Southeastern Louisiana University
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Southeastern Louisiana University |
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| Motto | (none) |
| Established | 1925 |
| Type | Public |
| President | Randy Moffett |
| Faculty | 800 |
| Undergraduates | 14,500 |
| Postgraduates | 2,500 |
| Location | Hammond, LA, USA |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Green & Gold |
| Mascot | Roomie the Lion |
| Website | www.selu.edu |
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university that is located in the city of Hammond, Louisiana. It was originally founded in 1925 as Hammond Junior College. It achieved university status in 1970. There are approximately 17,000 students representing 43 states and 66 countries enrolled. During the 1990s Southeastern was the fastest growing college in the United States.
Southeastern's colors are green and gold and their nickname is the Lions. Southeastern's sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (I-AA for football) in the Southland Conference.
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[edit] History
Southeastern Louisiana University began as a grass roots movement by the people of Hammond and the surrounding area, who recognized the need for an institution of higher education in order to further the educational, economic, and cultural development of Southeast Louisiana. What began as a junior college supported by local taxes has developed into a major university as Southeastern has grown to meet the evolving needs of southeast Louisiana and the Florida parishes.[1]
On July 7, 1925, the voters overwhelmingly approved a bond issue that created Hammond Junior College. Operated under the auspices of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board, President Linus A. Sims opened the doors on September 14, 1925 with a faculty of three women, two men and forty students. The two-year coeducational institution offered basic undergraduate work in arts and sciences that culminated in a teaching certificate.
Rapidly increasing enrollments quickly forced the college out of its two rooms in Hammond High School. In 1927, voters supported the purchase of the Hunter Leake estate on Hammond’s north end. In 1928 Hammond Junior College became Southeastern Louisiana College, formally adopted into the state educational system under the control of the State Board of Education. The purchase of sixty acres adjoining the original fifteen-acre plot provided the space to develop a suitable campus, and in 1934, a state bond issue provided for the construction of McGehee Hall and a gymnasium.
In 1937, the State Board of Education authorized curricula for four-year programs in liberal arts, teacher education, business administration, music, social sciences, and physical education. The first baccalaureate degrees were conferred in May 1939.
Voter approval of Act No. 388 in 1938, an amendment to the 1920 Louisiana Constitution, granted Southeastern Louisiana College the same legal status as other four-year colleges. The amendment did not, however, require the state to fund Southeastern at the level of other institutions of higher education, despite strong local support.
On January 18, 1946, the State Board made available funds to purchase seven city blocks east and west of the campus, and 275 acres of land north and northwest of the campus, increasing Southeastern’s total area to approximately 365 acres.
On March 3, 1946, Southeastern was formally approved and accepted into full membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), as a four-year degree-granting institution.
After WW II, returning G.I.s caused exponential growth of the college, necessitating construction of classrooms, a student union, a cafeteria, a health center, dormitories, apartments for married students, and many surplus temporary buildings donated by the federal government. In 1948, the U.S. Navy contributed two steel barracks for use as dormitories, one of which, substantially remodeled, remains in use as a counseling center (McNeely Hall).
In 1960, the State Board authorized Southeastern to offer master’s degrees through the newly-formed Division of Graduate Studies. Southeastern began awarding the Education Specialist degree in 1967. Governor John J. McKeithen on June 16, 1970 signed into law the legislative act turning Southeastern Louisiana College into Southeastern Louisiana University. Early 1970’s also saw the construction of D. Vickers, the Athletics Building, and the C.E. Cate Teacher Education Building.
In October of 1986, a group of faculty members launched Fanfare, a festival celebrating the arts, humanities and sciences. Since then, Fanfare has become an acclaimed month long event, drawing nationally and internationally recognized artists and providing recognition for those closer to home. In addition to providing entertainment for the North Shore, Fanfare has an educational outreach program that works closely with local schools. In October 2005, Fanfare proudly celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Southeastern’s enrollment, continually increasing since its inception, reached an important milestone in 1997, registering over fifteen thousand students for the fall semester. Since 1925 Southeastern has conferred over fifty thousand degrees.
As Southeastern celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2000, the Fall semester marked an exciting change as Southeastern implemented screened admissions standards for the first time. Also during the 2000-2001 academic year, the Village, Fayard Hall and the Claude B. Pennington, Jr. Student Activity Center were completed.
In May 2001, Southeastern received full approval from the Board of Regents for its first new graduate degree program in more than a decade, a MS in Integrated Science and Technology. Since then, Southeastern received approval for seven additional programs: MA in Organizational Communications, MS in Applied Sociology, BS in Athletic Training, BS in Health Education & Promotion, BS in Health Studies, BS in Occupational Health, Safety & Environment, and Master of Arts in Teaching.
