NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University has received approval from the State Board of Regents to expand its offerings in the Center for Adult Learning in Louisiana (CALL).

     Northwestern will offer the Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and RN to BSN (Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing) through CALL beginning this fall. A Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Substance Abuse will be available in the spring 2011 semester. NSU will also be a partner in a collaborative effort by University of Louisiana System to offer a Bachelor of Science in Business. All eight UL System institutions will be involved in the initiative.

     “The degree programs to be offered by Northwestern were proposed based on their alignment with top demand and fastest growing occupations as defined by the Louisiana Workforce Commission,” said Northwestern Vice President for Technology, Research and Economic Development Dr. Darlene Williams. “We are very pleased that all four of Northwestern’s proposals were recommended. The additional program offerings will provide even greater opportunity for adults to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

   

     CALL is a joint initiative between the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and the Consortium for Education, Research and Technology of North Louisiana aimed at making it easier for Louisiana adults without a college degree to enroll at a Louisiana public college or university and earn a degree or other college credential.

     CALL aims to expand adult participation in postsecondary education by: better understanding the needs of adult learners in Louisiana; establishing innovative programming to respond to those needs; aggressively promoting adult learning services and programming and creating convenient pathways to postsecondary certificates and degrees.

     The Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies is designed to provide more extensive training for addiction counselors and prevention specialists. The program was the first of its kind in the state and goes beyond many existing curriculums which focus on alcoholism and drug abuse.

     The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism provides a program of study that prepares students from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds for varied careers in journalism and mass communications or for advanced studies. Built on a broad liberal arts tradition, the program incorporates the values, ethics and attitudes associated with professional standards of mass media.

     The RN to BSN program offers an individualized plan for learning to assist registered nurses who would like to pursue a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. The purpose of the program is to train students to become: a provider of direct and indirect care to individuals, families, groups, communities and populations, a designer, manager and coordinator of care and a member of a profession.

     For more information on CALL at Northwestern, go to http://call.nsula.edu.