Educational Philosophy and Objectives

The School of Allied Health Professions subscribes to the philosophy of the LSU System which has a three-fold purpose: Developing to the highest level the intellectual and professional capacities of citizens through resident instruction; enriching instruction and establishing new frontiers through research and scholarship; and providing all Louisianans with information useful to advancing the State’s economy and culture. The School of Allied Health Professions recognizes that total health care of the community; State and the Nation must increasingly draw upon personnel, talents, and techniques of a broad range of disciplines. Therefore, programs for the education of allied health professionals must not only incorporate an understanding of, and appreciation for their own field but also, the fields of medicine, dentistry, public health, and nursing. A comprehensive acquaintance with the cultural and physical heritage and bodies of knowledge, which will assist the student in living a productive, humanitarian, and successful life in society, is deemed important. The School recognizes its obligation to develop educational programs in the allied health professions compatible with this philosophy and striving for the highest level recognized as being justifiable in terms of the roles and responsibilities its graduates will assume.

The primary objective of the School is to increase the supply, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, of a variety of patient-oriented health professionals in the State of Louisiana and to meet the need for health services and future teachers in health-educational programs. The training for any health profession can best be accomplished in a health-oriented environment such as the Health Sciences Center. This environment permits the physician, dentist, nurse, allied health professional, and the student an opportunity to see the patient, as a team, thus developing sound working relationships requisite to educating the student for a role of leadership. Because of the close relationship developed with other undergraduate campuses of the LSU System, a strong core curriculum is available from which students may obtain a basic foundation and general understanding of various fields of allied health. This permits students to sample a broad spectrum before final selection of a specific field and admission to the School of Allied Health Professions. The School provides vital public health and human services through direct patient/client care, and support for families. Health care services are provided through the Allied Health Clinics, and in association with the State Public Hospital System. Human services for clients with developmental disabilities and their families are provided by the Human Development Center in New Orleans. A further objective of the School is to develop and maintain programs of investigative studies and research within the allied health disciplines. The School will also assume a position of leadership in providing a mechanism to promote development of programs to meet the continuing educational needs of allied health professionals in Louisiana.