Purpose and Mission of the University
The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) is committed to serving as a gateway to diverse academic studies for citizens living in the urban and rural regions of the Lower Mississippi Delta. The University offers a broad array of academic and professional programs from the associate level through doctoral degree programs. Complemented by research and service, these programs address the post-secondary educational needs of area citizens, businesses, and industries.
The University ensures student learning by promoting a comprehensive context for the intellectual, scientific, cultural, technological, and economic development of a diverse student and faculty population. ULM values the continued development of partnerships with local schools, government agencies, businesses, and many community organizations.
ULM is categorized as an SREB Four-Year 3 institution, as a Carnegie Master’s College and University I, and as a COC/SACS Level VI institution. The University will limit associate degree offerings to 2+2 programs and will conduct research appropriate to academic programs offered and necessary for program accreditation. The University will implement, at a minimum, Selective III admissions criteria. ULM is located in Region VIII.
Historical Sketch of the University
The University of Louisiana at Monroe has followed a course of vigorous growth in its transition from a junior college to an institution offering a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. In September of 1931, the university opened for its first session as Ouachita Parish Junior College, which was operated as part of the Ouachita Parish School System. Three years later, Louisiana State University received authority from the state legislature to operate the facilities of the university as Northeast Center of Louisiana State University. The name of the institution was changed in 1939 to Northeast Junior College of Louisiana State University. The following year the state legislature authorized the transfer to Louisiana State University of all lands connected with Northeast Junior College.
The 1950 legislature approved the expansion of Northeast Junior College to a senior college, granting academic degrees. The name of the institution was changed to Northeast Louisiana State College and its control was transferred from the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors to the State Board of Education. The School of Pharmacy was established in 1956.
The 1969-70 academic year was a milestone for ULM. In addition to awarding its first doctoral degrees, the name was changed by the 1970 legislature to Northeast Louisiana University. The constitution adopted by the people of Louisiana in 1974 provided that the administration of state colleges and universities be changed from the Louisiana State Board of Education to the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities effective May of 1975. This board’s name was again changed on June 8, 1995, to the University of Louisiana Board of Trustees and in 1998 to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.
The Graduate School was established in 1961 to offer post-baccalaureate degrees. The Graduate School established the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacy in December of 1967. In the fall of 1967 the Education Specialist degree was first offered, and in 1983 the Specialist in School Psychology degree was added. In 1993 the Office of Research and the Graduate School were merged to form the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. Northeast Louisiana University, in cooperation with Louisiana Tech University and Grambling State University, formed the Louisiana Education Consortium in 1994 to offer the Doctor of Education degree at each campus. In the Fall of 1996, the Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy was first offered.
On August 27, 1999, the university officially changed its name to the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Under the supervision of the Director of Graduate School and the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research, the Graduate School currently directs its focus on developing competitive graduate programs, increasing graduate enrollment, and improving services related to admissions, student retention, and graduate outcomes. The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research bolsters the research, instructional, creative, and community service goals already prevalent at ULM. Both offices are integral to the growth of the institution and its engagement in the community.
Entering the 2014-15 academic year, ULM has students enrolled from every parish in Louisiana, along with 40 states and more than 50 countries.
Location
The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s campus is located in the eastern part of Monroe, a city whose metropolitan area population exceeds 100,000. Beautiful Bayou DeSiard flows through the 238-acre, tree-shaded site.
The City of Monroe is located midway between Shreveport, Louisiana and Vicksburg, Mississippi. The University is located on US Highway 80, just east of US Highway 165 North and two miles north of Interstate 20. Monroe Regional Airport, located three miles east of the university, is served by Continental, American, and Delta air lines. The city’s public transportation system also serves the university area.
Monroe’s Civic Center, Strauss Playhouse, Masur Museum, Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, West Monroe’s Convention Center, and local parks offer many cultural and community events. The beautiful Ouachita River, Bayou DeSiard, and many nearby lakes provide opportunities for fishing, boating, skiing, swimming, and picnicking.
Accreditation and Professional Affiliation
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award master, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. For questions about the accreditation of the university, contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, or call (404) 679-4500.
The Southern Association for Colleges and Schools’ (SACS) Principles of Accreditation requires the University of Louisiana at Monroe to annually assess its programs of graduate study. The university is committed to the ongoing development of student learning and assessment.
Many of the departments and schools which offer graduate degrees are also accredited by specialized or professional accrediting agencies, including the teacher-preparation programs accredited at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree level by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
In addition to membership in national accrediting agencies, the university also holds membership in the following professional agencies:
- American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing
- American Association of State Colleges and Universities
- American Council on Education
- Conference of Southern Graduate Schools
- American Council for Construction Education
- Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing of the Southern Regional Education Board
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
- American Association of University Women
|
