2021 Enrollment

[NewsCopy]

The number of first-time freshmen at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has grown by more than 15%.

A total of 2,693 freshman are enrolled at Louisiana for the Fall 2021 semester. That’s up from 2,338 last fall and marks a 15.2% increase, noted Dr. DeWayne Bowie, vice president for Enrollment Management.

“More freshmen are choosing UL because of the strong reputation the University enjoys for providing exceptional educational experiences and opportunities in a tight-knit, friendly community,” Bowie said.

“Small class sizes, individualized instruction, affordability and nationally ranked academic programs are among the reasons students choose to pursue their dreams here,” he added.

UL released Fall 2021 enrollment data on Wednesday.

The uptick in the number of first-time freshmen is among several areas of enrollment growth the University has seen at the start of the new academic year when compared to last fall. Among these are:

a 5.7% increase in the number of high school juniors and seniors who are dually enrolled at the University and earn college credits while still in high school;
a 4.4% increase in the number of students who have transferred to UL Lafayette from other colleges and universities; and
a 3.9% increase in Graduate School enrollment.
A total of 2,525 graduate students are enrolled this fall, up 95 from Fall 2020.

The number of students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees has increased by 66% in five years, noted Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, dean of the Graduate School. Louisiana had 1,521 graduate students in Fall 2016.

Farmer-Kaiser attributed the jump to the growth of online delivery of the MBA program, strong retention rates across the University’s nearly 50 master’s and doctoral degree curriculums, the creation of new graduate programs, and the expansion of others into online and executive formats.

In the past year, UL introduced an online option for Louisiana’s only master’s in informatics degree program and the state’s only master’s degree in industrial chemistry. A new graduate certificate program in population health will begin in Spring 2021.

“The enrollment progress we continue to experience reflects an institutional commitment to graduate education. It’s also a testament to the quality and resiliency of the graduate students who enroll here and the faculty members who are wholly dedicated to their success,” Farmer-Kaiser said.

UL has 13,700 undergraduates this semester which, when combined with the Graduate School total, puts the University’s degree-seeking enrollment at 16,225 students. That’s 225 fewer students than the Fall 2020 semester and a decline of 1.4%.

“Continuing students remain a challenge,” Bowie explained. “Though our overall retention rate is at a record high, consecutive smaller freshmen classes several years ago have resulted in fewer continuing students.

“We’ve also had record-setting graduating classes in recent academic years. Both factors have affected our degree-seeking enrollment,” he said.

However, an additional 2,978 non-credit-bearing students bring Louisiana’s overall enrollment to 19,203. That’s 25 more students than last fall.

Non-credit bearing students include those who take professional development and training courses and Continuing Education classes.

The States public colleges and universities take a census of full- and part-time students on the 14th day of classes each fall semester, Bowie explained. The totals are reported to the Louisiana Board of Regents and, in the case of UL, to the University of Louisiana System as well.

“The census compiles enrollment totals, but it also provides the University with a snapshot of who our students are,” he said.

For example, the Fall 2021 census shows that the number of Black students at Louisiana increased by 7.6% over last fall. Black students now make up nearly 22% of the student population.

Students hail from 63 parishes in Louisiana; 48 states, U.S. possessions and the District of Columbia; and 87 international countries.

Louisiana.edu

https://getdata.louisiana.edu/sites/...by_College.pdf

[Boomer]

OK….. our enrollment at UL is 20K… 20
K… 20K….. ok?

[HoustonCajun]

OK….. our enrollment at UL is 20K… 20
K… 20K….. ok?

Absolutely. Round up to 20,000. Enrollment fluctuates anyway.

[NewsCopy]

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s eco-friendly programs and initiatives have been recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Louisiana earned a “silver” designation as part of the association’s Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System, or STARS. The system provides a transparent framework for colleges and universities to report and measure sustainability efforts.

Institutions earn AASHE recognition based on sustainability initiatives and programs in areas such as academics and research, infrastructure and operations, campus and community engagement, and innovation and leadership.

“The system is extremely comprehensive, so it provides a good benchmark for tracking progress in reaching goals set forth in our Sustainability Strategic Plan, and a baseline for continual improvement,” said Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor, director of Louisiana’s Office of Sustainability.

The University’s Sustainability Strategic Plan enumerates green goals that seek to reduce the University’s greenhouse gas emissions, and overall energy and water consumption. It has steered a range of efforts that helped the University earn recognition from AASHE.

Among them are the University’s management of its urban forest and campus conservation practices; development of bicycle and pedestrian friendly solutions; installation of electric vehicle charging stations; position as a community leader in sustainability building practices; and establishment of Zero Waste programs and initiatives.

Interdisciplinary research and academic programs also contributed heavily to AASHE recognition. “University scientists and professors examine sustainability issues – and develop solutions to those issues – in many ways, including by utilizing our campus as a living lab for green infrastructure, renewable energy and zero waste strategies,” Vanicor explained.

