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 ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥s of the Southern Association of ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥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 ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ offered the upper-level course work for select bachelor's degree programs on the LSUA campus through a program known as LSU Senior ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥. 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 - How can we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
According to the 2020 Census, there are more than sixty million Hispanics in the U.S, and 5.6 percent of Louisiana’s population identifies as Hispanic. We are a lot of people, with significant differences. As Latin Americans, we share a passion for our food, music, literature, and real football (aka soccer). However, we are a diverse group of people. Not all of us speak Spanish. Brazilians speak Portuguese, Jamaicans English, Haitians French, and all throughout the Americas, there is a plethora of indigenous languages recognized by governments like Mexico and Guatemala. Not all of us share the same religion. Although Catholicism continues to have a strong presence in Latin America, other protestant denominations have seen significant growth in recent years, particularly in Central America and Brazil. A quick country comparison using Hofstede’s 6D framework shows that in terms of power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence, Hispanics are all over the chart. This rich diversity of values, behaviors, beliefs, and experiences is all part of Latin American culture.
This is an invitation to celebrate your heritage by reading the works of Ernesto Sabato, Mario Benedetti, Isabell Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Carlos Fuentes. Enjoy the rhythms of Salsa, Merengue, Vallenato, Cumbia, Mambo, Samba, Tango, and of course, Reggaeton. Taste a good street taco or paella, empanadas, tamales, and carne asada. Invite a friend to try your favorite food, listen to your playlist, or read a good book with you. But most importantly, use this month to learn about the history of Latin America and the recent events that are shaping its future.
The best way to celebrate this month is by educating yourself and those around you.
About Romero
LSUA’s Rafael Romero is the Chair of the Management and Marketing Department of the ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ of Business. He also owns 318 Marketing, LLC, a digital marketing firm in town. He was born and raised in Nicaragua. Romero earned a Law and Economics degree from the Central American University in Managua. He worked for Nicaragua’s Trade Department for several years. In 2008, he earned a Fulbright Scholarship, providing the opportunity to attend Vanderbilt University to pursue an LLM in International Trade and an MA in Latin American Studies. He also earned an MBA from LSU-Shreveport. He contends his greatest accomplishment is being a husband and father.
Written by Rafael Romero | LSUA ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ of Business
Photo credit - LSUA Division of Strategic Communications
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 ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ 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 ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ 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 ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥, 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 ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Okla.), Huston-Tilloston University (Texas), Jarvis Christian ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Texas), Langston University (Okla.), LSU-Shreveport, Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas), Paul Quinn ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (Texas), Texas ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥, University of St. Thomas (Texas), University of Texas-Brownsville, University of the Southwest (New Mexico) and Wiley ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ (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.