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.
ALEXANDRIA - The Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame has tapped Louisiana State University of Alexandria communication professor, Melissa C. LaBorde, APR, for induction to its ranks for the Class of 2021. Induction into the Hall is intended to identify leaders in the industry who should be recognized and honored for their extraordinary achievements, accomplishments and contributions to their organizations, communities and the public relations profession.
Established in 2010 to recognize the distinguished accomplishments, commitment and leadership of professional public relations practitioners and educators from the southeastern United States, inductees are current and former practitioners or educators who have brought honor to the field of public relations.
鈥淢issy is the first to offer assistance and the last to leave from a meeting,鈥� wrote Kelli West, past president of the local Public Relations Association of Louisiana who assisted with the nomination. 鈥淪he is a servant leader in the truest sense of the phrase. Her guidance has been the catalyst for improvement for many professionals and students over the years, including myself.鈥�
LaBorde began her career at LSUA as a senior administrator serving as the Executive Director of the LSUA Foundation just after the organization was formed in 1992. As Director of Institutional Advancement, she was charged with the university鈥檚 public relations and fundraising efforts. Among her notable accomplishments are the LSUA Four-Year Now campaign, fundraising for and construction of the LSUA Children鈥檚 Center, and the establishment of the Alumni and Friends Association. She directed the fundraising efforts that included the university鈥檚 first million dollar grant donation and worked to fund numerous endowed professorships and endowed scholarships to benefit faculty and students. She has also been involved in numerous civic and service organizations and projects throughout Cenla.
In 2007, LaBorde transitioned to a full-time faculty position where she currently serves as an associate professor of communication studies. In addition to teaching and mentoring her students, she has served on numerous committees during here faculty tenure. She currently serves as president of the LSUA Faculty Senate. Her students have won awards for their work in both the Cypress and Lantern Award competitions as well as in the regional BOAST public relations student competition. She is a faculty coordinator for the Certificate in the Principles of Public Relations offered to students nearing graduation, and has successfully mentored students through the national certificate program.
鈥淥ver her career, she has served exceptionally and often simultaneously in practitioner, educational administrator, and professor roles,鈥� said John E. Forde, APR, PRSA Fellow, who helped establish the Hall of Fame in 2010. 鈥淢issy has a unique way of blending her professional pursuits to greatly impact her students and professionals alike.鈥�
LaBorde has mentored many students during her career and supervised numerous domestic and international public relations internships. She has been awarded three endowed professorships along with the Staff Outstanding Service Award, Innovation in Teaching Award, and the Faculty Outstanding Service Award at LSUA. She was the first practitioner to earn both the SPRF Professional Achievement Award (2003) and the Educator of the Year Award. (2011). She is a member of the SPRF Senior Leadership Council, a two-time past president of the organization, and a past member of the Universal Accreditation Board, the national board that oversees accreditation for public relations professionals across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The Hall of Fame induction will take place in Panama City Beach, Florida, on October 11 during the Southern Public Relations Federation annual conference. The Hall of Fame is co-sponsored by Mississippi State University鈥檚 Department of Communication and the Southern Public Relations Federation. It is permanently housed outside the John Grisham Room in the Mitchell Memorial 吃瓜直播 at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
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.