Over the years, Delgado has become known for its unique programs and innovative teaching methods. One of the College’s newest programs, Service Learning, is quickly making its presence known around the College and the community.
Service Learning is a unique teaching method that connects the classroom to the community through service projects and innovative instruction. The program links students to hands-on learning and real world experiences, all while earning a grade.
Through community partnerships, administrators and instructors develop projects that often closely coincide with the classroom. Here are a few examples of recent student projects:
- Horticulture students assisted local schools in landscaping their campuses, as well as Habitat for Humanity projects. Students also worked on plants that would eventually aid coastal restoration.
- Mass Communication students and “D-TV” (Delgado Television) worked with a local elementary school to produce several instructional films on how to be prepared in case of emergencies.
- Nursing students offered health screenings and hosted health fairs at local clinics and schools.
- Math students tutored other peers in developmental courses.
- Culinary arts students baked and delivered gingerbread houses to a children’s hospital during the holiday season.
- Business classes helped a local non-profit radio station develop its marketing plan.
- Music classes organized and performed concerts at local nursing homes and community centers.
- Administrative office technology’s Legal Office classes organized a stuffed animal drive for NOPD officers to use to comfort children affected by crimes or accidents.
According to Warren Puneky, Dean of Business and Technology, the program’s growth is a testament to a dedicated group of energetic faculty, a supportive administration, excellent students, and willing community partners. Grants have aided the program’s continued growth, used in training faculty, gathering resources, hosting Service Learning conferences, and supplies for the varied projects.
Service Learning’s numbers speak for themselves. Eighty faculty members from across the College have implemented the program in 215 classes to involve 2,825 students since 2006. Those students have logged 33,403 hours of service and instructors have contributed 5,088 hours to the projects. In the past academic year, 58 community agencies have partnered with Delgado through course-based programs while the groups have generated $758,227 in volunteer hours over the last six years.
According to Puneky, Service Learning works so well for several reasons. “Delgado is the community college for the New Orleans and metropolitan region and included in its mission is the development of students as productive and responsible citizens. Delgado students are a part of the fabric of this community,” he said. Puneky also believes that because students plan to remain in the area following graduation, they feel a stronger commitment to serving the region.
If you have an idea for a potential service learning project, or would like to become involved, contact one of the program’s coordinators:
While still growing and continually expanding, Service Learning is off to a great start. The program is giving something back, and literally putting the community into Delgado Community College.
Located on a corner of Delgado’s City Park Campus, “Rags” Scheuermann Field at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium has been the home of Delgado baseball for four decades. The tradition-rich ballpark recently marked the 55th anniversary of its dedication, and it’s still going strong…
Since its dedication on June 19, 1957, Kirsch-Rooney Stadium has come to serve as a landmark to baseball in the Crescent City. Originally built to serve the rapidly growing Lakeview neighborhood’s recreational needs, the stadium’s baseball diamond would go on to host generations of New Orleanians, both players and spectators alike. This past June, the stadium marked its 55th anniversary of operation.
Shortly after Kirsch-Rooney Stadium was built at a cost of $70,000, Councilman James Fitzmorris, Jr., in a letter dated June 19, 1956, explains that the city council unanimously approved an “ordinance requesting that the new Delgado Baseball Stadium be changed to the Kirsch-Rooney Baseball Stadium, in memory of Cyril Kirsch and “another of our very fine Lakeview boys, Robert Rooney.”
Groundbreaking for the stadium's grandstand
The two boys, “Cy” and “Bob,” as they were known to family and friends,
were two graduates of Jesuit High School who lettered together on the
Blue Jays’ offensive line on the varsity football team. Although they
graduated two years apart, they went on to continue their football
careers at the collegiate level. Kirsch traveled to Auburn University,
while Rooney was accepted to the University of West Point. Following the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, both men entered military
service for the U.S. Army. Four years later in March 1945, as the war
was reaching its end, Robert Rooney, a recipient of the Distinguished
Flying Cross, had just completed his last mission on his final tour of
duty, when his plane collided with that of another flight leader,
killing both instantly. One month later, Cyril Kirsch was shot and
killed by an enemy sniper while on a mission in Okinawa, Japan. Both
Kirsch and Rooney were awarded the Medal of Honor after their deaths.
Cyril Kirsch and Robert Rooney, two WWII casualties and the stadium's namesakes
Before the stadium was built, during World War II, the land was used as a storage area for the nearby Higgins factory, where the now famous Higgins Landing Crafts used in the D-Day Invasion were built. The wood and materials used in making those boats were likely stored where the diamond sits today.
