A record number of students who prepared for the state notary examination at the University of ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ at Lafayette passed the test – again.
The University’s B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration offers BLAW 340, a notary preparation course, each fall. Students who took the course in the Fall 2017 semester achieved a pass rate of 63 percent.
That’s an increase of 3 percent over the previous pass-rate record of 60 percent that UL Lafayette students set in 2016.
By comparison, the state average is 20 percent.
Attorney Fred W. Davis teaches the course. He’s been a notary for 34 years and is the author of the “Pass My Notary†workbook.
“Many accounting students choose to take the notary class so they will have a better chance of passing the state exam. Students can graduate not only with their degrees but with a ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ state notarial commission that can make them more marketable to employers,†Davis said.
Notaries are impartial witnesses who verify the identities of people who are signing important documents. According to the National Notary Association, they “deter fraud and establish that the signer knows what document they’re signing, and that they’re a willing participant in the transaction.â€
In ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥, notaries must be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate. They also must pass two tests, an online pre-assessment and the state notary exam.
BLAW 340 is offered every fall semester at UL Lafayette and is the only notary class in ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ where students who take it can earn university credit. Non-degree seeking individuals can take the class, too. It’s offered concurrently as BLAW 240.
Students interested in the course can find more information at . Prospective students can visit for details and registration information.
The class is not offered online.
Photo caption: BLAW 340 instructor Fred Davis swears in Heather Trahan, an accounting graduate from Crowley, ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥, after she passed the ÃŞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ notary exam.