2 + 2 Program

The Elementary Education partnership between the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Louisiana State University at Eunice began in the fall of 1998. Officials from the two universities formed a reciprocity agreement and, with special permission from the Louisiana Board of Regents, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette accepts sixty-five hours of transfer credit from LSU-E. The program is unique in three aspects.

1. People enrolling in the program are non-traditional students (returning and adult teacher candidates) who live in the rural areas served by LSU-E. The typical candidate is one who would have difficulty commuting to Lafayette, Alexandria, or Lake Charles to pursue a four year degree.

2. Unlike the typical 2+2 programs where students transfer to the main campus, in this partnership program, students remain close to home on the LSU-E campus and University of Louisiana at Lafayette faculty members travel to their campus to deliver course work.

3. Because the graduates are residents of small, rural communities, they return to these communities to teach after graduation. Historically, rural school districts in Louisiana have difficulty in attracting and retaining certified teachers.

All academic requirements are the same for students on the LSU-E campus as on the main campus. Students in the partnership program progress through the same portals as students on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. Faculty for the professional education courses is the same on both campuses. An advisor from the College of Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is housed in Manuel Hall on the LSU-E campus and provides advising services, class scheduling, and general coordination between the two universities. Courses are scheduled for fall and spring semesters. No coursework is offered on the LSU-E campus during the summers, but advising services are provided during the summer months. Because candidates are enrolled in both institutions, some students choose to attend summer school on the main campus. New cohorts begin each fall and students complete three academic semesters and student teaching. There are some instances when LSU-E cannot provide coursework and in these instances, University of Louisiana at Lafayette sends instructors to the Eunice campus. For example, LSU-E cannot provide an instructor for Geology 225, a required course, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been providing this course since the fall of 1999.