Billy C. Fontenot

The committee discussed amendments to the previous meeting's minutes regarding the timeframe for partnerships and the assignment of a planning objective to the Chancellor's Office. A significant portion of the meeting focused on the Mission Statement, specifically whether proposed changes were editorial or substantive, noting that the highest degree offered would remain the associate degree and that changes were partly driven by the need to reflect current relevance compared to the 2003 statement. Discussions also covered the updated strategic planning document, which is intended primarily for marketing and public communication rather than being a lengthy word document. Academic Planning included a presentation on programs recently approved by the Board of Regents, such as Certificates in Paraprofessional Education and Business Entrepreneurship, while other program development items were postponed.

The committee meeting involved discussions and approvals related to the strategic plan elements. Specifically, the vision statement for Louisiana State University at Eunice was adopted without dissent. The 8/29/25 version of the mission statement was also adopted without dissent. A discussion occurred regarding the 6/16/25 values, leading to a decision to consolidate and shorten them at a future meeting. The four strategic goals (Ensure student access, Strengthen student success, Expand partnerships, Demonstrate a culture of continuous improvement) were generally understood to remain in place, though formal adoption was pending, along with a discussion on potentially adding a fifth goal. A major item was the integration of the Louisiana Performance Accountability System (LaPAS) Strategic Plan for AY 2026-2027 through AY 2030-2031, which required assigning LaPAS objectives to the strategic goals and determining ownership for annual write-ups. Next steps include incorporating the word "workforce" more prominently, finalizing goal adoption, revising values, determining objective responsibilities, developing a partnerships objective, and reviewing the Academic Plan.

The Strategic Planning Committee discussed the mission statement revision, concluding that the change is editorial and does not require full SACSCOC submission due to streamlined wording and no philosophical change, with the highest degree remaining the associate degree. Key discussions on academic planning involved reviewing proposed programs across Louisiana and focusing on rebranding transfer degrees (AGS, AALT, ASLT) with defined pathways to popular majors. The committee also considered offering existing catalog courses that have not been recently taught and identified potential long-term program additions, including Physical Therapy, Echo Vascular (DMS), and Engineering Technology. Furthermore, the committee reviewed suggested language for strategic goals, ultimately determining the existing phrasing for workforce preparation and academic excellence was satisfactory. Layout comments for the strategic document stressed the need to detail intentions, achievement methods, and the impact of gateway course redesigns on student success.

The committee discussed several strategic planning objectives. A benchmark for workforce and community partnerships was established, aiming for 20 new partnerships over five years to support student opportunities in high-wage, high-demand careers, with the objective assigned to the Chancellor's Office. Further discussion on the Academic Plan indicated a dedicated future meeting to review programs already submitted to the Board of Supervisors (BoR) and to begin paperwork for scheduled programs, including potential certificates like Cyber Security. The committee adopted specific sentences defining the institutional values: Truth, Responsibility, Accessibility, Collaboration, and Knowledge. The Chancellor noted plans for the Mission Statement to be submitted to the LSU Board of Supervisors for their December 2025 meeting.

The Strategic Planning Committee addressed several agenda items. They corrected the opening sentence regarding strategic goals before approving the previous meeting's minutes. A key focus was creating verbiage for the partnership objective, which will emphasize growing workforce and community partnerships to benefit students in high-demand careers, linking this to strategic goal number 3. The committee also continued its examination of the Academic Plan, discussing the need to address the high number of students in the Associate of General Studies Degree, potentially by building concentrations within existing degrees or creating new programs such as cybersecurity. A recommendation was made for Dr. Stewart to review recent LSU Board of Supervisors Academic Affairs Committee minutes. Finally, the committee decided to postpone any changes to the catalog regarding missing courses for the time being.