SUSLA terminates Electronic technology

 
The Science and Technology Division at Southern University at Shreveport requested a termination of the Electronics Technology program immediately.​
According to the Science and Technology Division the program has consistently had a low completion rate and with the death of the program director in the spring of 2011, it has been difficult to recruit a replacement director and also students into the program.​
The program currently only has 13 students in the department, only seven are first year students and six are second year students and the department implemented a phase out plan to graduate those students.​
According to the University catalog the Electronics Technology program gives students an education leading to technical competence in the electronics field, the primary objective is to give students a mastery of the fundamentals of electronics and prepare the students to perform maintenance and repairs on electronic devices.​
“The electronics technology program has historically been seen as a program of value,” said Ray Belton Chancellor of SUSLA, “but we have not been able to secure the number of graduates that is required by the board of regents.”​
The board criteria for evaluating academic programs for possible merging or termination includes low student enrollment, number of graduates, limited ability to attract external funds, limited capacity to meet workforce needs of state and limited possibilities for future growth.​
Based off of the evaluation, the board felt the need to terminate the program.​
“It was a consensus among the faculty and leaders of the division that we would go fourth and discontinue that program,” said Belton. ​
As of fall 2011 no new enrollments have been accepted, and as of fall semester of 2013 the reporting of all degrees shall come to a halt. ​
According the Board of Regents the termination of the program will not have any impact on the faculty or students saying, that there is a full time director and adjunct faculty teaching the program, and that the director is resigning at the end of the spring 2012 semester. ​
The department currently has five degree programs, (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Electronics Technology) a certificate program, (Computer Information Systems) and a Technical Diploma Program, (Airframe and Power Plant Maintenance).​
But despite the closing of the program the University is going to ​recover and has intentions on improving the division.​
“We see it as a great opportunity for SUSLA going forth that while we may discontinue some programs it will be a great opportunity to open some new programs,” said Belton, “Sometimes you have to give and take.”​