Southeastern's OSHE program recognized for superior program accreditation
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
by: Rene Abadie
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Occupational Safety, Health and Environment
program has been recognized by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals as an exceptional
program holding superior program accreditation.
BCSP recognizes qualified academic programs for outstanding service as a path
for students to earn CSP certification and for their level of preparation for professional
safety practice. The program at Southeastern was the only one awarded to a public
institution in Louisiana and one of only 26 recognized nationwide.
BCSP is recognized as a leader in high-quality credentialing for safety, health,
and environmental practitioners. BCSP establishes standards for and verifies competency
in professional safety practice and evaluates certified applicants for compliance
with recertification requirements.
A BCSP Qualified Academic Program is a bachelor's or master's degree program
in safety, health and environmental practices that holds program accreditation by
the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET-ASAC), said Lu Yuan, interim head of the Southeastern Department
of Computer Science and Industrial Technology.
With the Qualified Academic Program designation, BCSP awards a $1,000 gift to
the program to help offset costs of retaining accreditation.
“Our graduates are proving their value to businesses and industries throughout
Louisiana and beyond,” said Yuan. “They are helping to fill vital roles as safety
technicians, coordinators and directors with firms that are essential to Louisiana’s
economic growth.”
Southeastern’s OSHE bachelor’s degree is one of only a few of its kind in the
nation. Initiated in 2004 as a workforce demand-driven evolution from a two-year associate
degree program, the degree is designed to meet the needs of industries in the region
for properly prepared professionals to work in the increasingly complex field of safety
and health in the industrial setting.
Last year the program was ranked among the top 20 best values in OSHE programs
in the country by the website collegevaluesonline.com. The ranking is based on quality
of academics; value, which includes tuition affordability and financial aid; and the
calculated average return on investment data, a guide to the success of students graduating
from the program.
