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.
The Louisiana State University of Alexandria 吃瓜直播 of Business releases its May 2021 issue of the CENLA Economic Dashboard. 鈥淪timulus funding continues to bolster central Louisiana鈥檚 economy,鈥� said Dr. Randall Dupont, Dean of the LSUA 吃瓜直播 of Business.
鈥淐onsumer spending accelerated throughout Cenla in March,鈥� continued Dupont. In Rapides, consumer spending was up 46% in March over February, and so far this year is up 21% over the same period last year. Sales tax revenue is used as a proxy of consumer spending. All central Louisiana parishes reported gains in sales tax revenue in March with increases ranging from 21% to 282%. The municipalities of Ball, Boyce, and Woodworth all experienced near 50% sales tax gains in March over the previous month.
Dupont is monitoring the growth of online sales through taxes collected by the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers. 鈥淥nline sales are an increasing source of revenue for central Louisiana,鈥� he says. Cenla saw an 18% tax revenue increase from remote sellers in March over February in the 11 parish region. In Rapides, online sales tax revenue in March totaled $465,000 compared to $307,000 in February. Since August 2020, $10.4 million in sales tax revenue have been collected from online sales in central Louisiana, with Rapides collecting $3.1 million of that total.
Vehicle sales continue to demonstrate strength as they did much of last year, according to Dupont. Vehicle sales were up 30% in Rapides in March over the previous month and 55% and 62%, respectively, in Evangeline and St. Landry. Year-to-date vehicle sales tax revenue is up in all four parishes ranging 5% to 33%, and consumers are traveling more. Hotel occupancy in Rapides and Avoyelles increased over last month and are up for the year. In Rapides, occupancy increased 23% in March compared to February and 119% compared to a year ago. Avoyelles hotel occupancy tax is up 6% so far this year. Hotel occupancy tax revenue is a proxy for the hotel occupancy rate.
鈥淭he housing market remains strong going into the summer,鈥� said Dupont. 鈥淎lthough lumber prices have risen 89% since last April, it has not dampened the housing market.鈥� Homeownership in Louisiana peaked in 2008 at 73.5%, but stood at 69.5% in 2020 leaving room for continued market expansion. The Alexandria real estate market remains robust with active listings down and pending listings up in April over March. Active listings fell 60% and pending listings rose 53% in April from a year ago, while the number of days a house stayed on the market fell 22% from a year earlier.
The labor market continues to send mixed messages. A strong Cenla economy buoyed by federal stimulus spending combined with supplemental unemployment assistance have created a tight labor market, making it difficult for small businesses to hire. Louisiana鈥檚 unemployment rate fell 0.5% in March to 6.6% with central Louisiana having an average unemployment rate of 5.6%. Alexandria had the lowest unemployment rate among the state鈥檚 major metro areas for the eleventh straight month, falling 0.3% to 4.4% in March. Alexandria continues to have the tightest labor market in the state with job openings for every unemployed.
The CENLA Economic Dashboard is a service of the LSUA 吃瓜直播 of Business to help business and community leaders monitor the economic pulse of central Louisiana.
To view the May 2021 CENLA Economic Dashboard, click .
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.