She cited two “living lab” projects included in the STARS report – the University’s Photovoltaic Applied Research and Testing Laboratory and urban prairies on campus.

The PART Lab enables scientists and students from a range of disciplines to research renewable energy, thanks to 4,200 solar panels in the University’s Research Park. The solar farm is capable of producing 1.1 megawatts, which powers much of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns athletic complex.

Research Park is also the site of one of the University’s urban prairies, any of several spots on campus where acres of native flowers and grasses are planted to combat soil erosion, reduce mowing needs, and provide habitat for wildlife.

Another urban prairie recently planted on acreage lining each side of Coulee Mine near University Common will become the site of a planned outdoor classroom. Researchers and students will examine storm water runoff erosion management, soil quality, native grasses and plants, and bees, birds and other pollinators.

Green initiatives are increasingly finding their way into University curriculums as well. The Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program is in place “to create a community of faculty and researchers committed to exploring sustainability, including on campus and beyond,” Vanicor said.

As part of the program, faculty members are encouraged to develop sustainability courses or, when applicable, weave elements of sustainability into existing courses.

Of the 594 undergraduate courses offered by the University, 58 are sustainability-focused, according to the STARS report; of 277 graduate courses, 16 are sustainability-focused. Another 256 bachelor’s and graduate courses include some element of sustainability.

Louisiana.edu

[NewsCopy]

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Alumni Association has recognized bank president and CEO John Bordelon and strategic policy advisor Dr. Cindy Courville with the 2021 Outstanding Alumni Award.

Bordelon and Courville received their awards during a reception held on Thursday, Oct. 28, at the Louisiana Alumni Center.

The Outstanding Alumni Award is the highest honor Louisiana gives to a former student. It recognizes professional and personal achievements that have brought honor and distinction to the University. Graduates and former students who attended no less than 10 years ago are eligible to receive this award.

“Both honorees have distinguished themselves as influential leaders whose professional success and dedication to serving others exemplifies what it means to be an ‘Outstanding Alumni,’” said John Claude Arceneaux, the UL Alumni Association’s interim executive director.

Bordelon has spent four decades at Home Bank, he served in a variety of management positions before becoming president and CEO in 1993. Under Bordelon’s leadership, Home Bank has grown to 40 locations across the state and in Mississippi, and employs more than 460 people. It is the fourth-largest bank in Louisiana. He is also chairman of the board of Home Bancorp, Inc.

Bordelon, who was raised in New Orleans, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University in 1977. He played outside linebacker as a four-year member of the Ragin’ Cajuns football team.

Bordelon spent several years working as a Medicare auditor for hospitals in Louisiana before deciding banking was his calling. He joined a local savings and loan financial institution as a comptroller. That institution evolved into Home Bank.

His service to the community – and his alma mater – is far-reaching. He was chairman of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce board. Bordelon also served as president of the UL Alumni Association and is past chairman of the Ragin’ Cajuns Athletic Foundation. He is a co-founder of the RCAF, which was established in 2009.

Bordelon has been a board member for the Community Foundation of Acadiana, Southwest Medical Center, United Way of Acadiana, Chitimacha Louisiana Open, Ascension Day School, and Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

He has been married to Suzanne Bordelon for 44 years. The couple has three daughters and three grandchildren.

Courville has more than three decades of experience in national security and international affairs policy, academia, conflict management, and international strategic public and private partnerships. She has served in many national security diplomatic and policy positions, including as the first U.S. Ambassador to the African Union.

Courville, who is from Opelousas, La., lives in Arlington, Va. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from the University, in 1975 and 1977. She holds master's and doctoral degrees in international studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies in Denver. Louisiana awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2010.

Courville served as the special assistant and senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House. She was director for East African Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Her many roles at the Defense Intelligence Agency include chair of the Department of Geostrategic Studies at the National Intelligence University; senior intelligence officer in the Office of the Chief of Staff; deputy assistant defense intelligence officer for Africa Policy; and senior intelligence officer for defense operations in Africa.

Courville belongs to many advisory boards, including the Leadership for Women in National Security, the National Senior Executives and Professional Association, and the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Prior to her career in government, she was an assistant professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles and Hanover College in Indiana.

Louisiana.edu

[NewsCopy]

Its name isn’t the only thing new about the Office of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The office’s focus is now fixed squarely on professional learning, career training and academic enrichment, said Dr. Martha Bryant, its director.

“Continuing education is changing at many colleges and universities, including UL, because workforce needs are changing. People increasingly want to enhance professional skills – or add new ones. So we’re pivoting, providing more options to support employees and businesses,” she said.

Gone with the office’s former name – the Office of Continuing Education – is its “dual focus.” In the past, continuing education at UL consisted of blend of non-credentialed professional courses and leisure learning courses. Leisure learning includes pursuits such as gardening, cooking or dancing.

The shift is being driven, in part, by employee shortages in some industries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also reflects a trend toward more partnerships among businesses and higher education. “Companies are investing in the sort of training universities are positioned to give for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to foster leadership among employees, or to help them learn about workplace culture,” Bryant explained.