An aerial view of the Higgins plant and Delgado in the 1940s. The patch of land behind the factory would eventually become the site of Kirsch-Rooney Stadium.
Kirsch-Rooney Stadium quickly became a busy place, filled year-round with baseball games and even some occasional football games, which were played across the outfield.
The diamond has hosted two Major League Baseball exhibition series, one between the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds on April 6-7, 1967 and another between the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles on April 1, 1974. In the first series between the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, future managers Dusty Baker and Dave Johnson each hit homers out of the park. Pete Rose also played in the series for the Reds. In the Braves/Orioles game, Hank Aaron hit a homer over the left field wall and received a standing ovation. Aaron’s home run would come only three days before he tied Babe Ruth’s lifetime homerun record at 714 home runs at the Braves’ home opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
Overhead shot of the stadium
In March 1959, while in New Orleans for a public appearance for the New Orleans Pelicans, Joe DiMaggio visited Kirsch-Rooney while the Pelicans were taking batting practice. After removing his suit jacket, DiMaggio stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. It turned out that 1959 would be the Pelicans' final season. Other baseball greats who have graced the diamond at Kirsch-Rooney are Tony Perez, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Don Baylor, Rusty Staub, Ron Washington, and Will Clark.
Kirsch-Rooney's grandstand in 1957
Now in its 55th season, the ballpark remains active year-round. For the past four decades, the stadium has been home to Delgado Community College’s nationally-ranked baseball program. It also serves as the home of the majority of New Orleans’ top high school and prep baseball teams. During the summer months, Kirsch-Rooney is home to the New Orleans Boosters’ summer program and league as well as First District American Legion Baseball. Today, the stadium hosts nearly 350 games during its regular season, which spans fall through summer.
And 2012, 55 seasons later
Kirsch-Rooney has hosted dozens of championship events including the 1974 NCAA Division II World Series, the 1984 American Legion World Series games, two Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships, multiple American Legion Southeast Regional playoffs, and the 2002, 2004, and 2011 American Legion State Tournaments. In 2011, Delgado made conference history by hosting both the Region XXIII Tournament and the NJCAA South Central District Championship, within one week of each other. The Dolphins fell short in extra innings of the South Central District Championship game, coming several outs away from another trip to the Junior College World Series. The stadium’s 55th season will close later this summer by hosting the American Legion Mid South Regional, bringing together state champions from seven states to compete for a berth in the American Legion World Series.
The Dolphins take the field
In 2003, Kirsch-Rooney Stadium’s diamond was named for long-time Delgado coach, Louis “Rags” Scheuermann, who served as supervisor of the stadium for 40 years in addition to coaching the Dolphins. Since his death in 1997, the Scheuermann family has continued the family tradition of managing the facility. The family has been a constant throughout the stadium’s years, present since opening day in 1957.
The re-lighting ceremony in 2009 featured members of the Kirsch, Rooney and Scheuermann families as well as members of the New Orleans baseball community
In August 2005, Kirsch-Rooney and its surrounding neighborhood were submerged by five to six feet of water for two weeks after Hurricane Katrina caused a breech in the nearby 17th Street Canal. The Stadium lost its field lights, outfield fence, scoreboard, batting cages, parts of its roof, and the entire lower level of the grandstand. Extreme efforts were made by Delgado Community College, and Kirsch-Rooney reopened on February 12, 2006 to the surprise of many. Kirsch-Rooney became the first completely flooded stadium in the New Orleans Metropolitan area to make a full recovery from the storm, becoming a beacon of hope during a period of despair. Some adjustments had to be made, however, including the loss of the field lights, which prompted the first all day game season in the Stadium’s history. A series of major upgrades and the dedication of the stadium’s staff have brought the ballpark back to a fully functional facility. On April 25, 2009, a new state-of-the-art field lighting system was officially dedicated in front of members of the Kirsch, Rooney, and Scheuermann families in addition to members of the New Orleans baseball community.
As part of its commitment to New Orleans, Delgado Community College has provided the upkeep of the field and grandstand for many years through an agreement with the New Orleans Recreation Department. In April 2008, Delgado and N.O.R.D. renewed their pact through a cooperative endeavor agreement, which granted Delgado Community College “operational control” of the facility for the foreseeable future.
