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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Background

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UL Lafayette's Unique Areas of Excellence

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Statement of Purpose

University of Louisiana at Lafayette General Description

The development of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette into a significant research and doctoral institution has a long and colorful history. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette was established as an institution by Legislative Act in 1898 and opened in September 1901 as Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (SLII), an advanced trade school. In 1921, SLII became Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI) and achieved the status of a college. In 1960, SLI became the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) and achieved university status. And in 1991, USL reached another milestone by capturing the Doctoral II status, ranking it second among the state's universities and colleges and recognizing its national competitiveness On September 10, 1999, as the University entered its centennial year, it officially became the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette). The Carnegie Foundation has since adopted a new classification system which erased the old Doctoral I and Doctoral II labels. UL Lafayette is now classified as a Doctoral/Research-Intensive University.

The University's hard work has been paying off. UL Lafayette has grown tremendously from a small school serving a quadrant of the state to a major institution capturing nationwide attention. UL Lafayette is now the home of the USGS National Wetlands Research Center and the National Marine Fisheries Laboratory, thanks in large part to the University's renowned biology department. On campus you will find the Apparel Computer Integrated Manufacturing Center, another jewel found in UL Lafayette's crown. The Center for Advanced Computer Studies (CACS) is a nationally recognized computer science program.

UL Lafayette is now home to nearly 15,000 students and more than 1,200 faculty and staff, making it Louisiana's third largest university and the largest of the state's institutions of higher learning under the University of Louisiana System. Students hail from all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 foreign countries. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is accredited by the Commission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097): Telephone number (404-679-4501) to award associate, bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees. For a detailed list of University accreditations, see Accreditation. As part of its efforts to improve its undergraduate programs, UL Lafayette has become a selective admissions university.

The University offers degree programs ranging from the fine arts to the hard sciences in a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Currently, UL Lafayette is composed of ten academic units offering baccalaureate degrees in sixty-four, master degrees in twenty-seven and Ph.D. degrees in eight disciplines.

In the year 2000, UL Lafayette celebrated its 100th birthday. Its progress in the past century has been remarkable. What began as a high school is now a Doctoral/Research-Intensive University that has earned national and international recognition in fields such as computer science, biology, and Francophone studies.

In 1999, UL Lafayette began offering a doctoral degree in cognitive science, the study of thinking and learning. The program is unique because it gives doctoral students the chance to compare thought processes in primates, children, and computers. UL Lafayette is expected to become a world center for the study of comparative cognition.

It is the home of the National Wetlands Research Center and the National Marine Fisheries Services Facility, thanks in large part to its renowned biology department. And its Apparel Computer Integrated Manufacturing Center has earned national attention for its advancements in robotics.

Work has been completed on the $14 million renovations and expansion of the Edith Garland Dupré Library. UL Lafayette is a leader of a university consortium that oversees a marine research facility in Cocodrie, Louisiana, which attracts top scientists from around the world.

UL Lafayette employs more than 1,600 local citizens, and through its existence, creates another 2,800 jobs for a total community impact of 4,400 jobs. UL Lafayette's economic impact on the Acadiana area is approximately one-half billion dollars annually. Adults also find UL Lafayette an excellent opportunity to continue their education or take special courses - more than 10,000 annually take advantage of special adult education opportunities.

UL Lafayette's primary campus covers 137 acres. The athletic complex and Cajundome account for 243 additional acres while the University Research Park covers 148 acres and the Equine Center consists of 100 acres. In addition,0the university has offsite facilities in Cade (a 600-acre farm laboratory and 30-acre pond of crawfish and catfish culture) and in New Iberia (148-acre primate research center).

UL Lafayette is located in the City of Lafayette (estimated 1998 population: 113,615) in the Parish of Lafayette (estimated 1998 population: 184,521). According to the 1990 Census, Lafayette Parish was 51% female with a minority population of 22% African Americans and 9% other minorities. In 1990, 20% of the population of Lafayette Parish was living below the poverty level.

Lafayette is in the heart of Acadiana, a twenty-two parish region of Louisiana that has a population primarily derived from descendants of the French province of Acadia (today's Nova Scotia and surrounding regions). It was settled in the 1600s by French colonists, but the area became a British possession soon afterwards. In 1755, as war neared between France and England, the British authorities demanded that the Acadians renounce their Roman Catholic faith and swear allegiance to the Crown. The Acadians refused and the mass exile that followed is well known to all who have read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Evangeline" (This description of Acadiana is part of a more detailed narrative found here.)

In 1821, An Acadian refugee, Jean Mouton, formally designed Lafayette with St. John Church in the center. Two years later, the Legislature created Lafayette Parish and named it after Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette was a French general visiting the country at the time. Louisiana is the only U.S. state divided into parishes instead of counties. The original division matched jurisdictions of the Roman Catholic Church (see the Lafayette Consolidated Government web site).

Today research and development at UL Lafayette is a driving force in the region. The University has been committed to exciting initiatives that have greatly strengthened and diversified Louisiana's economy. The direct, measurable economic impact of UL Lafayette in the Acadiana region alone is currently over half a billion dollars and the creation of nearly 5,000 jobs (see "Diversifying and Strengthening Louisiana's Economy: USL's Major Impact and Promise PDF"). As UL Lafayette's first century comes to an end, the University's partnership with the region and the state promises to continue its positive impact in the century to come.

Document last revised Thursday, August 14, 2008 2:33 PM