Fran U Mes Amis

Louisiana continues to rank behind almost every other state in
the country in terms of its educational outcomes across the board
– from Pre-K through post secondary. But buried under those bad
stats, are some bright spots – success stories of programs and
schools that are finding ways to prepare students and train them
for the jobs of the future.


On this episode of Out to Lunch, meet two of the leading lights
of the Baton Rouge education system.


Tina Holland is President and CEO of Franciscan Missionaries of
Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, better known as Fran U. Tina
came to Fran U in 2014 from Notre Dame, Indiana, where she had
served as Executive Vice President and Provost of Holy Cross
College. In the years since, she has overseen an aggressive and
successful expansion of Fran U.


Fran U started out nearly a century ago as Our Lady of the Lake,
a nursing school. Today it is a fully accredited university with
new undergraduate and graduate degree programs that Tina has
created.


Tina is overseeing the development of Fran U’s first freestanding
building which will give the university a new level of autonomy.


Tina is a native of Los Angeles and a former officer in the U.S.
Marine Corps., who brings an extraordinary knowledge and skillset
to a position that requires navigating the turbulent waters of
not only higher ed and Catholic Church but local politics as
well.    


Christine Merchant is  World Language Coordinator with the
East Baton Rouge Parish School System. If you're thinking, "I
didn't know East Baton Rouge Schools had a world language
coordinator," you're not alone but you might be surprised to
learn that not only is the school system's immersive language
program highly successful, but also that Christine has been
running it for 42 years!


In fact, Christine is the first and only person to hold this
position.


The most visible flagship of the East Baton Rouge School System's
foreign language track is FLAIM, or more formally, the Baton
Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet, but world
languages are offered at a large number of EBR public schools.


Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the
Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Erik Otts at
itsbatonrouge.la.


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