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:
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.
ALEXANDRIA - Louisiana State University of Alexandria held its annual Employee Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, April 16, to celebrate the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff.
The most prestigious recognition awarded each year is the Bolton Award for Teaching Excellence. Established in 1989, the estate of Mrs. James C. Bolton provides funds to the University for an award to recognize excellence in teaching at LSUA.
The Bolton Award for Teaching Excellence is presented annually to the full-time faculty member who best exemplifies the University’s commitment to teaching, service, and professional development. The recipient of this honor is recognized with a cash award and a plaque for outstanding contributions to the University.
The Bolton Award recipient for 2023-2024 is Catherine Cormier, Ph.D., RN, CNE, Professor of Nursing, Student Success Coordinator, and Program Director of Nursing Grants. Cormier has been a nurse educator for 23 years. Before arriving at LSUA in 2009, she was an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. During her tenure at LSUA, Cormier has served as RN-to-BSN Coordinator and led efforts to transition the face-to-face program to 100% online. She has taught across the curriculum in the ASN program and is firmly committed to students’ academic success.
LSUA also recognizes the recipients of seven endowed professorships. The professorships are established through private donations to the LSUA Foundation and matched through the Board of Regents Support Fund to establish a $100,000 professorship endowment.
The recipients of this year’s endowed professorships are:
The Roy O. Martin Lumber Company Endowed Professorship in Nursing - Matthew Farley, MSN, RN, PCCN-CMC; Assistant Professor of Nursing.
The J.H. Johnson Endowed Professorship in Business Administration - Kent Lashney, D.B.A., CPA; Chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance.
The Mark Eugene Howard Endowed Professorship in Liberal Arts - Carli Smith, Instructor of English and Skills Badge Coordinator.
The Huie Dellmon Trust Endowed Professorship in Liberal Arts & Sciences - David Shanks, M.A.S., Instructor of Communications Studies and Assistant Director of Technovation Center.
The Roy and Vinita Martin Endowed Professorship in Math & Science - Purujit Gurjar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
The F. Hugh Coughlin Endowed Professorship - Christof Stumpf, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences and Editor-in-Chief of the The Oak Leaf
The Vinita Johnson Martin Endowed Professorship - Susan Bowers, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences.
Endowed professors receive a salary stipend as well as additional funds for professional development or travel activities. Professorships are usually awarded for a two-year term.
The Staff Senate Boss of the Year award is given by direct reports
to a manager who demonstrates excellence in personnel management, leadership, responsibility, and professionalism. This year’s winner is Shelly Kieffer Gill, Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management and Admissions.
The Staff Senate Scholarship is awarded to two full-time staff members to defray the costs of achieving a degree or continuing their education. This year’s scholarship recipients are Brandon Wiggins from Facilities Services and Junetha Silas in Accounting.
Student Choice Awards are included in this year’s program. Current LSUA students nominate the awardees. The winners are:
The Center for Teaching Excellence Teaching Innovation Award and Grant are given to showcase and reward innovative teaching in the classroom. The winners are:
The Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship is given to a full-time faculty member who exemplifies outstanding research and scholarship and whose work has been consistent, significant, and impactful. This year’s winner is Christopher Stacey, Ph.D.,
Professor of History.
The Outstanding Staff Service Award program began in the 1970-71 academic year as a means of recognizing and rewarding superior performance and outstanding contributions to the University by non-teaching employees.
The recipient of this honor receives a plaque and cash award for his or her service to LSUA.
This year’s recipients of the Staff Outstanding Service Award are Linda Smith, Administrative Assistant 4 in the Department of English, History, and Humanities (classified) and Michelle Rozas, Nurse Practitioner at the LSUA Health Center (unclassified).
The Faculty Award for Outstanding Service is presented to a full-time faculty member who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment by exceeding their everyday academic responsibilities. This year’s recipient is Carol Corbat, Ph.D., Professor of
Biological Sciences.
The Service Above Self Award is given to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty throughout the past year to ensure the well-being of LSUA students. The award is presented by LSUA Chancellor Paul
Coreil. This year’s recipient is Shelly Kieffer Gill, Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management and Admissions, who simultaneously served as Interim Registrar this year.
The Rising Star Award is presented annually to a staff member who has worked at LSUA for fewer than five years and who has made outstanding, novel contributions to institutional operations, campus culture, or programming. This year, the award goes to Ashlee Hatwig, Coordinator of New Students Programs in the Office of First Year Experience.
The Four-Star Service Award is presented annually to a staff member who has worked at LSUA for more than ten years and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the university by making long-lasting contributions to the institution’s operations, student success, and campus culture. This year, the award goes to Georgia Fox, Lead Advisor.
The Social Justice Champion Award is presented by the LSUA Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Access to a full-time faculty and staff member who have exhibited excellence in social justice and promotes equality and the advancement of human rights. This prestigious award honors individuals who have embedded social justice in their work or teaching pedagogy and removed barriers to success for underrepresented populations.
LSUA also honored employees who retired in the past year as well as all employees who have 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to LSUA.
A special recognition was given this year to Mary “Boonie” Treuting, Ph.D., for being named Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus at her retirement and before her passing earlier this year. Treuting was a pillar of LSUA, tirelessly advocating for academic excellence and community engagement. Her vision and dedication helped create academic programs that continue to empower students and faculty alike. The recognition was graciously accepted by her husband, J.B. Treuting.
Written by Adam Lord
Photo credit - Nathan Parish | LSUA Strategic Communications
Image - Catherine Cormier, Winner of the Bolton Award for Teaching Excellence
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.