Nicholls State University and Delgado Community College of New Orleans signed a memorandum of understanding on March 23 to allow Delgado culinary students to continue their education and obtain a bachelor’s degree at Nicholls.
“The purpose of the agreement is to establish a Culinary Institute for the Southeast Louisiana area,” said Culinary Programmer and Hospitality Management of Delgado Vance Roux.  “We will partner together to make a culinary destination, where both of the schools can work together.”
The memorandum is an agreement that both schools will work together and come to an agreement to make specific goals possible for students to transfer to Nicholls from Delgado.
Both presidents would like to see six things occur with the signing of the memorandum. The first is to provide a guide of transferable courses from Delgado to Nicholls in culinary arts. Next, they would like to develop cross-enrollment and reverse transfer opportunities for students enrolled at both colleges. Thirdly, the schools hope to develop scholarships for students who complete a Delgado Community College degree through cross-enrollment and continue pursuit of bachelor’s degree at Nicholls. The memorandum also states that both schools would provide online instruction opportunities for students at both institutions, and provide for sharing of faculty and/or intellectual resources in culinary arts between both colleges. It would also explore the expansion of the memorandum of understanding to provide for more programs, as well as packaging for transfer from Delgado into a possible bachelor of applied science degree at Nicholls.
On March 23, Nicholls and Delgado representatives had their first annual Dinner of the Century at the Royal Sonesta hotel in New Orleans, where the memorandum of understanding began. Some of Nicholls’ students and faculty of John Folse Culinary Institute paired up with some of New Orleans top chefs to prepare the meals for the attendees.
When the two colleges agreed to the memorandum, they also agreed to share resources with each other. The Thibodaux area will share the Cajun cuisine with New Orleans, and the New Orleans area will share their New Orleans cuisine with the Thibodaux area. The two colleges can put their different thoughts and ideas together, according to Roux.
Dean of University College Al Davis said, “We at the institute encourage the continued development of the concept of a New Orleans culinary and hospitality hub because such an endeavor strengthens an idea that has come to be known, and rightly so, as fact. South Lousiana is a preeminent culinary education destination.”
“Because of our culinary offerings, the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute is a part of the rich culinary and cultural heritage that New Orleans and our region have so long nurtured and supported.” Davis said. “Our namesake, Chef John Folse, known as Louisiana’s Culinary Ambassador to the World, and Nicholls State University believe that the culinary partnership with Delgado, signed at the Dinner of the Century, is an example of the institute’s total commitment to a unified regional voice and branding.”
Davis said that about 250 students graduate from the culinary program at Delgado, and he is hoping that 20 students per year come to Nicholls from Delgado to continue their education.
Nicholls’ culinary arts department is getting ready to establish their new  building that should be ready to hold the culinary department in the spring of 2015. The new culinary building will have four teaching kitchens and will have the new bistro in the building.