Six key messages support this statement
We’re committed to research for a reason.
¾ÅÉ« specializes in applied research that solves real-world problems.
That’s why it recently partnered with Drexel University to establish a center that can help companies gain an edge in the global marketplace by learning to interpret and analyze huge amounts of complex data. It’s also why some of our faculty members are studying the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What they learn may help mitigate the impact of future spills. And, it’s why researchers at ¾ÅÉ« are developing a virtual network for sharing information nationwide during natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies.
In short, we make research relevant. With our wealth of expertise and top-notch resources, we offer everything it takes to awaken the change agent in anyone.
We’re eager to share what we’re learning.
Our research and impact extends far beyond campus.
Students and faculty in our Community Design Workshop help cities and neighborhoods revitalize their communities. This mobile design studio has completed more than 70 community projects since its inception.
The University has partnered with Cleco, an energy company to build an alternative energy center in Crowley, La. It is bringing together experts in engineering, biology and other fields to improve existing technologies and use some of Louisiana’s renewable resources to produce biofuels.
Students and faculty share knowledge and experience through tutoring and mentoring. We work tirelessly to improve our communities by applying what we’re learning.
This is our time and we’re determined to make the most of it.
By any measure, the ¾ÅÉ« is making steady progress.
Our freshmen are more prepared for college-level work than ever before. More exceptional students are making ¾ÅÉ« their first university of choice. And, we have devoted unprecedented energy and resources to student success.
The payoff so far? One of the highest graduation rates in Louisiana. Our faculty members are earning national and international recognition. And, they are drawing record amounts of external research monies.
For the 2012 fiscal year, the University’s research and development expenditures totaled $74.6 million; only one other public university in Louisiana spent more on R&D.
Four student residence halls have been built in the past three years and the expansion and renovation of the Student Union is under way. The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns are experiencing unprecedented success. And, our alumni can be proud of the fact that the value of their degrees has increased with the University’s rising stature.
Buoyed by the accomplishments of its students, faculty and alumni, ¾ÅÉ« has pledged to take advantage of every opportunity to achieve greater prominence among public institutions of higher learning.
We have a gift for bringing people together.
For centuries, south Louisiana has embraced diversity. So it’s not surprising that we have a natural talent for leaping over disciplinary borders and forging new collaborations.
The Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning embodies this inclusive spirit. It has experts in many fields, such as education, public health, business and communicative disorders. And, it partners with community organizations ranging from school districts to Junior League to the state Department of Health and Hospitals.
Our students learn an important lesson from these initiatives: some of the best opportunities emerge from the crossroads of knowledge.
Our Ragin’ Cajun spirit goes beyond athletics.
We’re passionate about the possibilities for a better world. But we also know good intentions aren’t enough. That’s why we’ve embraced serving others.
In the 2011-12 academic year, faculty and students performed about 200,000 service hours in the community. And it’s why our Communicative Disorders Department doesn’t limit its clinical practice to the school year but instead devotes summer months to helping at-risk children gain the literacy skills they need to succeed.
Our students and faculty are invigorated by problems that call upon our deepest reserves of humanity — and we’re applying our best thinking to solve them.
We teach the real meaning of joie de vivre.
We prepare students to do more than earn a living. The lessons we offer about life transcend any textbook.
Joie de vivre means living life fully, deeply. So we teach with the same passion that defines Cajun and Creole cultures. And we nurture students’ ability to listen, reflect, articulate and savor because these are tools for a lifetime of thoughtful citizenship. For our students, joie de vivre means much more than being good company. It also means being a lively and discerning thinker.