Science with regard to graduate education are (1) to train students for careers in school teaching, government service, and business; (2) prepare students for doctoral studies in history. The Department of History and Political Science offers the following baccalaureate degrees with a combined average of 400-500 undergraduate majors per year: • Bachelor of Arts in History • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science • Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education The Department of History and Political Science offers the following undergraduate minors: • African-American Studies • History • International Studies • Philosophy • Political Science • Public History The Department of History offers the following Master’s degree in the options specified with an average of 50-60 majors per year: • M.A. in History Thesis Option Non-Thesis Option Public History Option IMPACT OF THE B.A. IN HISTORY The B.A. in History provides majors with a broad Liberal Arts background that not only prepares them for a broad range of positions in the workforce but also equips them to be active, well- informed citizens. It also teaches majors how to continue learning after graduation and emphasizes that this is a life-long process, thereby providing a skill and an attitude that are valuable in any job. More particularly, all upper-level courses require extensive reading and multiple written assignments that are designed to teach students to read intelligently, think analytically, write clearly, accurately assess past trends, rationally predict future developments, and understand the real world. Recently the B.A. in History program has begun emphasizing undergraduate research. One of the fruits of this emphasis is a 45-minute documentary film, Louisiana’s Forgotten Treasure: The Isleños, produced entirely by History major Samantha Perez and Communication major Joshua Robin for a special independent study class pairing students from these two majors to learn the art of documentary filmmaking. This film has been shown on opening night of the 2009 ‘Then and Now’ Fanfare History and Politics Lecture Series and in history classes at Southeastern and is scheduled to be shown on the Southeastern Channel, at the Louisiana Historical Association meeting, and in other academic venues. In the fall semester 2009 there were 167 majors in the B.A. in History program. For the five academic years 2004-05 to 2008-09 Southeastern Louisiana University has awarded 145 baccalaureate degrees in History (CIP code 540101), more than any other university in the University of Louisiana System and more than any university in the state except LSU (591) and UNO (168), according to the Board of Regents Inventory of Degree and Certificate Programs. Among the respondents to the Alumni Survey 2006-07, 25% indicated that they were enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program. 25% indicated that they have completed a Master’s degree, 25% indicated that they completed a Doctoral degree, 25% indicated that they have taken graduate classes and/or plan to enroll in a graduate program, and 100% indicated that they are employed on a full-time basis. IMPACT OF THE B.A. IN POLITICAL SCIENCE The B.A. in Political Science provides majors with a broad Liberal Arts background that not only prepares them for a broad range of positions in the workforce but also equips them to be active, well-informed citizens. It also teaches majors how to continue learning after graduation and emphasizes that this is a life-long process, thereby providing a skill and an attitude that are valuable in any job. More particularly, all upper-level courses require extensive reading and multiple written assignments that are designed to teach students to read intelligently, think analytically, write clearly, accurately assess past trends, rationally predict future developments, and understand the real world. Political Science majors have completed internships and/or secured post-internship employment in the offices of the following elected officials (among others): • U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu • U.S. Senator David Vitter • U.S. Representative Richard Baker • U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal • U.S. Representative Chris John • U.S. Representative Steve Scalise • U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin • U.S. Representative David Vitter • Governor Mike Foster • Governor Bobby Jindal • State Representative A. G. Crowe • State Representative Henry Powell • State Representative Steve Pugh • Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney Scott Perrilloux In the fall semester 2009 there were 134 majors in the B.A. in Political Science program. For the five academic years 2004-05 to 2008-09 Southeastern Louisiana University has awarded 88 baccalaureate degrees in Political Science (CIP code 451001), which in the University of Louisiana System ranks behind Nichols (153) and just behind Louisiana Tech (100) and the UL- Lafayette (97) but well ahead of Northwestern (51), Grambling (42), McNeese (35), and UL- Monroe (21). However, for the last two academic years 2007-08 to 2008-09 Southeastern ranks third (35) behind Nicholas (57) and ULL (42) and ahead of Louisiana Tech (33), Grambling (23), McNeese (17), Northwestern (14), ULM (3). Among the respondents to the Alumni Survey 2006-07, 20% indicated that they were enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program, 20% indicated that they have completed a Master’s degree, 60% indicated that they have taken graduate classes and/or plan to enroll in a graduate program, and 100% indicated that they are employed on a full-time basis. IMPACT OF THE B.A. IN SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION The B.A. in Social Studies Education provides majors with a broad Liberal Arts background and an intensive grounding in History, Political Science, Economics, Geography, and Sociology that not only prepares them to be effective in the classroom but also equips them to be active, well- informed citizens and to show their own students how to do likewise. It also teaches majors how to continue learning after graduation and emphasizes that this is a life-long process, thereby providing a skill and an attitude that are valuable in any job. More particularly, all upper-level courses require extensive reading and multiple written assignments that are designed to teach students to read intelligently, think analytically, write clearly, accurately assess past trends, rationally predict future developments, and understand the real world. Currently graduates of the program who obtain teaching positions in Louisiana Region II are immediately eligible to participate in a U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History Grant program administered by the Tangipahoa Parish School System and Southeastern Louisiana University in which qualified Social Studies teachers can—at not cost—earn CLU’s (continuing learning units) to become Highly Qualified under the No Child Left Behind Act and earn graduate credit leading to the MA in History. The B.A. in Social Studies Education is a sound program producing top quality graduates. It received National Council for Social Studies approval in most recent NCATE review, has a100% passage rate on PRAXIS II by Social Studies majors since 2001, and though Southeastern offers a guarantee to retrain any teachers found deficient in the classroom, it never has had to do so with any Social Studies Education graduate. In the fall semester 2009 there were 143 majors in the B.A. in Social Studies Education program. For the five academic years 2004-05 to 2008-09 Southeastern Louisiana University has awarded 69 baccalaureate degrees in Social Studies Education (CIP code 131318), more than any other university in the state, 23% of all such degrees in the state, and 35% of those in the University of Louisiana System, according to the Board of Regents Inventory of Degree and Certificate Programs. Among the respondents to the Alumni Survey 2006-07, 25% indicated that they were enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program, 25% indicated that they have completed a Master’s degree, 50% indicated that they have taken