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.
LSUA held its annual Employee Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, March 19 to celebrate the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff.
The most prestigious award given out Tuesday was 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 his or her outstanding contributions to the University.
The Bolton Award for 2018-2019 was presented on Wednesday to Nathan Sammons. Sammons is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences with a Ph.D. in plant biology from Michigan State University. In 2018, he was the recipient of LSUA’s Teaching Innovation Award and considers teaching to be among the most rewarding aspects of his career.
Also presented at the recognition dinner were seven endowed professorships. The professorships are established though private donations to the LSUA Foundation and matched through the Board of Regents Support Fund to establish a $100,000 professorship endowment.
Tuesday’s endowed professorships and winners are:
Jack and Sue Ellen Jackson Endowed Professorship in Education– Arlene Duos
Cliffe E. Laborde, Sr. Endowed Professorship in Education– Jessica Thacker
Henry Dade Foote Family Endowed Professorship– Nathan Sammons
R. O. Martin Lumber Company Professorship– Lisa Bradford
Huie Dellmon Trust Professorship in Science– Gerard Dumancas
Howard and Eloise Mulder Endowed Professorship #2– Stephen Peters
Howard and Eloise Mulder Endowed Professorship #3– Chistof Stumpf
Endowed professors receive a salary stipend as well as additional funds for professional development or travel activities. They are usually awarded for a two-year term.
Additionally, Dr. Cathy Cormier received the award for Staff Senate Boss of the Year. The award goes to a LSUA faculty or staff member who is nominated by their direct reports and is awarded to those who exhibit outstanding supervisory skills.
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 recipient of the Staff Outstanding Service Award is Hope Love. Love is the assistant to the director of the library. She administers the budget, runs the Interlibrary Loan Service and steps in to complete additional tasks.
The evening also included honoring Service Learning employees as well as all employees who have five, 10, 15, 20, or 25 years of service to LSUA. Those who have retired in the previous year are also honored.
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.