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 LSUA 吃瓜直播 of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has partnered with the City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Zoo to offer a unique and innovative Zoo Sciences concentration. In the first of its kind in Louisiana, and among less than 10 programs nationwide, the LSUA Zoo Sciences Concentration within the Bachelor of Science in Biology degree program will prepare graduates to enter the rewarding field of zoo management.
Gaining entry into the zoo industry can be difficult without education and experience. When hiring new zoo keepers, zoos want to ensure applicants have the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to work with a wide range of animals, including large and dangerous animals. This skill set is challenging to obtain through classroom learning alone. With this unique collaboration, classes will be taught on-campus by LSUA professors and at the zoo by qualified professionals in the field. Students will receive hands-on experience and the practical knowledge necessary to excel in their work.
Alexandria Zoological Park Director Max Lakes said, 鈥淭he Alexandria Zoo is proud to collaborate with LSUA in offering the Zoo Science concentration through the Department of Biology. The Zoo Science concentration will offer students in Louisiana and nationwide an opportunity to obtain a degree that provides the theoretical and practical application knowledge needed to work in the animal care field. We look forward to the opportunity to hire graduates from this program as zookeepers in the future.鈥�
鈥淎ll of us at LSUA are looking forward to the development of a new LSUA Zoo Sciences concentration in our Department of Biology,鈥� said Dr. Paul Coreil, LSUA Chancellor. 鈥淚n a world where zoos are often the only place that people get to learn about and interact with wildlife, it is crucial that we help prepare future zoo management professionals that are properly trained and prepared to maximize the educational impact and quality experiences provided by well-maintained public zoos. As a biologist myself, this new program is very exciting!鈥�
LSUA offers one of the most affordable routes to high-demand jobs in zookeeping and zoo management. Graduates will be positioned to earn national certifications needed to satisfy the Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation standards. The Zoo Science program offered through the LSUA Department of Biology and collaboratively taught at the Alexandria Zoo by zoo professionals will give students an edge when applying for jobs in the zoo field.
Jeff Hall, Mayor of Alexandria, spoke about the collaborative effort noting, 鈥淭he Alexandria Zoo is one of the finest public zoos in the nation. We are pleased to partner with LSUA to give students the opportunity to learn from Dr. Lakes and his staff in this AZA-accredited facility. We believe this innovative program 鈥� the first of its kind in Louisiana 鈥� will not only provide quality educational and job opportunities for people from central Louisiana, but it will also attract young people from across the country to Alexandria to participate in the program.鈥�
Students in this concentration will take courses that develop the wide range of skills required to work in zoos or aquaria. Among these skills are recognizing and interpreting animal behavioral patterns, understanding the nuances of appropriate habitats, maintaining the health and well-being of the animals, and working with preservation societies and other governmental agencies.
Written by Adam Lord
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 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.