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.
Legendary local swim coach Wally Fall honored his grandfather, John Pugh Wilkinson, with the planting of a memorial oak tree at LSUA. Fall was joined by his family, the 鈥渞ed coats鈥� of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce, members of the LSUA Foundation, and nearly fifty faculty and staff for the honorary ribbon cutting ceremony.
Coach Fall was raised by his grandparents in Shreveport, Louisiana. He took the opportunity of the gift to LSUA to express his deepest gratitude to his grandfather, John P. Wilkinson. Wilkinson made his mark at LSU in Baton Rouge in the early 20th century. He was both the captain of the LSU baseball team and the LSU basketball team, a feat not easily done in college athletics. Wilkinson graduated from LSU in 1916 with a degree in Agriculture and went on to fight in WWI.
Wilkinson鈥檚 athletic prowess was highlighted by Coach Fall in the story of his legendary performance against the New York Giants in an exhibition game at LSU. In the early days of major league baseball, professional teams would travel the country playing college teams to prepare for their season. In just such a game, Wilkinson was pitching against future Hall of Famer Kristy Mathewson. With LSU trailing just 2-1 in the 7th inning, the Giants鈥� head coach requested Wilkinson be taken off the mound for fear of embarrassment for his batters. When Wilkinson refused to leave the game, the Giants鈥� coach offered him a contract on the spot. Wilkinson played professional baseball for two seasons.
Coach Fall had much more to revere in his grandfather than his abilities on the field. Fall explained, 鈥淧op taught me hard work鈥o never give up. My grandfather always said, 鈥楽omething will happen if you keep plugging away. You just don鈥檛 get to pick when it happens. But, it will happen if you keep plugging away.鈥欌��
This December will mark Coach Fall's fifty-sixth year coaching swimming, with forty-eight having been in Rapides Parish. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to think I have made a positive difference in a lot of kids鈥� lives,鈥� Fall reflected, noting a number of his former swim students in the audience.
In closing, Coach Fall challenged others to donate oak trees to LSUA. He envisions ten trees donated by December, saying, 鈥淭his is the start of something good at LSUA. I would like to see this place become a forest. I would like to invite people who have family members connected to LSUA or LSU, to make a contribution to the legacy of the university. It would be noteworthy to plant a tree in their honor here at LSUA. This place is on the move!鈥�
For those interested in planting an honorary or memorial oak tree at LSUA, please contact the LSUA Foundation at 318-619-2917. The LSUA Foundation is a nonprofit organization that cultivates private financial support and bolsters the university鈥檚 contributions to higher education in central Louisiana. For more information about the LSUA Foundation, please visit .
Written by Adam Lord
Photo credit - Adam Lord
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.