Request Type: Letter of Intent

Request: PhD Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Board Action: Conditional approval

Action Text: On motion of Regent Roy, seconded by Regent Klein, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee unanimously recommended conditional approval for the proposed Letter of Intent for the projected Collaborative Ph.D. program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CIP Code 26.1103)at Louisiana State University Health Science Center-Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, and Louisiana State University-Shreveport, with the following stipulations: a. In the program proposal, Louisiana State University-Shreveport shall provide compelling evidence as to why it is critical and essential that the institution should participate in this program as a Ph.D. degree-granting member. External consultants engaged by the Board of Regents to assess the prospective quality and need of the proposed program shall also be charged with recommending the level and extent of program participation by LSU-S. b. If and when the Board of Regents decides to allow LSU-S’s participation as a Ph.D. degree-granting institution within this collaborative, this authorization shall apply to this particular degree arrangement only. It will remain for the Board of Regents to decide later whether or not to expand the role, scope, and mission of Louisiana State University-Shreveport to allow for future doctoral program development. c. The Board of Regents shall immediately engage the services of expert consultants to determine the extent and nature of all unmet postsecondary education needs in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. These consultants shall make recommendations to the Regents concerning the most effective and efficient methods to address such needs. These consultants shall utilize the work already completed by Economic Innovation International, Inc., Eva Klein and Associates, and other relevant studies in their deliberations. These recommendations shall be due by May 1, 2008. d. Within thirty days, the Commissioner of Higher Education shall convene a meeting between himself, the President of the LSU System, and the President of the UL System to discuss overarching considerations which have guided and will guide the development and assessment of the proposed collaborative. The Commissioner shall report the contents of these discussions at the January, 2008 meetings of the Board of Regents.

Action Date: 12/6/2007 12:00:00 AM

Institution: Louisiana Tech University