Numerous improvements over the past five years have transformed the park into a modern-day facility while still maintaining its history and fan-friendly atmosphere. Some of these many improvements include a new field lighting system, a state-of-the-art scoreboard and message center, new grandstand seating and bleachers, a new backstop and net to improve spectator sight lines, a renovated grandstand façade, and new ceramic paint throughout the facility. Annual field maintenance keeps “Rags” Scheuermann Field one of the top surfaces around, despite its near-constant use. Future improvements include the construction of a Delgado baseball locker room and office facility near the property.
Sunset at the stadium
Through the years, the facility has seen its share of change but has continued to evolve and change with the times, all while serving the simple purpose it was originally built for—hosting baseball games. While other similar facilities have come and gone, Kirsch-Rooney has been a constant in the lives of local players and their fans, even serving as a model for newly constructed facilities.
The stadium’s legacy continues to live on with new teams of players, old and new coaches and umpires, and entertained spectators. The ballpark’s rich history has not only been shaped by the thousands of games played inside its gates, but by the millions of memories that have walked out of them. Kirsch-Rooney Stadium is a house built on an evolving tradition…a tradition that continues with each and every pitch.
The philosophy of the Delgado Center supports an unshakable belief in the useful and productive potential of the handicap.
From a brochure published upon the 1962 grand opening of the center Isaac Delgado used his vast wealth to help the “rich and poor alike,” and in 1962, the Delgado Trades and Technical Institute took that philosophy a step further by creating a Vocational Rehabilitation Center for the disabled citizens of the New Orleans area. The program was very unique for its time in that it offered paramedical services in conjunction with vocational evaluation. People with disabilities were rehabilitated physically and mentally and trained in a vocation so they could once again become members of the workforce.
Students at the Rehab Center in 1962
Physical therapy for a disabled student
The College hired Henry Nebe as the first director of the rehabilitation center. Mr. Nebe was a Korean War veteran who was a rehab counselor for the State of Louisiana Vocational Rehabilitation Division before coming to Delgado. Dr. Marvin Thames was the president at the time and believed Mr. Nebe had the perfect background to run the program in the newly funded $300,000, 12,000-square-foot facility.
First director of the Rehab Center, Henry Nebe
Mr. Nebe implemented the “6-8 plan” which had six vocational programs that ran for an eight week period. During that time doctors and staff personnel would observe and evaluate individuals to see what kind of tasks they would be able to perform in the workplace. Some of the programs included woodworking, photography, business machines, home economics and small appliance repair. After the eight week period, many of the students in the program had progressed enough and were admitted to Delgado to continue their vocational training. Some even went on to four-year colleges, while others went straight into the workforce. As the rehabilitation center continued to grow, in 1968 the College started a program for the deaf. It was one of the pioneering programs for vocational-technical colleges in the country. Interpreters, counselors and audiologists were on staff to assist and train the hearing impaired. Dr. Thames worked with the state and the federal government and was able to secure funding for dormitories on campus for the students in the program. Later in 1968, the program approached medical equipment companies to see if they could help fund and train people with prosthetics to build braces. After the evaluation period, many of the students in the program went on to work for brace manufacturers.
Student working on small appliance
Student learning home economics
With the help of federal/state funds and grants from various foundations, the center continued to thrive throughout the 70s and 80s. In 1985, it became one of only six facilities to receive five consecutive three-year certificates of accreditation for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The center had served more clients than any other rehabilitation facility in the state and had helped more 11,000 disabled people since its opening in 1962.
By the late 80s, many of the people in Washington, D. C. and Baton Rouge who were big proponents of the Delgado Rehabilitation Center had either retired or passed away. Funding for the center started to slow down and eventually the State of Louisiana took over the program. It remained on campus for a few years and was run by Social Services until it moved to a new facility on Canal Street in New Orleans.
Although the rehabilitation center is no longer on campus, you can still find traces of its footprints. The building that once housed the center is now home to the College’s Allied Health Division. With Delgado’s nursing program expanding and needing space to grow, it seemed like a natural transition to utilize the space that once belonged to the center.
After the closing of the Rehab Center, the Allied Health Division moved in
Mr. Nebe, who was the original director of the center, is still working at Delgado. He is an adjunct at the West Bank Campus. Mr. Nebe shared his experiences with Delgado’s 90th Anniversary video series; watch the video below for more info:
Aside from the external symbols and activities characteristic of a school – chalkboards, textbooks, homework, exams, computer and tutoring labs – what are faculty and staff doing behind the scenes? Specifically, how are we analyzing and determining the quality of instruction received by our students?
