Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 6/23/99
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   1

Editors: Photos accompany release
JINDAL AND BOARD "IMPRESSED" WITH SOUTHEASTERN 
     HAMMOND -- After viewing presentations on Southeastern Louisiana University
programs, needs and challenges and taking a campus tour, University of Louisiana System
Acting President Bobby Jindal said he and Board of Supervisors members are "very impressed"
with university initiatives.
     "Southeastern is meeting the needs of the north shore community and the broader needs
of the state," Jindal said. 
     Southeastern hosted a visit June 22 by Jindal and Board of Supervisors members Andre
Coudrain, Elsie Burkhalter, Dr. Ed Anders, Robert Davidge, Gordon Pugh and Tex Kilpatrick.
Jindal and board members are making "orientation visits" to all University of Louisiana System
institutions. 
     In approximately three hours at Southeastern, Jindal and board members made tour stops
at the Garrett College of Business Building, the Cate Teacher Education Center and the Visual
Arts Department's new digital lab in East Stadium. At the Alumni Center, they also visited with
campus administrators and Community Advisory Council members at a continental breakfast and
mingled with deans, faculty and students at a luncheon.
     To enable the University of Louisiana System to operate more efficiently, Jindal has said
that the system needs to streamline bureaucracy, promote consistency and support strategic
initiatives. 
     "Each institution in the system must identify its unique role in meeting the needs of our
citizens," Jindal said. "Each school has the potential to develop unique Centers of Excellence
that will allow it to excel, serve it local communities, and provide unique educational 
                             (MORE)
JINDAL, BOARD VISIT SOUTHEASTERN   Add One
opportunities for its students. While we must have well-rounded universities with strong overall
departments, we cannot try to do everything or be everything for all people. We must build on
our academic strengths rather than being average in everything."
      Southeastern, Jindal said, is already on the right track of applying its strengths to
educating students and serving its region. "I am pleased and impressed to see Southeastern taking
the lead," he said. 
     He said he and board members were impressed with Southeastern outreach initiatives
such as the High School Cooperative, mentoring programs, certification programs for classroom
teachers and the Small Business Development Center; auxiliary services outsourcing such as the
textbook rental program and Southeastern Oaks and the campus' use of technology to make
education accessible. 
     "Southeastern is serving its clients well," Jindal said.
                            - SLU -
     This press release is available on the World Wide Web:
      www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsm99.htm