In Fall 2003, Southeastern hit a record enrollment of 15,662 students. Fall 2003 also saw the return of football to Strawberry Stadium. The Lions completed the season 5-7.
In Fall 2004, Southeastern began implementing portions of the Board of Regents Master Plan admissions criteria, a full year ahead of schedule and before any other schools in the state.
In Fall 2005, Southeastern began its first year under the full Board of Regents Master Plan admissions criterion.
[edit] Academics
Southeastern Louisiana University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award degrees at the Associate, Baccalaureate and Master's levels. Southeastern has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1946.
Southeastern consists of five colleges with 26 academic departments and programs offering a total of 71 degree programs (4 associate degree programs, 48 baccalaureate degree programs, and 19 graduate degree programs).[2]
[edit] Colleges
- College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- Department of Communications
- Department of English
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
- Department of History and Political Sciences
- Department of Music and Dramatic Arts
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
- Department of Visual Arts
- Cultural Resource Management Program
[edit] Athletics
16 NCAA Division I level varsity teams in the Southland Conference
[edit] Media
Southeastern's major campus media and publications are the Lion's Roar (campus newspaper), KSLU (campus radio station), ByLion (weekly online publication), the Southeastern Channel (local cable channel), and Le Souvenir (official yearbook).
[edit] Lions's Roar
The Lion's Roar is the official newspaper of the students of Southeastern Louisiana University. Distributed on Tuesdays, it is published weekly during regular semesters and monthly during the summer semester. The Lion's Roar is planned, written, designed, created, and published by the students of Southeastern Louisiana University working in the Office of Student Publications, a part of the Division of Student Affairs. The Lion's Roar has been in continuous publication since 1937.[3]
[edit] KSLU
KSLU began operation on November 11, 1974 as a radio club at Southeastern Louisiana University, operating at ten watts of power. Initially the station was on the air a few hours a day during the week; the transmitter was turned off during the weekends and during the holidays. Thanks to support from the Student Government Association and self-assessed fees of the student body, in 1983 the station qualified for membership in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Since that time the station has grown to 3,000 watts, the maximum allowed because of the crowded 88-92 MHz band, the university's proximity to Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
In 1988, KSLU became the first radio station in the South to install a digital touchscreen operating system. The installation was featured in Broadcast Engineering magazine and visited by radio personnel from across the world.
The broadcast schedule offers a vast array of non-commercial programs which both enlighten and entertain. Diversity is the strength of KSLU, with offerings including local talk shows, entertainment and sports news, campus and community activities.
In 1993, an emergency situation room was added utilizing amateur radio equipment purchased with grants from State Farm Insurance and Louisiana Power and Light. During critical times this room is manned by local ham operators, members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the Florida parish area.
In the past, the station produced several political forums which were fed to all public radio stations in Louisiana, and commercial stations via the Louisiana News Network.
1996 brought another exciting time as KSLU began broadcasting globally via the internet, enabling families of international and out-of-state students to hear live university events.[4]
[edit] ByLion
[edit] Southeastern Channel
[edit] Le Souvenir
Le Souvenir is the official student Yearbook of Southeastern. It is published annually and distributed to the student body in the fall semester. Le Souvenir is planned, written, designed, created, and published by the students of Southeastern working in the Office of Student Publications, a part of the Division of Student Affairs. Le Souvenir, which in French means "the memory," has been in continuous publication since 1929.[5]
[edit] External links
- Southeastern Louisiana University website
- Southeastern News and Media
- Lion's Roar Campus Newspaper
- 90.9 KSLU
- Le Souvenir
[edit] References
- ^ Southeastern Louisiana University. (2006). A Brief History of Southeastern.
- ^ Southeastern Louisiana University. (2006). Accreditation Information.
- ^ Southeastern Louisiana University. (2006). The Lion's Roar Newspaper Website.
- ^ Southeastern Louisiana University. (2006). 90.9 KSLU History.
- ^ Southeastern Louisiana University. (2006). Le Souvenir.
| Public universities in Louisiana |
|---|
| Grambling • LSU • LSU-Alexandria • LSU-Eunice • LSU Health Sciences-New Orleans • LSU Health Sciences-Shreveport • LSU Law • LSU-Shreveport • Louisiana Tech • McNeese • New Orleans • Nicholls • Northwestern State • Southeastern • Southern • Southern Law • Southern-New Orleans • Southern-Shreveport • UL-Lafayette • UL-Monroe |
| Southland Conference |
|---|
| Central Arkansas • Lamar • McNeese State • Nicholls State • Northwestern State • Sam Houston State • Southeastern Louisiana • Stephen F. Austin • Texas–Arlington • Texas–San Antonio • Texas A&M–Corpus Christi • Texas State |
