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| For thousands of college and high school students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, LSU Independent Study offers a classroom-free educational option to complete the fall semester. LSU will offer enrollment in independent study courses at no cost to those students who were enrolled at one of the colleges or high schools that have canceled fall classes in the affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Students who want to take advantage of the independent study option need to act quickly; LSU is permitting eligible students to enroll for free in up to four college or six high school independent study courses through Sept. 30. LSU Independent Study offers 80 high school and 150 college credit courses that students can use to continue to make progress on a high school diploma or on a college degree. Unlike traditional classes, these self-paced courses require no classroom meetings, so they are ideal for students who may not be sure where they will be next week or next month. Some courses are available online for students who have computer access; but every independent study course can be completed using the original correspondence course technology: paper, pencil and the postal service. “As we develop and incorporate new technologies to their best effect, we have been committed to maintaining our print-based courses,” said Gail Hawkes, interim director of the Office of Independent Study. “Electricity can go down, cable systems may fail, our Internet site may even go offline for brief periods; but our students can always drop a lesson in a mailbox. And there are some constituencies for whom print-based courses continue to offer the most portability, efficiency and flexibility.” Students do their course work anywhere and send assignments to LSU, where they are graded by a college instructor or high school teacher. Students normally have nine months to complete the assignments and exams in an independent study course, and they can take their exam virtually anywhere under the supervision of a proctor approved by LSU. Textbooks and other required supplies will need to be purchased by the students. Course work through independent study is generally transferable to a student’s home institution. In the case of high school students, the credit is actually given by the student’s high school, and pre-approval by a school principal or counselor is required. LSU officials are working with the Louisiana Department of Education to develop agreements that will cover the displaced students who may not be able to contact school staff for approvals. For more information about the courses that are available, the LSU Independent Study Web site is the best source of information: www.is.lsu.edu. For specific information about special enrollment procedures, consult the Web site. High school students can also call 225-578-3920 or toll-free at 1-800-234-5047. College students should call 225-578-3920 or toll-free at 1-800-234-5046. - 30 - |
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