In 1959, the Louisiana Legislature authorized the establishment of LSUA as a two-year commuter college under the governance of the LSU Board of Supervisors. LSUA registered its first students in September of 1960. The first degree program, an Associate in Nursing degree, was initiated in the Division of Nursing in 1964.
The additional academic divisions of Liberal Arts, Business Administration, and Sciences were created in 1967. In 1974, LSUA was accredited by the Commission on 吃瓜直播s of the Southern Association of 吃瓜直播s and Schools (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. This accreditation was reaffirmed in 1984, 1994, and 2004.
Only one associate degree was available at LSUA from 1964 to March 1986, when the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science transfer degrees were approved. Over the next 15 years, several associate degree and certificate programs were added that the university continues to offer including:
From 1976 through Spring 2003, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical 吃瓜直播 offered the upper-level course work for select bachelor's degree programs on the LSUA campus through a program known as LSU Senior 吃瓜直播. Initially, the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of General Studies were offered. The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education was added in 1982-83.
As Louisiana State University of Alexandria seeks to meet Central Louisiana workforce demands, strong collaboration with local businesses is needed to ensure students are career-ready upon graduation.
LSUA鈥檚 longstanding relationship with Rapides Regional Medical Center (RRMC) exemplifies what community partnerships can achieve through collaboration.
Through the support of RRMC and former Rapides Healthcare System president and chief executive officer, A.C. Buchanan III, LSUA鈥檚 Allied Health programs have made downtown Alexandria a hub for student training and career success.
In 2008, the LSUA Department of Allied Health was granted use of the downtown facility at 807 Jackson Street by RRMC. Additionally, RRMC invested in extensive renovations to student laboratories and classrooms, specifically a fully-equipped medical laboratory science lab and an energized x-ray room. The facility was later renamed to honor the memory of Mr. Buchanan, also a former LSUA Foundation board member.
鈥淲ith the generous support provided for laboratory and classroom space specific to our Allied Health degree offerings, we have been able to attract more students to our Allied Health programs and provide pre-clinical training for students prior to their actual clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals across LSUA鈥檚 primary service area,鈥� said Dr. Haywood Joiner, Chair of the LSUA Department of Allied Health. 鈥淲e have also begun the process of working to offer additional programs designed to meet the workforce needs of the region.鈥�
Following in the late Buchanan鈥檚 footsteps, RRMC Chief Executive Officer and LSUA Foundation board member, Jason Cobb, has recently made a significant commitment to renovate the second floor of the A.C. Buchanan III Allied Health Building to house a new Surgical Technology program that will be developed in partnership with LSUE.
鈥淭his new program at LSUA will not only help fill a vital need in our surgery department, but it is also an investment in workforce development,鈥� said Cobb. 鈥淲e are proud of the surgical offerings we have been able to bring to Central Louisiana in recent years, such as the Brainlab neurosurgical suite, the daVinci Xi robotic system and our new hybrid operating room. This Surgical Technology program is yet another piece and the collaboration with LSUA and its Allied Health department is a natural fit and win for Central Louisiana.鈥�
The Department of Engineering at RRMC is currently reviewing the project with hopes to begin construction next month. Current plans are for LSUA/LSUE to admit students to the program in Fall 2021.
鈥淭hese local partnerships are critical to the success of our students, but also critical to the Central Louisiana workforce. Without the generosity of community business leaders like Mr. Buchanan and Jason Cobb with the Rapides Regional Medical Center, LSUA would not be the excellent university that it is today,鈥� said Dr. Paul Coreil, LSUA Chancellor. 鈥淲e are grateful for their outstanding and continuing support.鈥�
On June 5, 2001, following approval by the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Legislature passed legislation (Senate Bill 853) allowing Louisiana State University at Alexandria to offer baccalaureate degrees. In December 2002, SACSCOC approved a substantive change request from LSUA, thereby accrediting the university to award both associate and baccalaureate degrees.
In Fall 2003, LSUA was reorganized into colleges and departments rather than divisions. The 吃瓜直播 of Arts and Sciences is comprised of the departments of Arts, English and Humanities; Behavioral and Social Sciences; Biological Sciences; and Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The 吃瓜直播 of Professional Studies is comprised of the departments of Allied Health, Business Administration, Education, and Nursing.
LSUA began offering four baccalaureate degrees in Fall 2003: Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of General Studies, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Liberal Studies. Because there were students at LSUA who had completed upper-level course work through LSU Senior 吃瓜直播, LSUA produced its first bachelor's degree graduates in December 2003.
A Bachelor of Science in Psychology, approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors in March 2005, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, approved by the LSU Board in June 2006, are now offered. In 2008 the university began offering Bachelor of Arts degrees in English, Communication Studies, and History, along with Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Nursing.
In addition to the Department of Education offering courses that lead to an Associate of Arts in The Care and Development of Young Children and the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, courses are offered for alternative certification in the following areas: Elementary Education, Grades 1-5; Health and Physical Education, Grades K-12; and Secondary Education, Grades 6-12 for the areas of biology, English, history, and mathematics. Students who major in biology, English, history, or mathematics may declare Secondary Education as a minor in these areas of study, earning certification to teach that subject in Grades 6-12. Add-on certifications are available for Early Childhood Education (PK-3) and Special Education in area of existing certification(s).
The Oaks, the university’s first student housing complex, opened in the fall of 2007. The complex, which includes four apartment buildings and a community center.
LSUA hired its first athletic director in January 2007 and began competing in NAIA men’s baseball and women’s fast-pitch softball in Spring 2008. In January 2010, LSUA’s new on-campus baseball-softball complex was unveiled in an opening day dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The complex is located on the north side of campus adjacent to the Fitness Center and features seats transferred from the famed Alex Box Stadium on the Baton Rouge campus.
LSUA added five sports in 2014 including men’s and women’s basketball and soccer teams along with women’s tennis. LSUA joined the Red River Athletic Conference in 2014. The RRAC includes Bacone 吃瓜直播 (Okla.), Huston-Tilloston University (Texas), Jarvis Christian 吃瓜直播 (Texas), Langston University (Okla.), LSU-Shreveport, Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas), Paul Quinn 吃瓜直播 (Texas), Texas 吃瓜直播, University of St. Thomas (Texas), University of Texas-Brownsville, University of the Southwest (New Mexico) and Wiley 吃瓜直播 (Texas) in addition to LSUA.
The university’s newest building, Mulder Hall, was opened in August 2011. The building is a 70,000 square-foot facility that provides 18 classrooms, 4 academic department office suites, 52 faculty offices, 2 conference rooms, a computer lab and a writing lab, a painting and drawing studio, a ceramics studio, a photography suite, and a black box theater that seats 175 people.