The former Our Lady of the Lake College—rebranded in late 2016 as Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University or FranU—is announcing several new degree programs aimed at broadening the educational offerings of the institution.
Among the new programs being unveiled at a press conference this morning are Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences, and bachelor’s degree programs in theology and business administration.
The expansion programs, including doctoral level programs, are one of the main factors behind the university’s rebrand, says FranU President Tina Holland.
“We want to educate the press and the public about what we are doing and we want folks to understand we are no longer the school of nursing,” Holland says. “We have a school of nursing, but we also have so much more.”
The university’s expansion has been in the works for several years and has come in response to community need, Holland says. The DPT program, for instance, will help address a critical shortage of physical therapists in the state. FranU already had an associate degree program in physical therapy, but the DPT degree is the industry standard for professionals.
Similarly, the bachelor’s in theology degree program emerged from a deacon formation program the university previously created at the request of the Diocese of Baton Rouge to help train deacons. The theology degree program will build on that and help prepare young people for a career in lay ministry at churches, schools and hospitals.
While the curriculum expansion fills a void in the community, it will also help grow university enrollment, currently around 1,500 students, to as much as 2,000, though Holland says the goal is not to grow too big.
The university has invested more than $2 million in the expansion programs, including $1.4 million renovating the second floor of the School of Health Professions building on Picardy Avenue to include a physical therapy gymnasium with state-of-the-art equipment and classrooms. Another $650,000 went to hiring additional personnel and accrediting costs.
The expansion will also provide the five hospitals within the FMOL system, including Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, with a much-needed supply of trained workers.
“A well prepared clinical workforce is essential for all of us,” says OLOL CEO Scott Wester. “We value all of our strategic academic partnerships, especially our university.”
