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Education

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Founded in 1900, the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute, now called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, has become the second- largest four-year public university in the state. For over 100 years, UL Lafayette has been built by a strong community that shows pride and spirit towards the university’s ongoing academic tradition. Enrollment at the university is the highest it has been since selective standards were implemented in 1999. The student population at the university is in excess of 17,000, including 1,500 graduate students. UL Lafayette offers 80 bachelor degrees through 10 colleges and schools, including one of the most sophisticated computer science programs in the nation. UL Lafayette’s graduate school offers 29 master degrees and eight doctorates as well.

In 1901, SLII opened on 25 acres of donated land, on what was then the outskirts of Lafayette, with 100 students and eight faculty members. By 1921, the Constitutional Convention renamed SLII to Southwestern Louisiana Institute to enable the school to grant bachelor degrees. The University of Southwestern Louisiana became the new name of SLI in 1960 when it achieved university status. The university received its current name in 1999 as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette when joining the state university system.

Today, UL Lafayette has extended its campus almost 600 acres to include the University Research Park, Cajundome and Convention Center, University Hotel and the state-of-the-art Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, with more than 1,500 works of art. The university campus itself is unique because of its draping oak trees and cypress swamp next to the Student Union. Also, the Walk of Honor, which is paved with bricks bearing the names of UL Lafayette graduates, arranged by class year, is a favorite feature found in the quad. The university’s latest extension is the $29 million Louisiana Immersive Technology Center in University Research Park. The center features an egg-shaped section that contains a six-sided “total immersion space,” where researchers can explore massive amounts of data that have been converted into 3D images.

There are over 150 clubs and organizations for students to join including, Student Government Association, University Program Council, Association of Future Alumni, Greek letter fraternities and sororities, professional and academic societies, Americorps and other service based clubs. Ragin Cajun students carry on a proud tradition of celebrating life and having fun with a wide variety of events that take place during the spring and fall semesters. Lagniappe Week is a weeklong tradition that takes place every spring semester and includes events such as a pepper eating contest, canoe races, a campus-wide crawfish boil, live music, and The Lake Jump. Homecoming week is also a favorite student tradition that takes place every fall with weeklong activities for students to participate in. UL Lafayette’s Bayou Bijou film series and Performing Arts Department activities also add to the many cultural offerings on campus. Bayou Bijou features national and international independent and alternative films on Wednesday evenings during the spring and fall semesters. The Performing Arts Department presents theater and dance performances by UL Lafayette students and faculty at the newly renovated Burke Hall Theatre throughout the year. And like any university, Ragin Cajun athletics are a favorite pastime that is enjoyed by the entire community. Whether it is baseball, softball, football or basketball, there’s always a game going on and you can be sure to find a tailgating spot with good food and good friends!

UL has earned regional, national and international recognition for excellence in a variety of areas, from environmental biology to cognitive science and francophone studies. The College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions is the third-largest nursing program in the country. The college is also home to lifelike computerized human patients’ simulators and uses virtual reality technology to give students a realistic experience. The university is the only university in Louisiana that has a simulated neonatal, pediatric and labor delivery unit.

The MBA program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of the best in the nation, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features UL Lafayette in the new 2011 edition of its book, “The Best 300 Business Schools,” published by Random House. UL Lafayette’s Mathematic Department is one of the Top 100 university math departments in the nation, according to the National Science Foundation. The university is also listed among the 2011 Best Colleges designated by the U.S. News Media Group. The college has also been associated with some famous names, from current writer-in-residence Ernest Gaines to former professors such as, artist Elemore Morgan Jr. and John Kennedy Toole, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “A Confederacy of Dunces.”

UL Lafayette houses several centers of excellence. Some examples include the Center for Louisiana and Deep South Studies, Institute of Cognitive Science, Center for Advanced Computer Studies, and the Center for Cultural and Ecotourism. Each center for excellence attracts top faculty to the university and enables students to participate in advanced research. In regards to the science arena, the university is one among 20 teams chosen worldwide to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. In 2004, UL Lafayette created the CajunBot, a six-wheeled ATV autonomous vehicle, in response to the U.S. Department of Defense mandate that one- third of all ground vehicles in the U.S. Armed Forces be replaced with robotic vehicles by the year 2015. Team CajunBot has competed in all three DARPA Grand Challenges and has received national recognition.

After 34 years, Dr. Ray Authement, the nation’s longest-serving public university president, retired as UL Lafayette President after the 2007- 2008 academic year. Dr. E. Joseph Savoie was named as his replacement to become the sixth president of the university.

Savoie is the former Commissioner of Higher Education for the State of Louisiana. Prior to this, Savoie also served as the UL Lafayette Vice President for University Advancement, the executive director of the Alumni Association, program director for the Union Program Council and student government advisor, as well as an adjunct assistant professor.

For more information, call (337) 482-1000 or visit the UL Lafayette website at louisiana.edu.

Other Colleges and Universities

The Lafayette area offers a wide range of postsecondary educational opportunities for students. A community college and numerous vocational and technical schools and colleges augment the UL Lafayette experience and serve a variety of needs for thousands of students in Lafayette Parish. Programs of study offered range from nursing, business and computer programming to teacher preparation, cosmetology and emergency medical services, to name a few.

South Louisiana Community College with its main campus located in Lafayette, is one of the Top Ten fastest growing two year colleges in the U.S. Currently enrolling more than 4,000 students, the college is fully accredited and offers a broad array of transfer associate degree and workforce programs. Courses are available day and evening through both on site and on line delivery for student convenience.

Contact individual schools for a list of their offerings.

Acadiana Area Career College
(337) 896-9776
aaccweb.com

South Louisiana Community College
(337) 521-8896
southlouisiana.edu

Louisiana Technical College
(337) 262-5962
ltc.edu

Remington College
(337) 981-4010
remingtoncollege.edu

University of Phoenix
(337) 237-0464
phoenix.edu/lafayette

Public Schools

The Lafayette Parish School System is comprised of 43 public schools, all accredited by the Louisiana Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The LPSS also has five “Schools of Choice,” six high school “academies,” French Immersion, gifted and alternative programs, and an arts academy. The student population is more than 30,000. Furthering educational excellence, the high schools designated as academies create career-themed learning communities for students and encourage real-world experience through course work and internships. For more information visit the Lafayette Parish School System online at lpssonline.com.Private and Parochial Schools

Inspired by a rich and diverse cultural base, the citizens of Lafayette Parish enjoy a variety of private educational offerings. The oldest of these is the school system offered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. Thirteen Catholic schools are located throughout Lafayette Parish. In addition, other private schools offer individual attention and excellent programs of study. For more information on Catholic schools, call the Diocese of Lafayette at (337) 261-5543 or visit dol-louisiana.org/ocs/

Member Private Schools

Ascension Episcopal School
(337) 233-9748
aesgators.org

Episcopal School of Acadiana
(337) 365-1416
esacadiana.com

Schools of the Sacred Heart
(337) 662-5275
sshcoteau.org

St Pius Elementary School
(337) 237-3139
stpiuselementary.org

St Thomas More High School
(337) 988-3700
stmcougars.com

Teurlings Catholic High School
(337) 235-5711
tchs.net

Westminster Christian Academy
(337) 948-4623
wcala.org

For more information, call the Lafayette Parish School Board at (337) 521-7000 or visit their website at lpssonline.com.