{"id":200,"date":"2007-05-01T12:18:44","date_gmt":"2007-05-01T17:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/catalog\/2019-2020\/html\/home\/general-information\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T13:46:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T19:46:34","slug":"general_information","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/catalog-2023-2024\/general_information\/","title":{"rendered":"GENERAL INFORMATION"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n About ÐÓ°É´«Ã½<\/a> | Strategic Plan<\/a> | Accreditation<\/a> | Special Centers and Institutes<\/a> | Special Programs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n ÐÓ°É´«Ã½, located in Thibodaux, La., is a comprehensive regional university serving a diverse population of traditional and nontraditional students.<\/p>\n Tax-supported and co-educational, the institution first opened its doors on Sept. 23, 1948, as Francis T. ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ Junior College of Louisiana State University.\u00a0In 1956, the Louisiana Legislature separated ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ from LSU and authorized it to develop four-year curricula. Thus, in September 1956, the former junior college began operation as Francis T. ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ State College and granted its first degrees in May 1958. Act 93 of the State Legislature in 1970 changed the name to ÐÓ°É´«Ã½.<\/p>\n The University is named in honor of Francis Redding Tillou ÐÓ°É´«Ã½, who was born on Aug. 20, 1834, in Donaldsonville, La. After graduating from West Point, he practiced law in South Louisiana. He rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Civil War, during which he was a prisoner of war and lost his left arm and leg. He returned to his Napoleonville law practice, and the Louisiana State Democratic Party nominated him for governor in 1876. His election is generally considered to mark the end of Louisiana\u2019s political Reconstruction and the re-establishment of \u201cHome Rule.\u201d During his second tenure as governor (1888\u20131892), he successfully opposed the corrupt Louisiana Lottery Company. After completing two gubernatorial terms, he was named chief justice to the Louisiana Supreme Court. He retired to his Thibodaux home in 1911 and died in 1912.<\/p>\n Located in \u201cCajun Country,\u201d ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ lies in the heart of the Mississippi River delta, allowing for easy access to the river, its tributaries, Louisiana\u2019s wetlands and the Gulf of Mexico. The 287-acre Thibodaux campus is approximately 50 miles west of New Orleans and 60 miles southeast of Baton Rouge.<\/p>\n For more than half a century, the University\u2019s strong general education program has prepared students to be leaders in a global society and has enhanced their ability to create a vision for the future. ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ capitalizes on the region\u2019s geography and culture by offering distinctive academic programs in the culinary arts and geomatics. With its prime location along the banks of Bayou Lafourche, ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ also provides unique opportunities for instruction and research in the fields of marine and environmental science. The University has assumed a leadership role in an area known for its agricultural, fishing, petrochemical and oilfield-related industries. ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ continues to contribute significantly to the region\u2019s growth in new technology, manufacturing and international trade.<\/p>\n By maintaining partnerships with businesses, local school systems, community agencies and other educational institutions, ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ actively participates in\u00a0 south-central Louisiana\u2019s development. The University maintains a strong commitment to the well-being of local residents. Through the expansion of health science programs, ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ collaborates with a nationally recognized health care industry in the Houma-Thibodaux area.<\/p>\n The University also proudly partners with Fletcher Technical Community College in Houma, located about 15 miles south of ÐÓ°É´«Ã½. Both campuses work together to provide complete access to higher education in south-central Louisiana.<\/p>\n [Back<\/span><\/a>][Top<\/span><\/a>]<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Visit the Strategic Plan Website here.<\/a><\/p>\n [Back<\/span><\/a>][Top<\/span><\/a>]<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Inquiries relating to accreditation of academic programs can be mailed to Academic Affairs at ÐÓ°É´«Ã½, P.O. Box 2002, Thibodaux, LA 70310 or may be directed to (985) 448-4011 via telephone.<\/p>\n ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, and master\u2019s degrees. ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC\u2019s website (www.sacscoc.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n [Back<\/span><\/a>][Top<\/span><\/a>]<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Ellender Memorial Library<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Centrally and conveniently located, the three-story Allen J. Ellender Memorial Library\u00a0provides\u00a0direct\u00a0access to over 750,000\u00a0books, journals, government documents and other research\u00a0sources in a variety of print and\u00a0 electronic\u00a0formats and supplements those resources through its inter-library loan service. The Allen J. Ellender Archives is located on the first floor, Circulation, Interlibrary Loan\u00a0and Research\/Reference on the second, and Government\u00a0Information and Serials on the third. In addition, The Ellender Computer Lab can be found on the first floor. Most collections are easily accessible through open shelving, convenient service stations and the computerized card catalogue known as e-Library.