University faculty and staff members, graduate assistants, and businesspersons who are experts in their fields will lead Office of Professional and Continuing Education offerings, all of which will be delivered virtually.

The office will continue to offer a range of its popular certificate programs and courses, dozens of offerings that include ACT and notary public exam readiness, and human resources and food safety training. It will bolster its existing certificate programs, courses and training opportunities, however, with new offerings that “fill an existing need,” Bryant said.

Case in point: the office’s new “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” course, a series of eight, 90-minute sessions that explore diversity in the workplace. The course will cover social justice, inclusion in recruitment, hiring and retention practices, fostering workplace understanding and support, and other topics. People who register for the course can complete sessions at their own pace.

“We will launch a new module each week that can be watched in one sitting or, based on participants’ schedules, in blocks. They will, however, be required to complete all of the coursework requirements in a specified amount of time,” Bryant explained.

The course won’t be geared specifically toward businesses and employees. The Office of Professional and Continuing Education will offer a modified version later this year or next semester. That version will be designed for educators as part of the University’s Educating for Equity program. Evidence-based research discovered as part of the state Board of Regents-funded program will enable other institutions in the University of Louisiana System and across the state and nation to adopt best practices.

“Going forward, we will collaborate with a range of campus colleges, departments and offices on initiatives and programs related to professional learning and certification,” Bryant said.

One of those partnerships, Bryant explained, will be with the College of Engineering, which is working with the Office of Professional and Continuing Education to develop a solar energy certification program. The program is expected to be launched during the spring semester.

Partnerships with industry will also continue to be a focus, including through state-funded training programs and training tailored to meet needs of businesses and organizations.

Learn more about the Office of Professional and Continuing Education, which is located in Louisiana’s LITE Center in Research Park. Email ce@louisiana.edu or call (337) 482-6386 with questions.

Louisiana.edu

[Turbine]

Some photos

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ulalum...57719265705310

[60swerethebest]

The DIA does neat work. Second best three letter agency to work for.

[NewsCopy]

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is celebrating its Fall 2021 graduates during Commencement ceremonies today and tomorrow, where a total of 1,303 degrees will be conferred.

Individual Commencement ceremonies for the University’s eight academic colleges and Graduate School are being held Friday and Saturday at the Cajundome and Convention Center. Ceremonies for the colleges of the Arts, Business Administration, Engineering, Graduate School and Nursing and Allied Health Professions were set for Friday. Ceremonies for the colleges of Education, Liberal Arts, Sciences and University College are Saturday.

All told, the University will confer 977 bachelor’s degrees, 309 master’s degrees, 15 doctoral degrees and two graduate certificates. The number of master’s degrees are most ever awarded in a fall semester, and slightly less than the record number of master’s degrees awarded in the spring. Graduates are from 48 Louisiana parishes, 31 states and U.S. territories, and 39 foreign countries.

During the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions’ ceremony, Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, surprised graduates with one final assignment – to inspect their diplomas.

“On the surface, they commemorate your labor and sacrifice and success, but look closely and you can envision the fingerprints of your classmates, your faculty, your family and all the people who helped you to reach your destination today,” Savoie said.

“So, don’t let this day go by without thanking them. And in the future, when you look at your diplomas, imagine those fingerprints. Remember how the kindness of others influenced your lives, and let those memories inspire you to help someone else reach their goals as well.”

Community leader, businessman and philanthropist James “Jim” Devin Moncus was awarded an honorary doctorate of nursing practice posthumously during the ceremony. Moncus died earlier this year at age 81.

Taisiia Kolisnyk is UL Lafayette’s Outstanding Master’s Graduate. She earned a master of architecture from the School of Architecture and Design. Tyler Francis is the University’s Outstanding Graduate. An accounting major, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration.

Eleven undergraduate students were recognized as summa cum laude graduates for achieving 4.0 GPAs. Honorees, listed by college, are:

College of the Arts

Evan B. Gillis, visual arts
B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration

Allison Joann Bourgeois, marketing
College of Engineering

Charles Kreamer, electrical engineering
College of Liberal Arts

Kylee P. Elkins, sociology
Caitlyn Michelle Hesterman, psychology
Cade H. Mataya, political science
Mikayla Elizabeth Miller, psychology
Ray P. Authement College of Sciences

Evan Jude Kidder, biology
Maxwell David Lovig, mathematics
Abby Jolie Miller, biology
Chloe Kim St. Germain-Vermillion, biology

Louisiana.edu

[Turbine]

Quote heard most often after graduation.

"I got my degree from a Carnegie R1 Institution. "

[NewsCopy]

Complete list of December 2021 graduates

[Boomer]

….there was an article in the news today about enrollment being down at some schools…..can somebody give some facts on this….it was posted that N’Western had a higher enrollment than Tech and that Mc N and Nichols lost 6% and UL 2%!