BATON ROUGE, La. – During its June meeting on Wednesday, the Board of Regents received an update on the statewide campus safety assessments conducted over the past two years by LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training/Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education (NCBRT/ACE).
Since December 2023, NCBRT/ACE staff have physically visited all public postsecondary institutions across Louisiana, including main campuses, satellite locations, and specialized research facilities such as Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LUMCON. Jerry Monier, Associate Director – Research and Development with NCBRT/ACE and the project’s principal investigator, detailed his team’s observations and recommendations, from security staffing to infrastructure and communication.
NCBRT/ACE will roll out eight new training modules in July, resulting in a library of 11 courses designed to address identified gaps and build institutional capacity.
In Summer 2023, Regents sought NCBRT/ACE’s expertise in developing and producing an educational video based on the “Run. Hide. Fight.” (RHF) paradigm for responding to an active shooter event for distribution to Louisiana’s postsecondary institutions. That award-winning production was published in August 2023.
As part of the campus safety initiative, NCBRT/ACE will launch a web-based application that allows institutions to manage and update building-level assessments.
“In higher education, we are always looking to strengthen campus safety and improve our preparation and response to challenges,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Kim Hunter Reed. ” We must remain vigilant against potential threats both on and off campus, and this initiative with NCBRT/ACE has enabled us to provide strong safety recommendations and training for our institutions and our students.”
During its full meeting, the Board also received a presentation on work-based learning initiatives at River Parish Community College as part of the monthly Meauxmentum Moment. RPCC is one of the institutions participating in the Louisiana Work-Based Learning Study, a multi-year research project that will provide proof of concept for work-based learning best practices that lead to student success and prosperity.
The study, funded by a grant from the Strada Education Foundation, seeks to confirm existing research on the long-term benefits for students of effective implementation of work-based learning, including job placement, earnings, and increased prosperity.
“To keep Louisiana’s talent here at home, it is important that we ensure students’ successful transition from postsecondary education to meaningful employment,” said Board Chair Misti S. Cordell. “Work-based learning programs like the one at RPCC, as well as the recently passed SCR 38, provide a road map for implementing a framework for education-to-career services at our state’s public postsecondary institutions.”
Additionally, the Board of Regents welcomed its new student member. Devesh Sarda is a senior computer science major at LSU Shreveport and currently serves as the Student Government Association (SGA) President at LSUS.
In other action, Regents approved FY26 funding recommendations, which include a $25M supplemental (one-time) state fund increase for FY25 and a $7M increase for FY26 to support campus operations, expand TOPS, and address additional deferred maintenance needs.
The next Board of Regents meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20. This will be the first of its two annual joint meetings with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
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Contact
Chris Yandle, Ph.D., APR, Associate Commissioner for Strategic Communications
chris.yandle@laregents.edu • 985-373-5845