Nicholls, Fletcher raising student standards, tuition

They may jokingly be nicknamed “Mutt and Jeff” or “Laurel and Hardy,” but the partnership between Nicholls’ president Dr. Stephen Hulbert and Fletcher’s chancellor Travis Lavigne has a serious effect on higher education in the bayou region, and it will only continue to improve.

“These two gentlemen who have made a profound impact on our area, while I know our area has been beset with many challenges, we also have many things to feel very fortunate about,” said Houma-Terrebonne Chairman Dr. Glenn Manceaux. “The primary reasons for that is their ability to put politics and egos aside and put students first, and to put excellence first.”

This excellence led to the creation of the GRAD (Granting Resources and Autonomy for Diplomas) Act that will grant colleges and universities increased autonomy and flexibility in exchange for a commitment to meet clearly defined statewide performance goals, including boosting graduation rates, according to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s website.

“We accomplished everything [within the GRAD Act] with great pride. Nicholls has increased its standards twice since 2005 when we went selective admissions, and this last time this fall,” Dr. Hulbert said. “Nicholls is a year ahead of state requirement … a lot of progress has occurred in the last 10 years in Louisiana education, our students are coming better prepared.”

The 6-year graduation rate, at 28 percent was “horrible” according to Dr. Hulbert, due to open admission and students being ill prepared. After implementing selective admission, the rate has slowly crept up to 35 percent. Fletcher made great strides also, by becoming accredited in February 2009.

“For a community college to get an accreditation that fast was incredible,” Dr. Hulbert said.

Increased enrollment played a big role in Fletcher’s accreditation, according to Lavigne.

“In 2003, our tuition was $20 per credit hour, so we had to move towards increasing our tuition because of the expanded services and growing enrollment,” he said. “In 2004, the legislative delegation passed an act which allowed Fletcher to raise tuition up to the median of 2-year schools.”

Fletcher is now $70.35 per credit hour this year, and Nicholls will soon be allowed to raise its tuition rate 10 percent each year. But with increasing tuition comes increasing concern for parents and students, especially in regards to the financial detriment some face due to the oil spill.

“Normally, when there’s an immediate crisis, you see enrollments increase in universities, because people literally feel the need to go back and get an education and change their backgrounds so that they can apply for new jobs, but that’s normally what happens in a financial downturn across the country,” Dr. Hulbert said.

Students need not worry, according to Hulbert, as he is dedicated to quality, and more importantly, completed education for students in Louisiana.

“It’s not what happens in an immediate crisis like ours that involves and affects the community so dramatically. If students’ financial situation has changed dramatically, their financial aid opportunity probably has increased immediately,” he said. “Come to us and let us work out the financial aid to allow you to finish that degree or to initiate that degree. We are educating a community, serving a community.”

Nicholls State University and Fletcher Technical Community College continue to make strides academically, according to the institutions’ leaders – Dr. Stephen Hulbert (left) and Travis Lavigne. The two men spoke last week at the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon. JENNA FARMER