Delgado’s Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, was established to do just that, through collaboration between Student and Academic Affairs staff and faculty members. In 2005, the QEP was first slated for implementation in part to fulfill requirements for SACS accreditation. The theme was “The Learning Journey” and the purpose was to improve students’ transition from developmental courses to college-level general education courses, such as English and math. An additional course, College and Career Success Skills, would offer students extra targeted guidance to ensure adequate completion of developmental courses and earned enrollment into general education courses.
Brochures (above), pencils and flyers were made to promote The Learning Journey in 2005
Just as the Fall 2005 Semester was about to kickoff with the new QEP, along came Hurricane Katrina, and priorities shifted significantly.
Specifically, Delgado’s need to offer online instruction dramatically increased. Before Katrina, Delgado offered a few online courses, but under such catastrophic circumstances, the College facilitated the Fall 2005 Semester primarily online. Displaced faculty and students were able to teach and learn from wherever the storm had scattered them.
Since then, Delgado’s online course offerings have grown extensively. Today, about 24 percent of the total student population takes online courses. Delgado offers about 150 online courses each fall and spring semester.
SACS allowed Delgado a deadline extension to devise a new QEP. Due in 2007, the plan described ways in which the College could ensure that the quality of online instruction was equal to or better than traditional classroom instruction. “Going the Distance” was the new theme chosen, given the College’s new focus on online, or “distance” learning.
Lanyards were one of the promotional items produced to promote the new QEP in 2007
Improving online instruction is a two-fold process: student readiness and course effectiveness. “Delgado jumped into the deep end of the pool with our embracement of online education post-Katrina. However, we knew enough to step back and assess what this new modality gives us in flexibility and assure that it gives that student as much in return when it came to learning,” explained Deborah Lea, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.
Certain measures must be in place to show students how to reap the most benefits from online learning, which includes knowing how to effectively use the technology necessary for taking an online class. In other words, we want students to thrive, not just survive, in an online classroom environment. For example, one aspect of the QEP was to set up an online tutorial that demonstrates how to use Blackboard, the online classroom software.
Faculty members who teach online have their work cut out for them as
well, identifying problems; developing measurement, assessment, and
instructional tools and implementing them; collecting data; and
analyzing and reporting on that data. The first major component of Going
the Distance was transformational faculty development. Just as
students learn by constructing—rather than by receiving—knowledge, so do
their teachers. The QEP plan was to train faculty in distance delivery
and instructional design in an online setting so that faculty
experienced the online environment as learners themselves. The QEP
faculty participated in two years of training and follow-up for each
year’s faculty cohort. Over the course of the five year plan, 40
faculty would participate in this QEP. During the first year, QEP
faculty participants were enrolled in Fielding Graduate University’s
Teaching in the Virtual Classroom (TVC) Graduate Certificate Program.
During the second year of faculty development, the College used a
subscription to MarylandOnline, Inc.’s QualityMatters (QM) program to
provide faculty with the training and tools to effectively transform one
online course to meet the QM essential standards. Transformed courses
were then submitted to QM for formal review to obtain QM recognition.
Through this program, the College developed its own training, workshops
and mentoring to help certify faculty and staff members in administering
effective online instruction to students.
Promotional poster for going the distance
Over the past five years, Delgado has expanded its QEP into a network of committees, each assigned specific tasks contributing to the overall goal: quality assurance of online education.
Thus far, the QEP has helped improve both teacher and student performance. Instructors have become more introspective about the teaching and learning process, thereby creating a better learning environment for students.
Thank you to the faculty and staff members who contributed information to this blog through personal interviews. Your help is greatly appreciated!
On the very first day of class in 1921 Delgado taught printing, a skill that was both in great demand and very popular.
Back in the day, printing involved many people performing specific tasks in composing and creating printed works. These works, whether a single page or an entire book, were produced by setting each letter and punctuation mark by hand and then printing, ink onto paper, one page at a time, multiplied by the number of copies desired, using hand-operated presses. By the 1960s the Printing Department boasted of a well-equipped shop with 7,200 square feet of space where students learned the fundamentals, methods and ethics of printing as well as how to operate the presses.
