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.
In the fall of 2013, Louisiana State University of Alexandria opened the exhibition 鈥淪olomon Northup鈥檚 Gateway to Freedom鈥� in the Epps House on campus just as the critically acclaimed award-winning movie 鈥淭welve Years A Slave鈥� was released.
The exhibition鈥� created with a team of community and campus members鈥� was led by Alexandria Museum of Art Executive Director, Catherine M. Pears. It focused on the history of the structure, Oakland Plantation (formerly on the LSUA grounds), Solomon Northup, and story of Sue Eakin, a former LSUA professor who championed not only the move of the structure to the LSUA campus, but also spent years keeping the Solomon Northup story alive. The installation included artifacts from the property, items from the LSUA Archives, and the AMoA folk art collection.
Since that time, many tourists and visitors have enjoyed tours of the exhibition. Unfortunately, due to structural issues with the building, it had to be closed to the public.
The LSUA Foundation decided to form an alliance and make the necessary repairs to restore this historic house.
RoyOMartin Sustainable Resources, the Alexandria Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the LSUA Foundation each made significant financial contributions, while Tarver Building Materials donated significant in-kind materials to allow for the completion of this phase of the project. Skip Converse was hired to stabilize the structure, repair the foundation, flooring, and porch.
鈥淚 am so happy to see that the repairs are complete, and I am very grateful for the partners that have made this happen. This structure is so important to our local and national history. Stories like Solomon Northup鈥檚, as well as Sue Eakin鈥檚 deserve to be told in order to remind us where we have been and can inform us of who we want to be going forward,鈥� said Pears.
The LSUA community wishes to recognize these generous donors and thank them, specifically for the funding and efforts to maintain this structure so important to the culture and history of this area.
Phase 1 of the project to restore this property is now complete as a result of the commitment from this cooperative alliance. Phase 2 of the project will include reinterpretation and reinstallation of the exhibition for tourism and educational purposes.
The legacy of Sue Eakin to make sure Solomon Northup鈥檚 story was not lost to history will continue as LSUA embraces and enhances her work to tell his story within the walls of the structure he built. The university will now begin to identify grants to fund the research and installation, as well as seeking appropriate African American historians to inform that process. LSUA is committed to telling the story of this historic dwelling originally built by Solomon Northup and the abolitionist who helped to deliver his freedom.
鈥淏eing an institution of learning, we are charged with providing learning opportunities to those that visit our campus and our students. The story of Solomon Northup and the Epps House is of historical significance and is a symbol of history that we can learn lessons from and make strides to let our differences bring us together, not separate us,鈥� said Sheila Hudson, LSUA Assistant Registrar and Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
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.