Pictured above: President Tate, Executive Vice President & Provost Haggerty, Vice President Twilley, and honorees at the Rainmakers event on March 21, 2024. Learn more about the Rainmakers here.

Dear Colleagues,

As we step into another month filled with promise and progress, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude for your remarkable generosity during our sixth annual LSU Giving Day. This event was a vivid illustration of the collective spirit that drives our university forward, highlighting the power of unity and shared commitment to excellence.

Your participation and contributions have set a new benchmark, with almost 3,000 donors contributing to all 8 LSU campuses, contributing $4.9 million and counting. This achievement is a testament to the vibrant community we have built, reflecting the boundless possibilities that emerge when we come together for a common purpose. It is particularly noteworthy that we witnessed participation from donors in all 50 states and saw remarkable engagement from our younger alumni through the first "Graduates of the Last Decade Challenge," surpassing the 250-donor goal and unlocking $15,000 for scholarships from Ann and Clarence Cazalot.

These outcomes are not just numbers; they represent dreams realized, research empowered, and opportunities created for countless members of the LSU community. Your dedication and leadership were instrumental in achieving this impact, showcasing the vital role you play in fostering a culture of giving and engagement.

Philanthropy at LSU is a powerful force, driven by our shared vision and ambition. Every gift, regardless of size, contributes to our overarching mission of elevating lives and advancing knowledge. I am immensely proud of the bold, outcome-focused priorities we have set, which inspire our partners and donors to invest in our journey toward future transformative impact.

Your contributions, both in philanthropy and in every aspect of our university's mission, are deeply appreciated. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to excellence and for making LSU the great institution that it is.

Sincerely,

Roy Haggerty
Executive Vice President & Provost

Matt Lee, Dean of the College of Agriculture, discusses his research and LSU's Scholarship First Agenda. The LSU College of Agriculture, along with researchers from across campus and the system, is critical to making the discoveries, developing the solutions, and educating our students to ensure a robust, resilient and productive future for the State of Louisiana.

Read more about Dean Matt Lee.

Distinguished Research Master Ceremony

LSU to Host 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. LSU’s International Programs office and Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership (CCELL) are collaborating on the institute, which will be directed by LSU’s Dr. Sarah Becker, Laura Dean, and Dr. Oliver Crocco, pictured above.

Encourage Students to Strategize Their Summer!  

LSU offers boundless opportunities for summer enrichment and advancing education through multiple pathways of learning over the summer. Please continue to remind your students to consider summer session! Enrollment is open now.

Updates to Leave Policies

Permanent Memorandum 20 and Policy Statement 12 were recently revised to incorporate provisions for parental leave. LSU now offers paid parental leave for all eligible classified and unclassified faculty and staff, effective January 1, 2024. PS 12 also includes updated provisions for the use of the crisis leave program.

Faculty Survey of Online Teaching and Learning Support

LSU Online & Continuing Education is conducting a survey to gather feedback from faculty and graduate teaching assistants regarding their experiences using resources and support services provided for blended or online course development. Your input is critical in helping us gauge the effectiveness of current resources and support and identify areas for improvement. We would appreciate it if you could please take approximately 10 minutes to complete the Faculty Survey of Online Teaching and Learning Support. The survey closes on Monday, April 8th. 

Workday Student: Workstreams

The student information system modernization project recently celebrated its second anniversary and is on track for the first release of functionality this coming August. There are over 200 people across LSU A&M, LSUA, LSUE and LSUS working hard to implement Workday Student for the LSU community. Learn more about the way the project is organized here.

LSU Library Author Profile Edit

An author profile audit can help to differentiate you from other researchers with similar names, allow you to accurately demonstrate your impact for professional advancement, and help you to build a professional network. LSU Libraries can help set up profiles, streamline the process of maintaining your profiles, and identify and merge duplicate profiles. We evaluate the most common author profiles (e.g., ORCiD, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, etc.). Currently, this service is limited to LSU faculty. Contact us to request an audit at lib.lsu.edu/authorprofileaudit.

LSU's Transition to Scopus

This year, LSU will transition to Scopus from Web of Science. To ensure a smooth transition and to showcase the enhanced capabilities of Scopus, LSU Libraries will offer a webinar training on April 16 at 1 p.m. Faculty are strongly encouraged to register for this session, which will provide valuable insights into maximizing the use of Scopus for their scholarly endeavors. The training will be recorded so that it can be accessed by registrants at a later date. Additional trainings will be offered in the fall. Learn more and register to attend the training.

Judges Needed for 2024 LSU Discover Day

Faculty are needed as judges for 11th annual LSU Discover Day Undergraduate Research Conference!  Sign up for as little as one hour on Friday, April 19th to review student presentations. Click here for link to judges sign-up form

OER Faculty Cohorts

The Louisiana Library Network seeks Open Educational Resources (OER) Faculty Cohorts for the Career and Technical Education initiative. Each of the eighteen cohorts will include up to five Louisiana faculty members teaching in various disciplines. Supported by the Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, the initiative allows participants to collaborate virtually in adapting and creating OER course materials. Selected faculty will receive $12,000 compensation across four phases over two and a half years. Applications are due by midnight, Sunday, April 7th.

LSU Libraries' OER Advancement Fellowship

LSU Libraries seeks faculty for the OER Advancement Fellowship. Selected participants receive stipends to review or integrate Open Educational Resources into their curricula. Through workshops and consultations over 18 months, fellows gain the necessary skills for OER work. Apply here by June 28.

The Art of Course Redesign

Whether in a face-to-face class or an online course, there is always room for improvement when it comes to course design. But when there are so many possibilities, how do you focus your time and effort to result in quality improvement? Join us in this interactive workshop, facilitated by the LSU Online Design & Development team, where we provide a framework for assessing your course to determine goal-oriented and prioritized areas for enhancement and associated data sources that will benefit the learning experience. This session will be held on Thursday, April 18 from 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. To register, please visit the Art of Course Redesign registration page.