LSU Academic Affairs Newsletter

Having trouble viewing this email? Try it in your browser.

October 2021
View Past Issues

Employee Hub
COVID-19 Roadmap
LSU Together

Matt Lee on stage at Fall Fest with cheerleaders and Mike the Tiger

Dear Colleagues,

In my role as interim executive vice president, I have the privilege of serving as the chief academic officer supporting the Board of Supervisors for all eight of our institutions. From this vantage point, it quickly becomes apparent that the scale and impact of the collective LSU endeavor is nothing short of astounding. With an unrelenting commitment to excellence through innovation and always putting Scholarship First, we serve our communities, the state, the nation and the globe through all stages of the lifespan—literally changing the world and making it better every day.

I recently visited several of our campuses around the state and developed an even deeper appreciation for the scale and impact of the family of LSU institutions. In service to the youngest of our generations, we offer neonatal clinical research studies, innovative early childhood foundational programs, a nationally acclaimed laboratory school, and best-in-class pre-college and dual enrollment programming. Next comes our signature offering, an elite undergraduate education where tens of thousands of students prepare for careers of leadership and service. We complement that experience with our top-flight graduate and post-graduate programming, which translates into revolutionary and society-changing research and creative activity. As the journey through adulthood continues, we provide professional educational opportunities, certificates, and virtual educational opportunities. We model the benefits of continuing educational opportunities through our employee tuition exemption program, which invests in the potential of our talented workforce. For those lifelong learners seeking to enrich their everyday lives, we even have the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). This is excellence at scale, across the spectrum.

The sheer scale of LSU’s excellence becomes particularly poignant during the recruitment and onboarding phases for incoming students. As I am sure you have heard, LSU continues to set enrollment records and attract high performers from high schools across the nation. These incredibly accomplished students join a cohort of more than 7,000 capable and competitive freshmen, and suddenly get a reality check. The faculty are leaders in their disciplines, often writing their own textbooks and many are the most eminent scholars in their field. The expectations are high, the standards rigorous, and our students continue to thrive. Our students succeed because of the support of our world-class faculty and award-winning academic support staff who collectively uphold our culture of student success. This, I submit, is the essence of the LSU experience. We put Scholarship First and create leaders for a socioeconomic and political environment that demands excellent communication and analytical skills for civically engaged and ethical problem solvers. Again, this is excellence at scale, across the spectrum.

Of course, none of this is possible without the expertise or commitment of all of you. A world-class, high-impact, public institution ultimately prospers because of its people. No matter where you are situated in the organizational chart, your work is integral to our success and makes a difference. As we continue to enhance our impact and reach even greater heights, let’s take a moment to savor the fact that from the neonatal stage to the twilight years, we literally change lives and make the world a better place. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, thank you for all you do, and as always, Geaux Tigers!

Matt Lee
Interim Executive Vice President & Provost
Professor of Sociology

CCELL Members Participate in Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank

On Wed., Sept. 29, LSU's Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership members packed and sorted 1,024 boxes which feeds one family per box.

"The work you guys did today really puts a smile on our face," said Mark Walker, sorting/repack captain, Baton Rouge Food Bank. "You all packed 1,024 boxes in just three hours, which is amazing, impressive and incredible work. It will help feed 1,024 families. We encourage more volunteers from LSU to come out and help us touch more lives."

International Programs Hires Inaugural Director of International Partnerships

Tye Tarvis
International Programs has named Tye Tarvas as the Inaugural Director of International Partnerships. The director will facilitate and further LSU’s participation in global engagement through strategic agreements and partnerships with both domestic and international organizations and institutions.

New Edition of Pregnancy & Parenting Program Guidebook Released

LSU is committed to supporting current and expecting parents in our LSU community. The Pregnancy & Parenting Program created an "Expecting and New Parent Resource Guidebook" to provide employees information and resources to help navigate being a working parent at LSU. Specific updates to the guidebook include ADA guidelines and benefit expansions.

