Running head: HIGHER EDUCATION IN LOUISIANA

The History of Higher Education of Louisiana

A Narrative

Crystal N. Gay
Georgia Southern University

EDLD 7432History of American Higher Education

Instructor: Dr. D. Jenson

HIGHER EDUCATION IN LOUISIANA

The History of Higher Education of Louisiana

A Narrative
This paper will give a broad overview of the management boards and associations
overseeing the units and universities in the higher education system in Louisiana in order to see a
larger picture of the expansive history of post-secondary education in Louisiana. Events and
legislation affecting higher education in the state will also be explored.
The only constant in higher education is change, a fact that is apparent when looking at a
timeline of Louisianas higher education. Institutions have been established, renamed, merged,
and redesigned in the state since the first school opened in 1718. In order to look at the extensive
and ever changing history, this paper will begin by exploring each of the management boards
currently in Louisiana.
Management Boards
Higher education in Louisiana is comprised of multiple units and universities. Each unit
and university falls under the management of a board or association. These are the Board of
Regents, The University of Louisiana System, the Louisiana State University Board of
Supervisors, The Southern University Board of Supervisors, The Louisiana Community and
Technical College System, or the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities.
Board of Regents
The Louisiana Board of Regents was established in 1974 to coordinate all public higher
education in Louisiana (Board of Regents, n.d.). The Board of Regents (n.d.) governs all other
management boards and associations of higher education in the states as well as the Louisiana
Universities Marine Consortium and The Learning Center for Rapides Parish.

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The University of Louisiana System

The University of Louisiana System was formed in 1974 as the Board of Trustees for
State Colleges and Universities and includes nine universities (University of Louisiana System,
2008). Universities in the system include Grambling State University, which opened in 1901 as
the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School (Grambling State University, 2013). Another
university in the system is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette first known as Southwestern
Louisiana Industrial Institute (University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2013). These are just two
examples in the long history of higher education in Louisiana of institutions being renamed or
merged with other institutions. Sometimes the original intention of the institution would evolve
such as with Northwestern State which was originally formed as Louisiana State Normal School
with the goal of the preparation of teachers (Northwestern State, 2013). Instances of this
evolution and constant change can be found in the history of a majority of the higher education
institutions in Louisiana.
The Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors
The Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors oversees Louisiana State University
(LSU) as well as LSU Shreveport, LSU Alexandria, LSU Eunice, the Health Sciences Centers,
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the Agriculture Center and Paul M. Hebert Law (The
Louisiana State University System, n.d.). The Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors
was established in 1921 as one of the governing boards for universities (Louisiana Board of
Regents, n.d.). The LSU Agricultural Experiment Station received funds from the Hatch Act of
1887 after being established in 1884 (Louisiana Board of Regents, n.d.). The Hatch Act gave
$15,000 annually to support experiment stations for land grant universities (LSU AgCenter,
2013). LSU can trace its roots back to the Louisiana State Agricultural and Mechanical College

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which was established following the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 (Louisiana Board of
Regents, n.d.). These grants allowed states to set up institutions to educate people in
professions that were practical at the time such as agriculture and home economics (Lightcap,
n.d.).
The Southern University Board of Supervisors
Southern University was a land grant institution opened in 1880 as a school for AfricanAmerican students (Louisiana Board of Regents, n.d.). In 1890, Southern University became a
land grant institution (Southern University System, 2013). This coincides with the passing of the
Second Morrill Act by the United States Congress. The Second Morill Act stated that states must
show that race was not a criterion of admission or they were required to establish a land-grant
institution for persons of color (Lightcap, n.d.). Today Southern University is now known as
Southern University and A&M College and includes multiple campuses, a law center, and an
agricultural center (Southern University System, 2013).
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) was formed in 1999
and included all technical college provideing vocational-technical education (Louisiana Board of
Regents, n.d.). Technical colleges were originally known as trade schools and were established
in Louisiana beginning in 1930 (Louisiana Technical College, n.d.). The Vocational Education
Act of 1946 also helped technical colleges to continue to grow (Louisiana Technical College,
n.d.). Today the LCTCS includes 14 colleges and strives to improve the quality of life of the
State's citizens through educational programs offered through our colleges (LCTCS, n.d., para.
2)

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Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

