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University History

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 Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges 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:

  • Associate of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science (1996)
  • Associate of Arts in The Care and Development of Young Children (Spring 2001)
  • Certificate in Pharmacy Technology (Spring 2001)
  • Associate of Science in Radiologic Technology (Fall 2001)

From 1976 through Spring 2003, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College offered the upper-level course work for select bachelor's degree programs on the LSUA campus through a program known as LSU Senior College. 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.

DARREL RYLAND GIVES LSUA $100,000 FOR AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Feb 24, 2022, 13:52 PM
LSUA alumnus and Avoyelles Parish attorney, Darrel Ryland, gives $100,000 to LSUA to establish an endowed scholarship for local students.

ALEXANDRIA - LSUA alumnus and Avoyelles Parish attorney, Darrel Ryland, gives $100,000 to LSUA to establish an endowed scholarship for local students. 

 

In the summer of 1967, Darrel Ryland enrolled in LSUA as the only student from his graduating class at Lafargue High School in Effie, Louisiana, to attend LSUA. Ryland remembers, “My first experience was a totally life-changing experience for me because I realized early on I had some shortcomings from my academic background. At LSUA, I learned how to study and build a foundation for the rest of my academic career.”

Ryland 1967 - SGA

Ryland enrolled full-time in the fall of 1967 and immediately got involved in campus life. He joined the Student Government Association and was elected freshmen class president. The next year, he served as sophomore class president. As a student leader on campus, Ryland notes he was nurtured and mentored by some of LSUA’s founding fathers, Col. W.R. Middleton and Dean Morris Abrams. Of this relationship, Ryland says, “they told me early on that if I was going to be a student leader, I had to make good grades. I needed to set an example.” He credits this encouragement with his decision to “roll up my sleeves and go to work.” Ryland speaks fondly of Col. Middleton’s nearly daily inquiries about his grades. He posits that the personal attention paid to him by the school’s leaders and his speech professor was unmatched in his time at a larger university. Ryland credits his determination to make something of himself to the care, concern, and encouragement of LSUA’s faculty and staff.

 

Ryland completed his studies at LSUA in 1969, transferred to LSU to finish his undergraduate degree, and ultimately completed law school at LSU in 1974. He recalls, “When I graduated from law school, I had offers to work in other places, but my roots are here in Avoyelles Parish. I know the people of this parish.” Ryland started his law practice in Marksville to serve the people he grew up with. In 1978, he also entered the banking industry as an assistant attorney at Union Bank and rose to become the chairman of the bank and president of its board. 

 

The $100,000 gift to create an endowed scholarship was initiated through conversations Ryland had with Dr. Mary Boone Treuting, Dean of LSUA’s College of Social Sciences and long-time friend. Dr. Treuting remarked, “I am really excited for the support and generosity coming from Avoyelles Parish. Students from Avoyelles make up LSUA’s second-largest population behind Rapides Parish. Establishing stronger connections to Avoyelles is great for both of us!”

 

The scholarship will be focused on providing funding to students from Central Louisiana who show grit and determination to improve themselves and their future, much like Ryland. He intones, “I feel like I owe LSUA something to contribute, in some small manner, to help them continue to grow…I asked them to put the focus on using this money for students with some deficits in their academic or personal backgrounds. LSUA is a great place to go. This place will actually set a rock foundation for you like it did me. Hopefully, you will experience some of the success and blessings that I have received.”

Ryland  

Ryland wants the scholarship to target local students because he believes that when students earn a four-year degree from LSUA, they will be more likely to stay in Central Louisiana, find a good job, and contribute to the community. When asked how he sees the gift impacting Avoyelles Parish, he says, “If we get students that have the intellectual level and the academic training to do and be what they really desire to be, then that’s a real plus for the parish. I want them to see that they can achieve what I have achieved.” Speaking directly to other business leaders in Avoyelles Parish and across Central Louisiana, Ryland implores, “I would ask you to join with me in contributing to LSUA because it’s a win-win for all of us. It’s a win for the local economy because we can bring students back that are fully educated and can contribute to our economy. Whatever you can afford to give…we have an obligation that if we have experienced success, we need to give back to our community.”

 

“I am heartened by the generosity of successful LSUA alumni and friends who contribute funds in support of student scholarships,” said LSUA Chancellor Paul Coreil.  “Mr. Ryland epitomizes the spirit of giving back and investing in the future of our community by helping students achieve a college degree and hopefully find a successful career right here in Central Louisiana.”

 

Ryland is excited about the impact his gift will have on future students at LSUA and concludes, “Why not go ahead and go to a local school, get your four-year degree, and then you are prepared for life. That’s important. I think LSUA prepares you for life. That is crucial for any type of career you might choose to go into.”

 

To see Darrel Ryland tell his story, visit bit.ly/ryland100k

 

Recent Times

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 College 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 College 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 College, 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 College (Okla.), Huston-Tilloston University (Texas), Jarvis Christian College (Texas), Langston University (Okla.), LSU-Shreveport, Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas), Paul Quinn College (Texas), Texas College, University of St. Thomas (Texas), University of Texas-Brownsville, University of the Southwest (New Mexico) and Wiley College (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.

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