Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Louisiana State University at Alexandria is located in Alexandria, Louisiana. Louisiana State University at Alexandria is a publicly supported institution that provides undergraduatelevel college education to the citizens of Central Louisiana. The university is a unit of the LSU System and operates under the auspices of the Louisiana Board of Regents. As of Fall 2009 the enrollment was at 2,323 students.
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[edit] Mission
Louisiana State University at Alexandria offers Central Louisiana access to affordable baccalaureate and associate degrees in a caring environment that challenges students to seek excellence in and bring excellence to their studies and their lives. LSUA is committed to a reciprocal relationship of enrichment with the diverse community it serves.
[edit] Vision
A university of choice recognized for academic excellence and a commitment to fostering student and community growth through teaching, research, and service.
[edit] About the Chancellor: David P. Manuel
A native of Louisiana, David P. Manuel earned degrees in economics from Nicholls State University and the Ph.D. from University of Mississippi; for thirty-four years has served in several positions in higher education. He served for eight years (2000–2008) as Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, TX and ten years before that, served as dean of the School of Business and Administration (now the Bill Greehey School of Business). Dr. Manuel began his academic career as a faculty member in the College of Business Administration at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and served as dean of that College from 1986-1990. On March 31, 2008 Dr Manuel was named as the ninth Chancellor of Louisiana State University at Alexandria, LA.
Chancellor Manuel has served in a number of national and regional leadership roles including president of the Southern Business Administration Association in 1995-1996 and as co-chair Leadership San Antonio in 1993-1994. For six years he served as a trustee, and, subsequently as vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Texas Public Radio. For many years he worked closely with the AACSB, the peer accrediting agency for university business schools and in 2001-2003 he chaired Candidacy Committee. Most recently he was a member of the Supervisory (Audit) Committee of the San Antonio Federal Credit Union, the 30th largest credit union in the United States with assets of $2.6 billion. He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Management and Leadership in Higher Education Program.
Chancellor Manuel has been active in several international educational initiatives in South America, Mexico, and Europe. Keeping with his long term interest in internationalization, he was invited to serve as one of 50 chief academic officers on the American Council of Education’s Chief Academic Officer Internationalization Forum in 2005-2007.
Chancellor Manuel’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of international business, corporate strategy, business ethics, international economics, and energy economics. His research has appeared in several journals, including Growth and Change, The Natural Resources Journal, The Journal of Energy and Development, and The Review of Regional Studies.
Chancellor Manuel is married to Betty Coe C. Manuel and they are the parents of two adult sons. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, woodworking, and cultivating bonsai trees.
[edit] 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 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 developed in 1967. In 1974, LSUA was accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award associate degrees. This accreditation was reaffirmed in 1984 and 1994.
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. These new programs included the Associate of Science in Computer Information Technology (1988); the Associate in Criminal Justice (1994); the Associate of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science (1996); the Associate in Paralegal Studies (Fall 1999); the Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education (Spring 2001); the Certificate in Pharmacy Technician (Spring 2001); and the 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 in1982-83.
[edit] 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, SACS approved a substantive change, level change request for 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 consists of the departments of Arts, English and Humanities; Behavioral and Social Sciences; Biological Sciences; and Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The College of Professional Studies consists 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 was able to produce its first bachelor's degree graduates in December 2003. Additional bachelor's degrees are being developed.
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. Additional baccalaureate degrees are being developed.
At present, students pursuing a Bachelor of Liberal Studies can major in one of the following areas: Business, Communication Studies, English, History, Psychology, or Theatre.
In addition to the Department of Education offering courses that lead to an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education 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", consisting of four residence halls (88 units) and a community center provides on-campus housing for 256 students in either one, two, and four bedrooms units.
LSUA hired its first athletic director in January 2007. The University began competing in NAIA men’s baseball and women’s fast-pitch softball in Spring 2008. A new on-campus baseball and softball complex has been completed and is now the home of the Generals and Lady Generals ball teams.
In 2009, as part of the Louisiana Campus Compact, LSUA had its first AmeriCorps VISTA on contract in the fairly new Office of Service-Learning Dept. In 2010, LSUA successfully attained their second VISTA who supports porverty issues in the city of Alexandria and projects with the college students on campus.
[edit] Strategic Plan
Louisiana State University at Alexandria completed a comprehensive strategic planning process in 2001-2002 in preparation for its new role as a four-year college. New mission and vision statements and institutional goals were developed. The Strategic Plan developed in that effort was in effect for 2002 - 2004. In accordance with Policy Statement 225, the university conducted another round of strategic planning during 2003-2004 and again in 2005-2006. The planning process is driven by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, which consists of representatives from administration, faculty, and staff. One of the first decisions of the 2005-2006 Steering Committee involved extending the planning horizon to 2010. Accordingly, the Strategic Plan described here will remain in effect until the Fall of 2009, at which time the institution will again gather its constituents, weigh its options, and envision a new, willed future for itself.
The Steering Committee appoints a Strategic Planning Task Force to actually develop recommendations for the vision and mission statements and goals. This larger group includes representatives from faculty, staff, students, administration, and community leaders. The Task Force held two long meetings that resulted in recommendations for new vision and mission statements, revised institutional goals, and four Strategic Goals.
The Strategic Planning Steering Committee reviewed the recommendations from the Strategic Planning Task Force and drafted a vision statement, mission statement, strategic goals and institutional goals. These were sent out to all Task Force members and the university community for comment. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee 6 reviewed the comments, made revisions, and adopted and published the vision, mission, and goals.
Heads of all budget units were then given the opportunity to revise their unit statements of purpose and to develop unit outcomes in support of the university's mission and strategic or institutional goals. Faculty developed learning outcomes for all degree programs, general education and developmental education.
This document includes the University's new vision and mission statements, strategic goals, institutional goals, statements of purpose for each budget unit, and a list of the specific unit outcomes that support each strategic and institutional goal. This document forms the basis for the University's Institutional Effectiveness process, in which the outcomes listed in this plan are assessed and results used for institutional improvement.
[edit] Endowed scholarships
Scholarships are endowed at LSU-A in the names of Morris N. Abrams, James C. Bolton, John Cade, William F. Cotton, Richard S. Thompson, and the historian Gary Tisdale.
The Jeremy E. "Jay" Carruth and David C. Ezernack Endowed Scholarship, named for two Alexandria police officers slain in the line of duty, is awarded to a student seeking a career in criminal justice.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ "Endowed Scholarships". lsua.edu. http://www.lsua.edu/About/Foundation/Scholarships. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
[edit] External links
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