LAICU includes the 10 regionally accredited four-year colleges in the state of Louisiana
(LAICU, 2012). Many of the universities within the LAICU have religious ties or were started
by religious organizations. This keeps strong the roots of higher education in Louisiana since the
Franciscans and nuns from the Sisters of the Order of Saint Ursula opened the first two
institutions (Louisiana Board of Regents, n.d.). LAICU (2012) stateed its major functions
include advocacy, research and information, and coordination of collaborative activities of the
independent institutions (para. 2).
Legislation
Multiple pieces of legislation have been discussed in this paper. These include the Morrill
Land Grant Act of 1862, the second Morrill Act of 1890, the Hatch Act of 1887, and the
Vocational Education Act of 1946. Another act affecting higher education in Louisiana is the
Aid to Independents (ATI) Program. ATI reimburses private institutions for educating Louisiana
residents (LAICU, 2009).
The LA GRAD Act is a more recent piece of legislation that was established in 2010. The
goal of the act is to improved performance at Louisianas colleges and universities and make
more Louisiana students graduates of their programs (Office of the Governor, 2010). The LA
GRAD Act allows flexibility within universities in exchange for commitment to meet statewide
performance goals over a six-year agreement (Office of the Governor, 2010).
Legislation is often introduced in order to continue to improve higher education across
the country. National legislation, as well as legislation specific to Louisiana, has been introduced
that has helped the state improve post-secondary education in Louisiana.

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6
Events

Some events that may not seem directly correlated to higher education have had huge
impacts on higher education in Louisiana. These events include the Civil War and Hurricane
Katrina. The Civil War occurred during the years of 1861-1865 (A&E, 2013). During this time,
many men enlisted in the army and with students at war, institutions could not remain open. In
fact, the superintendent of Louisiana Seminary of Learning and Military Science was Colonel
William T. Sherman, who resigned from the institution to take a command position in the Union
army when Louisiana seceded from the Union. At this time the school closed temporarily
(Louisiana State University, 2013).
On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf causing extensive damage to
Louisiana (New York Times, 2012). Teaching hospitals in the state were closed due to damage
occurred during the storm. Charity Hospital was permanently closed will University Hospital
was repaired with funds from federal relief money (Louisiana Board of Regents, n.d.). The new
University Medical Center of New Orleans officially reopened June of 2013.
Summary
As outside events such as The Civil War and Hurricane Katrina have presented new and
unexpected challenges, the system evolved to continue to fulfill its mission of providing quality
post-secondary education. While the scope and nature of education continues to change, the
systems of Louisiana will continue to adapt.

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7
References

A&E Television Networks. (2013). American civil war. Retrieved from

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war
Board of Regents. (n.d.) The Louisiana board of regents. Retrieved from
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Grambling State University. (2013). History. Retrieved from http://www.gram.edu/about/history/
LAICU. (2009). Investing in higher education in Louisiana. Retrieved from
http://www.laicu.org/uploads/files/investing_higher_education.pdf
LAICU. (2012). About us. Retrieved from http://www.laicu.org/about-us
Lightcap, Brad. (n.d). The morrill act of 1862. Retrieved from
http://www3.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/morrill.html.
Louisiana Board of Regents. (n.d.) Higher education in Louisiana. Retrieved from
http://www.lsusystem.edu/overview/higherEd-history.shtml
Louisiana Community & Technical College System. (2013). About LCTCS. Retrieved from
http://www.lctcs.edu/about/
Louisiana State University System. (n.d.) Institutions. Retrieved from
http://www.lsusystem.edu/index.php/institutions/
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http://www.lsu.edu/visitors/history.shtml
Louisiana Technical College. (n.d) About technical education. Retrieved from
http://www.ltc.edu/technical_education.asp

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LSU AgCenter. (2013). History of the hatch act of 1887. Retrieved from
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g/History-of-the-Hatch-Act-of-1887.htm
New York Times. (2012). Hurricane Katrina. Retrieved from
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ml
Northwestern State. (2013). History. Retrieved from http://www.nsula.edu/history
Office of the Governor. (2010). Governor Jindal announces LA GRAD act. Retrieved from
http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=1915
Southern University Sytstem. (2013). History: SU system evolution. Retrieved from
http://www.sus.edu/PageDisplay.asp?p1=3575
University of Louisiana at Lafayette. (2013). History. Retrieved from
http://www.louisiana.edu/about-us/history
University of Louisiana System (2008). Quick facts. Retrieved from
http://www.ulsystem.net/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&nid=81&pnid=19&pi
d=130&fmid=0&catid=0&elid=0