Proposals for Spring 2022 Honors Courses

The Office of Academic Affairs invites you to become part of the Honors faculty by submitting a course proposal to the Ogden Honors College for spring 2022. For more information on teaching opportunities in the Honors College, and to find instructions on submitting a course proposal, visit Ogden Honors College website and click on Faculty Portal. Please direct any questions to Drew Lamonica Arms, associate dean of the Ogden Honors College, dlamoni@lsu.edu.

LSU Testing Center Information

Several new processes were implemented at the LSU Testing Center this semester. Along with boasting a new entrance on the Coates side of Himes and other student-centered renovations, new or upgraded user-friendly and accessible software solutions for testing have been implemented. Updated information is available on the Testing Center website to support faculty and students as they learn the new systems.

Questionmark, a test creation software faculty can utilize to create secure tests, has several new features this semester. Please review all the instructions and resources available here.
Information for faculty about SmarterProctoring, the new test scheduling software available through Moodle, can be found here.

Please Note: Assessments authored within Moodle cannot be administered in the LSU Testing Center for security reasons. If you have any questions please contact otes-testing@lsu.edu.

Make-up Days for Classes - 10/21 & 10/22

Make-up days for classes that were missed on Thursday, September 2 and Friday, September 3 are scheduled for this Thursday (10/21) and Friday (10/22), respectively. As a reminder, the make-up sessions will be virtual in nature, meaning that no students are to attend in-person.

School of Collaborative Academic Programs Webinar Recording

Watch a recently hosted webinar that answers questions about the School of Collaborative Academic Programs and how to become involved. For more information about the school and the proposal process, click here.

Libraries Breaks LSU Record of E-Textbook Use

The Libraries' program of purchasing e-books that serve as class textbooks reached an all time high this semester - doubling in numbers from the spring 2021 semester. There are now 508 sections that use at least one "free" textbook and 221 total textbooks. To learn more about selecting free e-textbooks for your students, click here.

Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Database

Faculty are encouraged to add their names to the Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Database. This database is an excellent way to connect with students looking for faculty-mentored undergraduate research opportunities. LSU faculty interested in adding their name to the database can do so at this link: Access the Faculty Mentor Database. Questions about the database should be emailed to the LSU Discover Undergraduate Research Program at lsudiscover@lsu.edu.

End of Year Mandatory Trainings

Power-Based Violence Prevention & Response Training

On Oct. 1, the university rolled out a new Power-Based Violence Prevention & Response Training. This replaces the former Preventing Sexual Misconduct Training for LSU Employees and must be completed by Dec. 31, 2021. If you already have completed the Preventing Sexual Misconduct Training for 2021 and have your certificate, you do not need to take this course, but you must complete the Mandatory Reporting mini-course which presents current information about employee legal responsibilities.

Digital Resource and Content Accessibility

To satisfy the federal requirement, LSU has created the e-course, Digital Resource and Content Accessibility Awareness. This course will teach employees about the federal statutes and institutional policy governing digital resource and content accessibility, and the tools available to ensure the proactive accessibility of digital resources and content.

The Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, Louisiana Board of Ethics

In response to Louisiana Revised Statute 42:1170, all public employees are required to complete one hour of training on the Code of Governmental Ethics each calendar year. This online training course is located on the Ethics Board website. Upon completion, the employee will be provided with a certificate that documents the completion of the course.

You can access all three required trainings on the mandatory training website.

October 26 | New Faculty Quick-Start

Mid-semester is a time to take stock of what is working and what is not. Join us for a session exploring how to chart the next steps after mid-semester and identify university resources to support your students. Register here for the New Faculty Morning Gathering.

Topic: Center for Academic Success
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021
Time: 8:00-9:30 a.m.
Location: B-2 Coates

November 10 | Inclusive Excellence Series Breakfast hosted by the College of Science

Featured speaker Dr. Rigoberto Hernandez presenting on "Managing Inclusive Excellence in Academia." Administrators can find out more about the speaker, presentation and registration for the Excellence Series Breakfast here.

November 17 | University Faculty Awards Ceremony for 2019-20 Recipients

The University Faculty Awards Ceremony will celebrate the 2019-20 award recipients on Nov. 17 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. The 2020 and 2021 recipients will be honored in the spring 2022 semester. You may view a list of the 2019-20 recipients as well as previous years here.