Summary
The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana, United States and part of the University of Louisiana System.
History
ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. Three years later it became the Northeast Center of Louisiana State University. In 1936 and 1937, its dean was Stephen A. Caldwell.[2]
Its name changed again in 1949, to Northeast Junior College of Louisiana State University. A year later, it became an autonomous four-year institution as Northeast Louisiana State College. In 1969, it granted doctoral degrees for the first time and was elevated to university status as Northeast Louisiana University (NLU). Much of the growth occurred during the administration of president George T. Walker from 1958 to 1976. Under Walker, enrollment increased from 2,100 to 9,700. NLU became the largest university in North Louisiana in terms of enrollment and state appropriations. Among all of the universities under the Louisiana Higher Education Board of Trustees, Northeast had the greatest percent of faculty holding terminal degrees, more nationally accredited academic programs, and offered the highest faculty salaries.[3]
Some three decades later, NLU was in 1999 renamed ULM.
A 2002 "Reclaim Our Campus" effort targeted recovery from financial and auditing difficulties.[4]
In the 21st century, the 75-year-old "Indians" mascot was retired because of NCAA restrictions against American Indian-themed mascots, considered "hostile and abusive" by Native Americans. A mascot committee selected Warhawks in 2006,[5] honoring Maj. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault's United States Army Air Corps World War II unit's Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. The university has adopted logos featuring primarily hawk (bird) imagery; "ACE" debuted later that year.
In 2010, James Erwin Cofer Sr., left the ULM presidency after eight years to head Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. He was succeeded by Nick Bruno as the eighth president of ULM.
Academics
ULM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). All undergraduate programs eligible for accreditation by professional agencies are accredited.[citation needed] ULM is the only university in Louisiana to offer a master's in gerontology and the only public university in the state offering the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
ULM has the only atmospheric sciences bachelor's program in Louisiana and Arkansas.[citation needed]
ULM offers AACSB accredited[6] undergraduate and graduate (MBA) degree programs.
The English department publishes Turnrow, a bi-annual journal of short fiction, poetry, visual art, and interviews.[7]
Master's in marriage and family therapy is accredited by both the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education and the Council for the Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs. A doctoral program in marriage and family therapy began in 1996.[citation needed]
Established in 1956, the College of Pharmacy[8] is accredited by the American Council on Pharmacy Education, including one of seven Toxicology programs in the U.S. In 2007, the College of Pharmacy moved from the main campus to the off-campus (Bienville) building. There are satellite campuses in Shreveport and Baton Rouge.[9]
In 1999, Milburn E. Calhoun, a New Orleans physician, philanthropist, and Pelican Books publisher endowed the million-dollar Mary E. and Darrell L. Calhoun Chair in Pharmacology, named for his late parents.[10]
The Division of Theatre and Drama, established in 1953, was headed by George C. Brian (1919–2007), Ph.D., a Baton Rouge native who was an actor, director, filmmaker, singer, dancer, and patron of the arts. He revitalized the program and brought Broadway stars to perform with his students.[citation needed]
ULM is home to the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, named for the opera singer and daughter of the Coca-Cola entrepreneur Joseph A. Biedenharn.[11]
Athletics
Teams participate in NCAA Division I (Division I FBS for football). ULM joined the Sun Belt Conference for all sports on July 1, 2006 after playing in the Southland Conference in all sports except football (swimming and diving team was in Sun Belt Conference, but was dropped in 2005).
ULM moved from Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) to Division I-A (now FBS) in 1994 and played as a I-A independent 1994-2000. ULM became a football-only Sun Belt Conference member in 2001 and joined as a member in all sports in 2006. ULM shared the 2005 Sun Belt Conference football championship with Arkansas State University and the University of Louisiana–Lafayette (ASU received the conference's New Orleans Bowl bid due to tiebreaking procedures). In 2012 they signed All-Dallas-Area and Texas Class 6-5A All-District star offensive guard Jimmy Chung.[12]
ULM basketball coaches have included Arnold R. Kilpatrick, Lenny Fant (1957–1979) and Mike Vining. Fant was the first ULM coach to win three hundred games.
The university is home to several award-winning groups including the Sound of Today and the competition cheerleading squad. The ULM water ski team[13] is the most successful in the history of collegiate water skiing, having won 22 NCWSA national championships since 1979.[14] Bayou Desiard was the host site of the first national championships in that year.
The football and baseball stadiums and ULM Activities Center were designed by architect Hugh G. Parker of Bastrop.
Since being in the Sun Belt, the Warhawks have won conference titles in men's basketball (2006-07 West Co-Champion) and baseball (2008 regular season and 2012 conference tournament).
The ULM football team posted its first six-win season since moving to Division I-A in 2007 going 6-6, which included a 21-14 victory at Alabama. On September 8, 2012, ULM beat number 8 Arkansas 34-31 in overtime to become the first Sun Belt Conference team to beat a top ten SEC team. This was also their first win ever against a ranked opponent.
Greek life
The following is current as of July 15, 2008.[15]