University of Louisiana at Lafayette facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Former name	Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (1898–1920) Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning (1921–1959) University of Southwestern Louisiana (1960–1998)
Motto	Fortiter, Feliciter, Fideliter (Latin)
Motto in English	Boldly, Happily, Faithfully
Type	Public research university
Established	July 14, 1898; 127 years ago (1898-07-14)
Parent institution	University of Louisiana System
Accreditation	SACS
Academic affiliations	ORAU Space-grant
Endowment	$232 million (2021)
President	E. Joseph Savoie
Academic staff	776
Students	15,345 (2023)
Undergraduates	13,179 (2023)
Postgraduates	2,166 (2023)
Location	Lafayette , Louisiana , United States 30°12′47″N 92°01′08″W / 30.213°N 92.019°W / 30.213; -92.019
Campus	Urban Main Campus, 145 acres (0.59 km2) University Commons, 391 acres (1.58 km2) Misc Acreage, 764 acres (3.09 km2) Total: 1,300 acres (5.3 km2)
Newspaper	The Vermilion
Colors	Vermilion      White
Nickname	Ragin' Cajuns
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS - Sun Belt

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (often called UL Lafayette or UL) is a large public university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It's known for its strong focus on research. This university has the most students in the nine-campus University of Louisiana System. It is also the second-largest university in all of Louisiana. Experts classify it as a university with "very high research activity."

The university started in 1898 as a school for industrial skills. Over the years, it grew into a full four-year university. It got its current name in 1999. UL Lafayette offers special degrees you can't find anywhere else in Louisiana. These include a Ph.D. in French-speaking studies, a master's degree in informatics (which is about computer information systems), and a degree in industrial design. The university has also made big achievements in computer science, engineering, and architecture. It also has a unique College of the Arts.

University History: How It Began

Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute in its early days

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette started on July 14, 1898. It was first called the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (SLII). This new school was created by a state law. Many towns wanted the school to be built there. Lafayette, New Iberia, and Scott all made official offers.

Lafayette won the bid by offering land, money, and a special tax to support the school. The land, about 25 acres, was given by Crow and Maxim Girard.

The first president of the university was Edwin Lewis Stephens. The first buildings, Martin Hall and Foster Hall, opened on September 18, 1901. The school started with 100 students and 8 teachers. By 1903, 18 students were in the first graduating class.

Over the years, the school's name changed as it grew.

• In 1920, it became a four-year school offering bachelor's degrees.
• In 1921, its name changed to Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning (SLI).
• In 1960, it was renamed the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL).
• In 1999, it officially became the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette).

Exploring the Campus

Martin Hall, an important building on campus

The campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is located in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. This area is part of a region called Acadiana.

The university owns a total of about 1,304 acres of land. This includes the main campus, athletic fields, and research areas.

Main Campus Area

The main campus started with just 25 acres. Over time, it grew to about 145 acres. This area includes many important buildings and spots. Some of the oldest buildings, like Foster Hall (built in 1902) and DeClouet Hall (built in 1905), are here.

The Quadrangle: Heart of the University

The Fleur-de-lis fountain in the Quad

The Arcade, a covered walkway

A beautiful tree in the Quad

The Quadrangle, or "The Quad," is like the center of the university. It was updated in 2015 with new walkways and a special fountain. The fountain has a 15-foot tall Fleur de Lis sculpture in the middle.

• Martin Hall: This was the first building on campus, finished in 1901. It's where the university president and other important staff work.
• The Arcade: This is a covered brick walkway with 415 arches. It surrounds the Quad and was built in 1940.
• Walk of Honor: This special feature is part of the Arcade. It honors every student who has graduated from the university since 1903. Each graduate has their name and graduation year engraved on a paver.
• The Fountain: In the middle of the Quad, there's a circular fountain with a large, aluminum Fleur de Lis sculpture. This sculpture was designed by over 100 UL students. It's a popular spot for students to gather.

Cypress Lake and Student Union Complex

• Cypress Lake: This is a very popular spot on campus. It's a natural habitat for alligators, turtles, birds, and fish. It's the only ecosystem of its kind located in the center of a university in the United States. Students often call it "The Swamp." Many university traditions happen around the lake.
• Student Union Complex: This new building, completed in 2015, wraps around Cypress Lake. It has many meeting rooms, dining options, and even a movie theater called the "Bayou Bijou." The main dining room has big windows with great views of the lake.

Fletcher Hall and Marais Press

The Marais Press is a printmaking shop inside Fletcher Hall. It started in the early 1990s and has old printing presses. Artists from all over the world visit for a week to work on projects. Students get to learn hands-on skills like making lithographs and etchings.

Marais Press is different from the UL Press, which publishes books about Louisiana.

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  Stephens Hall

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  Broussard Hall, home to the Physics Department

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  Burke-Hawthorne Hall, where the Communications Department is located

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  Wharton Hall, housing Biology and Nursing Departments

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  A view of the Arcade

University Commons: Research and Sports

The University Commons area is south of the main campus. It includes the Athletic Complex and Research Park. This large area covers over 391 acres.