Printing class in the 1920s
A 1965 copy of the “Printer Annual” provides an overview of what it was like to be in the Printing Department, mastering the various steps involved in print production. First-year students started with setting type by hand – or hand composition – learning the rules of composition and how to use type creatively. Hand composition was a time consuming process whereby individual characters of type – letters, punctuation marks and even graphic elements – were selected and meticulously placed into what was called a composing stick, arranged into words, set line by line to form copy. Type came in a variety of font styles and sizes and students learned how to use these appropriately, whether creating headlines, titles, body copy, or captions. After setting the type, students would run a single page test and proof it for correct justification, spacing, punctuation and spelling before printing multiple copies.
Printer Annual, a Delgado publication
Advanced students learned page layout and design as well as how to operate the various different kinds of presses. Students would also design covers for their works. Each year the Printing Department would produce the “Printer Annual,” which documented the Printing Department’s activities, and a cover contest among students determined the design used for that year’s edition. Students in graphic design classes would also provide illustrations and graphics.
Students typesetting
In the early years, students learned presswork on open hand-fed presses and by the 1940s and 50s were learning how to run automatic platen and cylinder presses, and offset presses. Each of these machines were progressively more sophisticated, providing students with the basics every printer should know by mastering the hand-fed presses and with training on the platen presses, which prepared them to step up to higher quality printing at faster rates of speed on Heidelberg Automatic Platen presses and offset presses. Offset presses incorporated the use of photography, which required students to learn how to use a copy camera and a dark room, and processing film. Students also learned how to strip and mask negatives, which were then turned into plates used on the press.
Students in the 1920s typesetting and composing by hand
Students also learned bindery operations to create books and booklets, used power drills to punch holes in print jobs as necessary, and used the power paper cutter and automatic folder machinery. Many students were engaged in these rather tedious processes dedicated to producing tangible results for a variety of clients, including the Printing Department instructors and other faculty members needing published works. The Printing Department also produced materials for conducting College business, including stationary and business cards, programs for commencement exercises, promotional and recruitment collateral, and all manner of instructional materials.
Composing stick
A few rare samples of these Delgado student-produced works are still around, including the College’s annual Tool Kits from the 1920s and 30s, Printer Annuals from the 1960s, and scholarly and instructional materials ranging from airplane mechanics manuals to cookbooks. One such example is the 1934 book Cyclones Hurricanes and Typhoons and Other Storms, by Isaac Cline, renowned weatherman of the era. The front or inside cover of these works includes the line “printed by Delgado Press” and some of the old books also say “Printed by students at Delgado Trades School”. Some of the libraries nationwide still have books printed at Delgado in their collections. Delgado archivist Bob Monie shared that his recent search at http://www.worldcat.org showed Cline's Cyclones Hurricanes and Typhoons and Other Storms, clearly in the original Delgado lecture edition, turned up in the collections of such libraries as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Yale University, and Dartmouth College.
Cline's book, printed by Delgado students
Furthermore, Monie shared, “Robert Brydon Jr.'s Aircraft Drafting, in its original Delgado printing of 1941, can be found in the libraries of Duke University, Notre Dame, Princeton University, Harvard University, UCLA, the Chicago Public Library, and the New York Public Library – a coast to coast hit, no less!” Monie further mused that “yes, Duke, Harvard, Notre Dame, Princeton, and UCLA were interested in the writings of a Delgado trade instructor.”
Brydon's book on aircraft drafting, printed by Delgado students
By the early 1980s innovations such at PCs and copiers made publishing much more efficient and the need for printers declined rapidly. The College’s printing program was eventually phased out due to lack of demand. The Printing Department became a part of the College’s Public Relations department and continued producing recruitment and instructional materials. Until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the department still had two press operators running Heidelberg offset presses, producing commencement programs, official College stationary and business cards, and a plethora of commonly used promotional materials. However, as technology introduced increasingly more affordable, enhanced color printing and copying options the in-house services became unsustainable and obsolete.
Delgado's printing department staff, pre-Katrina
Today, the College sends print jobs to offsite vendors. Print production is still managed through Public Relations with a small team of publications specialists – a publications coordinator and a graphic designer. The publications coordinator manages the production process from consultation and bid specifications development to content development, which includes copy writing and editing, and scheduling photo shoots, when needed. The position now handles the work flow previously performed by an entire team of people. Likewise, a graphic designer works on a desktop computer producing high quality layout and design, which replaced another team of people and rooms full of equipment. Now, printing services are literally at your fingertips.
