In 1997-98, the Louisiana Legislature funded a multi-year Distance Education Initiative (DEI) to develop and extend electronic learning capacities to all public institutions of higher education in the state.  Efforts during the first phase focused on the installation of high-grade compressed video and Internet connectivity, building a solid faculty knowledge base and system of technical support, and fostering collaborative projects in research and curriculum design.  Efforts during the second and third phases had similar foci, but pilot projects were encouraged to become more program-specific while the fourth and fifth phases of the program set the stage for expanding the programs to students across our state.

Since its inception, the SELECT grants program has fostered the development of numerous electronically delivered degree programs and supported the BoR Electronic Campus (BOREC).  It now serves as a vital training resource for higher education faculty and administrators.

Now in its seventh phase, the SELECT initiative is continuing to expand such programs. Structural support is in place: technicians have created a high-quality compressed video and Internet network; partnerships between institutions at a variety of levels have been forged; faculty members around the state have been trained to use these resources effectively; the Community and Technical College System and K-12 school systems are coming online and increasing the numbers of potential users and programs.

The Supporting Electronic Learning and Essential Campus Transitions (SELECT) grants program is therefore focused on fostering the development and delivery of high-quality courses, modules and academic programs for Louisiana’s learning communities.

SELECT Grant has been suspended for 2009-2010 year