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 January 2023 issue of the Central Louisiana Economic Dashboard.
Job creation was the story in 2022, says Randall Dupont, Dean of the LSUA 吃瓜直播 of Business. Employment in the Alexandria-Pineville MSA in November was 63,950, slightly below the 2022 peak of 64,349 set in July. November鈥檚 employment figure, which is the latest available, represents an increase 2,549 jobs over the past year.
At 2.5%, the Alexandria-Pineville MSA unemployment rate in November remained the lowest among the state鈥檚 major metro areas. The number of unemployed in the metro area reached the lowest point since record keeping started in 1990. According to Louisiana Workforce Commission data, the Alexandria-Pineville MSA had 1,623 unemployed. That number peaked at 5,934 in September 2005, the month following Katrina. Employment in Natchitoches parish increased by 55 to 16,072, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.1%. Rising continued unemployment claims in the second half of 2022 may be an sign of a weaking job market if the trend continues, says Dupont.
Another bright spot for the economy was consumer spending in 2022, which Dupont expects to stay at current levels or higher as long as employment remains steady. Only Concordia had a decrease in consumer spending in 2022, as measured by sales tax revenue. Spending in Alexandria in 2022 remained the same as 2021, while Pineville and Ball experienced 5% and 7% gains.
Consumer spending on vehicles was either down or showed no growth in all six jurisdictions reporting, with only Evangeline showing a small gain of 1%. Rapides vehicles sales were down -7% for 2022, while Natchitoches and Vernon were down -9%.
鈥淥nline sales in central Louisiana in 2022 surged 24%, according to data from the Remote Sellers Tax Commission. For the year, Evangeline had a 37% gain, followed by Natchitoches and Rapides with 30% and 27% increases in online spending. Online sales is the fastest growing retail segment in Louisiana, says Dupont, and under the current remote sellers tax system, tax dollars return to the place of purchase.
The Central Louisiana 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.
Written by Dr. Randall Dupont | LSUA 吃瓜直播 of Business
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.