Jessica Gorman, Delgado's current computer graphics designer, performing document layout
Our past and the many students and instructors involved in the Printing department will not be forgotten. Vice Chancellor Deborah Lea recently announced an initiative to create a permanent display at a location to be determined for the last remaining vestige of the old Printing Department – a platen press that now resides in storage, listing on a palette, collecting dust. The press was scheduled to be shipped off to state surplus, with the likelihood of this noble machine being turned into scrap metal and recycled. Instead, it will become the focal point of a museum-quality exhibit that extolls Delgado’s history and continuing role in enlightening and preparing students, from printing and using printed materials for instruction and learning, to teaching with today’s dynamic online classroom and resources.
An old platen press from Delgado's first printing program in the 1920s
Medical assistants work in doctors' offices and various healthcare facilities completing administrative and clinical duties. Their responsibilities depend on their specialty and size of practice. While most assistants document patient history, schedule patient appointments and fill out insurance forms, ophthalmic medical assistants help optometrists (who treat minor eye problems and prescribe glasses and contact lenses) or ophthalmologists (who are medical doctors that perform surgeries) with patient eye care. Ophthalmic medical assistants do have simple obligations like contact lens instruction and sterilizing surgical instruments. But they can also have more complex duties like administering medication, repairing eyeglasses and aiding in diagnosing conditions, such as red eye or astigmatisms. Delgado Community College has been preparing over a dozen ophthalmic medical students each fall for the past 15 years to work in this demanding field.
"Students often choose ophthalmic medical assisting because it offers a number of career pathways," said Francesca Langlow, assistant professor and ophthalmic medical assistant program director. And even though most of the fields require some additional education, graduates continue to pursue work beyond ophthalmic medical assisting; for example, there are ophthalmic photographers, equipment manufacturers technical and education reps, low vision specialists, pharmaceutical sales reps, coding specialists, surgical techs and practice administrators. Still many of the graduates choose to work in the traditional role of an ophthalmic assistant in an ophthalmologist’s office. "I have always recommended that students choose something that gives them a lot of options and this field does."
Exam chair located in the ophthalmic medical assistant program's lab in the allied health building
Ophthalmic medical assisting is also very attractive because ophthalmology is one of the few “blood-less” medical fields. The eyes rarely bleed, so for students who are interested in working in health care, but do not want to deal with or see blood, this job is perfect for them.
Most of the program’s graduates remain in the Greater New Orleans area. Dr. Jeffrey Singer, who is best known for performing laser eye surgery, has six or seven graduates that have worked in his office for more than 10 years. Ochsner Ophthalmology and Tulane Ophthalmology are also some of the better known ophthalmology providers in the area who have hired Delgado graduates. And even though Kung Parc, who graduated in 2009, enrolled in optometry school at the University of California, he plans to move back home to work with low income patients.
Standard eye test chart
Students who graduate with their certificate of technical studies in ophthalmic medical assisting usually work in the industry for a long time and Langlow is a prime example. "I graduated from Louisiana State University's School of Allied Health with a Bachelor of Science degree in ophthalmic medical technology and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of New Orleans. I worked for several years at the LSU Eye Center in the clinical trials unit. I have been at Delgado teaching the ophthalmic medical assisting program since 1999. I absolutely love my job, the students, my colleagues and Delgado. It is so rewarding to see the program’s graduates working and excelling in their field," said Langlow.
Langlow is also married to an ophthalmologist who specializes in glaucoma and practices in St. Tammany Parish.
As New Orleans continued to expand geographically, satellite campuses of Delgado reached out to populations across Southeast Louisiana. While a satellite site was established in Covington in the early 1990s, the new millennium saw a renewed emphasis on offering a Delgado education to the exploding population on the northshore of Lake Ponchartrain.
Delgado Northshore was created in 2002 as a response to workforce and community needs north of Lake Ponchartrain. Prior to this, Delgado’s presence on the Northshore was a satellite learning center in Slidell. Opened in 1988, the Slidell Learning Center had reached a steady enrollment of approximately 700 students by the year 2000. The purpose of the Slidell Learning Center was to offer foundational academic courses as a feeder to Delgado programs in New Orleans or transfer to area universities. There had been a time in the early 1990’s when a limited number of courses were offered in Covington, but it was short-lived because it did not meet the needs of the community at the time.
