Burn Ban in Effect for Natchitoches Parish
Natchitoches Parish is under a burn ban amid extreme heat and dry conditions, one of at least 22 Louisiana parishes with restrictions in place as of late Thursday morning. Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Sabine and Webster parishes in Northwest Louisiana are also under bans.
Burn bans prohibit open burning — burning material outside on open ground without a container for the flame — including burn piles and burn barrels. Bans do not apply to prescribed burns conducted by or certified through the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, or to prescribed burning that qualifies as generally accepted agricultural practice under the Louisiana Right to Farm Law.
Parish governing authorities have the authority to issue and lift their own bans, and local ordinances may be stricter than state rules. Violations can carry criminal and civil penalties. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry maintains a statewide burn ban map.
NSU President Addresses Campus Housing Complaints
Northwestern State University President James Genovese has acknowledged unacceptable conditions reported by some students moving into campus housing, including unclean units, air-conditioning problems and other maintenance issues.
Genovese said university leadership is working directly with Campus Living Villages, the private company that owns and manages the housing, to ensure concerns are addressed promptly. Students with immediate issues should contact the University Columns office at (318) 214-5414. Non-urgent maintenance requests should be submitted through the Campus Living Villages resident portal.
Genovese said the university will continue monitoring the response and advocating for students, and that every student deserves a clean, safe and comfortable living environment.
Six Faculty Projects Funded to Boost Student Retention
Six projects proposed by Northwestern State University faculty have been selected for funding under a microgrant initiative aimed at improving retention and graduation rates for low-income students.
The initiative is supported by NSU’s Title III Elevate U grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which funds academic advising, guided pathways to degree completion and integrated tutoring and career planning. Seventeen proposals were submitted; funding allowed six to be supported.
The funded projects are a peer mentoring program for high-risk math and computer science courses, submitted by mathematics instructor Carrie Maggio; an academic success center for the NSU Shreveport campus, from Anna Morris and Melissa Rennie; expanded hands-on learning and tutoring for Anatomy and Physiology I, from Jerry Brunson; sensor-based interactive demonstrations for introductory physics, from Damien Tristant and Anna Dugas; a revitalized Center for Excellence in Teaching supporting tutoring, mentoring and interdisciplinary engagement, from Michelle Morris and Shahriar Hossain; and FORGE, a faculty mentoring and peer support program for first-year engineering technology students, from Nabin Sapkota, Hossain and Craig Caskey.
Proposals were reviewed by Director of Libraries Megan Lowe, Sponsored Programs Director Alysia L. Jones, Institutional Engagement and Economic Development Director Gwen Taylor Fontenot and Advising Services Program Manager Beth Schroeder. Title III Director Edgar Martinez oversees the initiative.
NSU Campus Events and Activities for Aug. 23-29
Northwestern State University’s schedule for the week of Aug. 23-29:
Through Sept. 4 — Art exhibit, “Faculty in Practice: Explorations in Material, Process, and Form,” Orville J. Hanchey Art Gallery
Aug. 23-25 — Late registration for fall semester
Aug. 24 — Reception and artist talk for “Faculty in Practice,” Orville J. Hanchey Art Gallery, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Aug. 24 — Faculty recital, Paul Christopher, cello, and Chialing Hsieh, piano, Magale Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 27 — School of Kinesiology ribbon-cutting ceremony, School of Kinesiology Building, 170 Tarlton Drive, noon
Aug. 27 — Football vs. Louisiana Christian, Turpin Stadium, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 — ROTC commissioning ceremony, Teacher Education Center Auditorium, 3 p.m.