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.

LSUA’s CENLA Economic Dashboard for June Released

Jun 23, 2022, 11:02 AM
The Louisiana State University of Alexandria College of Business releases its June 2022 issue of the CENLA Economic Dashboard. Record employment continues to dominate the economic news.

The Louisiana State University of Alexandria College of Business releases its June 2022 issue of the CENLA Economic Dashboard. Record employment continues to dominate the economic news.

“For the fourth time in five months, employment in the Alexandria MSA hit a new post-pandemic high,” says Dr. Randall Dupont, Dean of the LSUA College of Business. In April 2022, 63,456 were employed in the Alexandria metro area, an increase of 229 from March. Shortly after the pandemic started, Alexandria’s employment level reached a record low of 55,588 in May 2020. “That was the lowest level in 30 years,” says Dupont, who noted local employment records date back to1990. “Some analysts had predicted our local employment would continue falling to 50,500 by mid-2021, but it rebounded quicker than expected” he added. By November of 2021, employment had exceeded the pre-pandemic level. Since that low, almost 8,000 have been added to local employment rolls.

“The increase in the labor force appears to be coming from longer-term unemployed returning to the workforce,” says Dupont. Weekly continuing unemployment claims in Louisiana have fallen from 50,700 a year ago to 9,800 in May as more workers find jobs. “We are watching initial unemployment claims,” he noted, “as it will provide an early indication of changes in the labor market.”

The unemployment rate for the Alexandria MSA was 2.6% in April, down 0.2% from March. Central Louisiana’s unemployment rate of 3.2% in April compared favorably to the state’s April rate of 3.5%. At 2.6%, the Alexandria MSA continues to have the lowest unemployment rate among the state’s major metro areas and the tightest labor market. “The tight labor market in Alexandria continued in April with a ratio of four openings for each unemployed,” says Dupont. Louisiana’s preliminary unemployment for May edged upward to 3.6%.

Consumer spending in April, when compared to March, was down in all twelve Cenla jurisdictions, with declines ranging from -6% to -31%. However, tax revenue year-to-date in all jurisdictions except one is ahead of last year. Online shopping in central Louisiana in April fell by 9% from March, as measured by online sales tax. Nevertheless, online shopping is up 17% over a year ago. Year-to-date, every jurisdiction in central Louisiana is reporting higher online sales, with the region averaging a 13% increase so far this year.

The CENLA Economic Dashboard is a service of the LSUA College of Business to help business and community leaders monitor the economic pulse of central Louisiana. To view the June 2022 CENLA Economic Dashboard, click here.

 

Written by Dr. Randall Dupont | LSUA College of Business

Image credit - LSUA Division of Strategic Communications

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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