On Sept. 25, student and university leaders gathered at the Nicholls State University Fall 2013 Presidential Forum.
As he opened the forum, Larry Howell, Nicholls State University Interim President, said, “This is a special semester for us. Twhe selection process of a new president was a little more open than it was at LSU. I think it’s very time-consuming on everyone’s part.”
He continued, “I want to thank the students, especially the student leadership for being involved in that process. It’s a critical process for Nicholls.”
Nicholls State University President Bruce T. Murphy also directed a few words to student leaders.
“Winston Churchill had a great quote,” Murphy said. “He said, ‘The soldier is twice the citizen, and I think that the student leader is twice the student.’ In other words, you do twice the stuff that every other student does. The experiences you are gaining as student leaders will serve you well into the future.”
Howell expressed his pleasure with the end result of the search process.
“If we are lucky, we will have Dr. Murphy for as long as we had Dr. Hulbert,” Howell said.
Murphy also expressed his plans to continue visiting the campus until he officially becomes president on Jan. 15, 2014. His hope is that these visits will allow him to slowly transition into the Nicholls family.
Howell called attention to the pre-construction of the culinary institute taking place on Bowie Road. He voiced his hopes that increased marketing will lead to a surge in enrollment for the culinary institute, which currently boasts about 300 students.
He explained that one of the goals of these increased marketing efforts is to show that the Nicholls Culinary Institute is “the best for the buck, if that’s your interest.”
Howell also touched the subject of booming class sizes that can sometimes make it hard for students to schedule classes, saying they were “dealing with that.”
Melissa Cloutet, Student Government Association President, then took the floor to announce a campaign that aims to make the city of Thibodaux and the surrounding area look more like a college town.
“You can’t really tell it’s a college town because there is no Nicholls pride in the businesses,” Cloutet said.
This campaign will use promotional signs that businesses and citizens can display to showcase their Nicholls pride. These signs are available in the SGA office.
Cloutet continued by explaining the campaign’s outreach efforts.
“We plan on going down the bayou, Morgan City [and] all the surrounding areas. That way we can get students to come to Nicholls and come on our campus,” she said.
A student expressed concern over the effectiveness of marketing the school to non-regional areas, to which Howell responded, “The best salespeople for Nicholls are Nicholls students.”
He continued, “We have to market, especially our unique programs, our programs that we truly excel in such as geomatics, the culinary, the petroleum, the masters in nursing and the online degrees we have. Those things will bring in new people, which is going to be the salvation of Nicholls State University: bringing in people that have never heard of Nicholls and can’t spell Thibodaux.”
A student shared her experience as a veteran while attending a different school. “My experiences at that school as a veteran were shameful. It improved here and it was probably one of the most welcoming experiences I have ever had. We have one of the best veterans’ programs I think someone can boast about.”
Murphy has a special connection with veterans, saying, “I do have a veteran’s background. I am one and so is my wife. I think it’s really important that every single college and university opens up to the veterans. This will be a veteran-friendly school. I am very pleased to hear that it already is.”
The student also shared a few concerns about faculty and student sensitivity.
“I haven’t experienced it myself, but one of the things I hear is that some of the veterans have some diagnosed or even undiagnosed issues. We have some professors who may not be as sensitive to those issues as we might hope for. Maybe a little more education in that area might help prevent some altercations or issues with students that might hurt students or professors.”
The subject then shifted to Nicholls’ newest building when Michael Matherne, Director of the Recreation Center, said, “I wanted to say thanks. The recreation center has had a great first year. As of August, which was 10 months into it, we have had 100,000 users.”
The recreation center opened its doors on Sept. 29, 2012, after almost nine years of planning.
Matherne continued, “Thank you so much. The building is well used and it’s because of ya’ll.”
It was also announced that the Nicholls State Women Involved in Self Empowerment Scholarship Gala will be held on Oct. 11, 2013 in the Cotillion Ball Room. Ticket prices for this formal event are $5 for students and $20 for community members. All of the proceeds from this event will go to a scholarship that encourages survivors of domestic and sexual abuse to return to school. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. with a silent auction, dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. and a live auction will be held at 8:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in the SGA office until Oct. 4, 2013.
Students and faculty also brainstormed ideas that would make it easier for students to stay up-to-date on campus events through the Nicholls app or even Moodle.
The comments and information gathered at this forum will be presented to the appropriate staff and departments as part of an assessment activity that aids in the expansion and improvement of Nicholls.