News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu Spring 2004 news releases Public Information home News archive Contact: Rene Abadie Date: 3/2/04   Click on image for publication quality photo SLU'S DOUCETTE TO DIRECT MINORITY FACULTY/STAFF RECRUITMENT EFFORTS       HAMMOND -- Albert J.Doucette Jr., associate dean of Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been assigned additional responsibilities to enhance the university’s recruitment of minority faculty and staff, Southeastern President Randy Moffett announced.       As a special assistant to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs John Crain, Doucette will guide the university’s initiatives to increase diversity among Southeastern’s approximately 1,900 faculty and staff members.       “No one is better qualified to lead this effort than Al Doucette,” Moffett said. “His well established, long term relationships with other institutions, his numerous contacts in higher education and his strong affinity for the university and the region should help us better compete for highly qualified minorities to fill positions at Southeastern.”       Crain said Doucette would continue to function as associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, where he is involved in certifying students for graduation, student advising, course scheduling and curricula reform.       Over the last five years, minority enrollment at Southeastern has increased to nearly 18 percent of total enrollment. About eight percent of the faculty represents minorities.       “Southeastern has made significant inroads in recent years in diversifying its student population,” Crain said. “However, diversity is less prevalent on the staff side, particularly among faculty. We believe that Dr. Doucette can help us achieve a better balance in our faculty composition.”       “There is tremendous competition among universities for minority faculty,” Doucette said. “We expect to promote what is attractive about Southeastern, particularly smaller class sizes, a close knit campus community with strong faculty and student relationships, and a smaller outside community in close proximity to urban centers. These are attractive factors for many people.”       Doucette anticipates using the contacts he has developed over the years as well as other strategies to attract minority faculty candidates.       A native of Slidell, Doucette holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from Southern University, a master’s degree in fisheries and a doctoral degree in zoology from Louisiana State University. A 1995 recipient of Southeastern’s African American Faculty/Staff of the Year Award, he currently is a member of African Americans in Louisiana Higher Education, the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, and the Louisiana Council of Deans of Arts, Sciences and Humanities. He joined the Southeastern faculty in 1985 after having taught at LSU for nearly nine years. Doucette also spent three summers at Tennessee Tech University on special projects for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.