Slidell learning center dedication ceremonies
With the opening of the Greater Covington Area Outreach Center in 2002, Delgado seized the opportunity to expand its commitment to the growing Northshore community by creating the Delgado Northshore division. Delgado Northshore united Covington and Slidell into a cohesive unit, taking an entrepreneurial approach to offering an ever increasing complement of courses and becoming more involved in local business and community affairs. Delgado was aggressive in its pursuit of grants and focused on community partnerships to position higher education in the area to be able to respond to local needs. From developmental to general studies to pre-requisite courses for south shore programs, Delgado Northshore grew to keep up with the higher education demands of the community it now served. In fact, Delgado Northshore has experienced a 400% increase in headcount enrollment since fall of 2001 (763 to 3057) compared to a college-wide increase of 140% during the same time period. Since the fall of 2006, annual comparison of semester enrollment has increased 19% on the average with some years experiencing over 30% growth.
Covington site in the 1980s
The Northshore division quickly established working relationships with local universities and businesses to develop partnerships to foster growth both in and out of the classroom. Having multiple levels of higher education, working together for the benefit of the student to create a variety of options for entry and exit, gives Northshore residents the ability to start where they need to (academically, financially, geographically, socially) while encouraging them to continue along a career lattice or pathway to long-term success.
Delgado’s presence on the Northshore brings high-quality education to local residents, allowing them to access a better quality of life without the barriers of travel across the lake. But Delgado means more to the Northshore community than merely increased access to post-secondary education. In a 2009 economic impact study conducted by GCR & Associates, Delgado Northshore has the following impact:
• Total economic impact on the greater metro economy of $58,149,251 with the much of this impact captured within St. Tammany Parish;
• 1,016 of the 75,117 jobs in St. Tammany are filled by Delgado graduates from the last five years;
• These graduates will earn $12.89 million more this year than they would have without their Delgado training; a total of $25 million in impact if you factor in the multiplier effect – just for graduates from the last five years!
Delgado Northshore currently serves over 3,500 students in credit courses between the Covington and Slidell locations. Course offerings range from developmental to general education to full programs of study. Northshore residents can complete several programs of study, including technical competency areas, certificates or associate degrees, without ever having to travel across Lake Pontchartrain. Students can choose many additional programs of study for which they can complete either pre-requisites or even 50 percent or more of a degree before they have to travel to Delgado’s City Park, Charity or West Bank campuses. Taking the burden of a commute out of the equation makes it easier for Northshore residents to commit to higher education that is meaningful and has a long-term impact on quality of life.
Faculty & Staff at Northshore site
Every semester, Delgado increases its commitment to the Northshore community by expanding course offerings and working with businesses to design customized workforce training solutions. Current articulation agreements exist between Delgado and many area universities to encourage students to continue pursuit of higher education beyond an associate degree. With Southeastern alone, articulation agreements exist in general business, accounting, marketing, management, finance, and computer information technology. Add to these the newly-developed Associate of Arts Louisiana Transfer (AALT) and Associate of Science Louisiana Transfer (ASLT) and residents of the Northshore have the greatest opportunity for higher education attainment than ever before.
Delgado Northshore students do more than just attend class. Through Delgado’s service learning program, repeatedly recognized as a member of the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service, students are giving back to the Northshore community as part of their education. The Fine Arts department has been involved with the school system and engaging children in the creative process. The Arts students also coordinated efforts of their peers across the college to raise over $2,000 for the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Foundation through the Delgado Butterfly Auction event. The department is currently working with Southeast Hospital on an installation of student works and their impact on patient peace of mind. Other Northshore service learning projects have included working with the Food Bank, creating a brochure for awareness and working directly with the food pantry and reflecting on social justice issues; working with Sunshine House in Slidell, learning about abnormal development while providing quality of life interaction; horticultural beautification projects; even assisting veterinary clinics with OSHA compliance. Delgado students know the value of their degree; now they are also discovering their value and responsibility as members of the local community.
Delgado Northshore has seen increasing population since the months following Hurricane Katrina when the Northshore locations reopened to serve students. By providing easy access to many of the college’s numerous programs, the Northshore sites are just another example of Delgado’s Education that Works!
Through community partnerships, administrators and instructors develop projects that often closely coincide with the classroom. Here are a few examples of recent student projects:
According to Warren Puneky, Dean of Business and Technology, the program’s growth is a testament to a dedicated group of energetic faculty, a supportive administration, excellent students, and willing community partners. Grants have aided the program’s continued growth, used in training faculty, gathering resources, hosting Service Learning conferences, and supplies for the varied projects.