<\/p>\n Service is the first priority of the library’s faculty and staff. Our\u00a0Research Librarians offer one-on-one help and provide\u00a0group instruction in library skills, an integral part of Interdisciplinary Studies classes in freshman studies, and they visit classes to explain topics of particular interest to students and instructors. Interlibrary Loan\u00a0offers personalized services to patrons who need materials from other libraries, using the latest online computer technology to locate and request materials.<\/p>\n The Archives, part of the Special Collections Department, serves as a repository for primary and secondary materials relating to Louisiana. Its largest collection is the papers of Senator Allen J. Ellender, which document his thirty-five year career in the U. S. Senate. Other original materials available to patrons include antebellum plantation papers, local business records, diaries and journals, historical photographs, and papers of past university presidents, as well as university yearbooks and student newspaper files.<\/p>\n Alumni Federation<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ Alumni Federation, chartered in 1960, is composed of graduates and former students who have successfully completed at least one semester and a minimum of twelve semester hours. A board of directors elected by the active membership directs Federation activities. The Federation conducts an annual business meeting each spring on campus. Active members are those who have paid annual dues. The board bestows honorary membership on special friends of the University. All members of the University faculty and staff, administrative officers and graduate fellows as well as community members who pay dues as friends of the Alumni Federation, become associate members.<\/p>\n The organization maintains and promotes a mutually beneficial relationship between the University and its alumni. It co-publishes The Colonel, <\/em>the\u00a0bi-annual university magazine; sponsors homecoming activities; awards scholarships each year; and hosts a variety of on- and off-campus events.<\/p>\n The director of Alumni Affairs supervises day-to-day activities of the program located in the Clarence James Jr. Alumni House at 203 Audubon Drive. The mailing address is P. O. Box 2158, Thibodaux, LA 70310; Telephone number 985-448-4111. The Website is www.nichollsalumni.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Louisiana Center for Women and Government<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The \u00a0Louisiana Center for Women and Government at ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ encourages the future leadership of women by preparing them for public service through non-partisan provision and support of education, training, and creative programs. Among the programs offered by the Center are a unique internship program, a National Leadership Summit on Energy and the Environment, Louisiana Girls Leadership Academy, Campaign Institute, and a Hall of Fame to honor outstanding Louisiana women for their contributions to the public sector.<\/p>\n The Center is located in the Ellender Memorial Library Facility on Leighton Drive. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2062, Thibodaux, LA 70310; Telephone number 985-448-4770.<\/p>\n Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders is located in Peltier Hall and the FACS Building. The major functions of the Center are to prepare teachers to serve individuals with dyslexia through clinical and educational intervention, to provide direct service to ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ students and area residents, and to conduct psycho-educational assessments for children and adults. Additionally, the Center disseminates information about dyslexia, contributes to state policy regarding dyslexia, and conducts research that contributes to the study of dyslexia. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2050, Thibodaux, LA 70310; Telephone number is\u00a0985-448-4214.<\/p>\n Small Business Development Center<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The mission of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC Network) is to enhance the economic well being of the citizens of Louisiana by providing comprehensive, high-quality assistance to existing and potential small businesses. The center fosters the formation and growth of small businesses through individual counseling services, educational training programs, and business information resources to expand and diversify the Louisiana economy. It is committed to implementing initiatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration as well as Louisiana’s master plan for economic development. The SBDC telephone number is 985-493-2587.<\/p>\n The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute was granted special institute status in October of 1994. Conceived two years earlier by then President Donald Ayo and Chef John Folse, the institute at that time was the only regional culinary institute in America. To this day, the institute offers the only bachelor\u2019s degree in culinary arts in the state. The institute\u2019s mission is dedicated primarily to promoting an understanding of history and diversity though culinary education, both nationally and internationally.<\/i><\/p>\n [Back<\/span><\/a>][Top<\/span><\/a>]<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Robert E. “Bob” Miller University Honors Program<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/h4>\n
ABOUT NICHOLLS<\/strong><\/h4>\n
STRATEGIC PLAN<\/strong><\/h4>\n
ACCREDITATION<\/strong><\/h4>\n
SPECIAL CENTERS AND INSTITUTES<\/strong><\/h4>\n
SPECIAL PROGRAMS<\/strong><\/h4>\n