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.
Louisiana State University of Alexandria celebrated the finalists for the Howard and Eloise Mulder Endowed Scholarship with a dinner held on the LSUA campus on Saturday night.
The ten finalists were selected from over sixty applicants and spent the earlier part of Saturday in a series of day-long interviews with the chancellor, a representative from their respective academic department, and the scholarship committee.
Of the finalists, five are incoming freshmen in the fall semester and the other five are continuing students. Two scholarships will be awarded, one to each category. The winners will be announced in the coming weeks.
The incoming students include: Madison Reeves (Criminal Justice major from Clifton, TN), Rhett Fannin (Nursing major Jena, LA), Cameron Carriker (Nursing major from Glenmora, LA), Skye Howard (Undecided major from Pineville, LA), and Khloe Morton (Kinesiology major from Pineville, LA).
The continuing students include: Destiny Harrison (Chemistry major from Loganville, GA), Sophie Borhi (Biology major from Nelson, Canada), Vi Nguyen (Nursing major from Waldorf, MD), Marcello Fabricio Vechin dos Santos (Business Administration major from Campinas, Brazil), and Alina Chaisson (Pre-Pharmacy major from Elmer, LA).
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize how prestigious it was to be a finalist until I learned so much about the Mulders. It has been neat hearing about all that they did for LSUA and what their impact has been on the University. If I鈥檓 selected, it would be an extreme honor, and I would be very grateful for the opportunity to represent them,鈥� said Alina Chaisson.
Howard and Eloise Mulder were staunch supporters of LSUA. Both were founding members of the LSUA Foundation and served the Board of Directors for eight years. In 2001, both Howard and Eloise were honored for their service to LSUA by being awarded the LSUA Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed to anyone by the University.
鈥淭hey (the Mulders) were two of the nicest people you will ever meet. They treated everyone with respect and were unbelievably generous. They knew what LSUA meant to the community, and wanted to make sure students in Central Louisiana have every opportunity to be the best they could be. Their impact will be felt as long as this University is here, and that will be a long time,鈥� said Charlie Weems, LSUA Foundation Board member and long-time friend of the Mulders.
Students receiving the scholarship will be known as a Mulder Scholar and the award will cover the full cost of a semester鈥檚 tuition, fees, books, and on-campus housing and meal plans incurred as a direct result of the recipient鈥檚 attendance at LSUA. The scholarship will be awarded to the student throughout their academic career at LSUA, not to exceed more than eight consecutive semesters.
This is the third year this scholarship has been awarded. It is made possible by the generous donation made to the University from the Mulder estate.
鈥淭his is such an exciting night for LSUA and the LSUA Foundation,鈥� said Melinda Anderson, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations & Executive Director of the LSUA Foundation. 鈥淭his event is so special because not only does it honor outstanding academic students, but it continues the legacy of Mr. and Mrs. Mulder.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.