Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 6/30/98
      Contact:                           Carol Dotson   1

BUSINESSES LOOK TO SOUTHEASTERN FOR QUALITY EMPLOYEES
     HAMMOND, LA -- Employers seeking mature, talented college graduates for
challenging positions know where to find them-- at Southeastern Louisiana University. And once
hired, employers are satisfied with their choice.
      The state of Louisiana's Office of the Legislative Auditor hired six Southeastern
graduates as financial auditors in May. Auditor Daniel Kyle said the office was having problems
finding qualified applicants, so he turned to Southeastern. "The maturity and credentials
presented by these students far exceeds anything we have ever expected," said Kyle. Kyle's
office has hired Southeastern graduates in the past and also employed students as interns. 
     "My staff has found Southeastern students to be accomplished in applying their skills and
well equipped to meet the challenges confronting them once they enter the audit profession,"
said Kyle. "The academic achievements and talents displayed by these students indicate that
Southeastern Louisiana University is successfully preparing its students for the challenges that
face them once they achieve their educational goals."
     Southeastern's head of the department of Accounting, Dr. Joseph Morris, credits the
students' success to Southeastern's quality programs, the dedicated, caring faculty and a good
economy.
     "The market in accounting for the last two to three years has been pretty good," said
Morris. "The economy has been on the upswing and that's reflected in the fact that many
businesses, accounting, financial and government agencies are hiring our graduates.  
     "Business professionals know the Southeastern business and accounting programs are
accredited and that attracts them, but accreditation is simply a measurement of the quality of the
program. Perhaps the best advertisement we have is for our graduates to be successful in their
jobs. That makes the employers keep coming back to us.

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     "Our faculty also deserve much of the credit," said Morris. "We have a group of
dedicated teachers who are good in the classroom, take an interest in the students and help them
to develop academically, personally and professionally."
     The College of Business' internship program is beneficial for students as well as
employers. Internships provide the employers with good part-time workers with some
knowledge of the field. "They realize they are getting a certain level of expertise with our
students and they can also use internships as a recruiting tool," said Morris. "The benefit for the
students is that they get real world experience, have an opportunity to see what area of the
profession they're best suited for, and sometimes even gain a position with the firm after
graduation. It's certainly a better part-time job for them than flipping hamburgers."
     According to a survey of Southeastern graduates, 92% who have entered the workforce
report that they are satisfactorily employed, most of those in an area related to their
undergraduate major.  It seems employers are just as satisfied with the Southeastern graduates
they hire. 


                                  -SLU-
                                    
                                    
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         www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsm98.htm