Athletic Complex

Most of the university's sports facilities are here. It has a new Field House and many lighted grassy fields. This area allows students to participate in various sports and activities.

Research Park

The Research Park is designed to encourage new ideas and help the economy grow. Many important buildings are located here:

• University Research Park Hotel: This hotel is owned by the university and helps train students in hospitality management.
• Lafayette Primary Care Center: This center trains medical residents in family practice.
• CGI Group: A large technology company that offers IT services. It employs many people in Lafayette.
• Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE Center): This center uses advanced technology for data visualization and super-computing. It helps connect smart academic minds with innovative industry leaders.
• National Wetlands Research Center: This center studies wetlands, fish, wildlife, and natural resources.
• Photovoltaic Applied Research and Testing Laboratory (PART Lab): This six-acre solar farm studies new alternative energy products. It also trains students and provides most of the energy for the university's sports complex.
• Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning: This center does research to help children succeed in school and life.

University Research and Discoveries

UL Lafayette is a member of the Southeastern Universities Research Association. It's known for its "very high research activity." In 2023, the university received a record-breaking $181 million for research. This shows a huge increase in research spending over the past seven years.

The university gets more research money than all other schools in the UL System combined. A 2010 report ranked it among the top 100 public research universities in the nation. In 2012, it became the first Louisiana university to be named an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. This center focuses on data science and big data analytics.

New Iberia Research Center

UL Lafayette has a research center in New Iberia, Louisiana. It studies several types of non-human primates, like macaques and chimpanzees. This center is one of the largest primate centers in the U.S. It also works with other laboratories and conducts experiments for them.

In 2016, a group called Project Chimps partnered with the center. They worked to move 220 retired research chimpanzees to a sanctuary in northern Georgia.

Academics and Learning

UL Lafayette is officially approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All of its undergraduate programs that can be accredited by professional groups are accredited. The university graduates about 1,700 students each fall and spring.

The university offers more than 80 different programs for bachelor's degrees. It also has 27 master's degree programs and 10 doctoral degree programs.

University Rankings and Achievements

UL Lafayette has received many recognitions:

• In 2018, U.S. News & World Report listed it among the top universities where students are eager to enroll.
• In 2017, the Brookings Institution ranked it high for helping students improve their social and economic standing.
• The Department of Petroleum Engineering was ranked No. 13 in the world in 2017.
• The Princeton Review included it in their "Best 382 Colleges" in 2018.
• It was named to the "2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll."
• The National Science Foundation reported in 2013 that UL Lafayette was No. 10 among research universities for the amount of research money it received from businesses.

Campus Publishing

In the 1960s, professors at the University of Southwestern Louisiana started publishing books about Louisiana's history and culture. In 1973, the Center for Louisiana Studies was created. This center took over publishing these works.

Over time, the center started publishing works from outside the university. They also began publishing new types of books, like children's books, photography, poetry, and fiction. In 2009, their publishing name changed to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, or UL Press.

Today, UL Press is the largest academic publisher of books about Louisiana. It is also one of the two largest academic publishers in the state.

University Athletics: The Ragin' Cajuns

Cajundome is where the men's and women's basketball teams play.

The sports teams at UL Lafayette are called the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. They compete in NCAA Division I sports. They are part of the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns have 16 sports teams, including baseball, basketball, football, and softball.

The athletic program officially began in 1904 with a track and field team. The softball team has been very successful, winning many championships and making it to the Women's College World Series six times. The baseball, men's tennis, men's basketball, and football teams have also won conference championships.

In 2014, the football team made history by winning the same bowl game four years in a row. However, some of their wins from 2011 were later removed by the NCAA. This happened because an assistant coach was involved in getting fake test scores for some new players. The university took action against the coach and worked with the NCAA.

Recently, the Ragin' Cajuns football team has become very strong. They were nationally ranked in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Student Life at UL Lafayette

There are over 200 student groups and clubs at the university. Students can find many ways to get involved and meet new people.

The Louisiana Center for Cultural & Eco-Tourism has a research division. It holds the world's largest collection of Cajun and Creole folklore and history.

Where Students Live: Residential Life

The university has been working to update its student housing since 2011. Many old dorms have been replaced with modern apartment or suite-style living spaces. These new buildings are co-ed, meaning both male and female students live there.

• Legacy Park: This apartment-style complex opened in 2004.
• Rose Garden Complex: This area has suite-style housing for younger students.
• Taft Street Complex: This area has suite-style housing for older students.
• The Heritage at Cajun Village: This new complex is for married students, families, and graduate students.

As of 2023, only three of the original dorms are still standing: Randolph Hall (now a recreation center), Agnes Edwards Hall, and Harris Hall. The university plans to house close to 5,000 students on campus when all the new housing is complete.

Greek Life: Fraternities and Sororities

The university has 23 Greek organizations, including fraternities and sororities. These groups are managed by four different councils. In 2022, about 6% of undergraduate men and 13% of undergraduate women were part of a Greek organization at UL Lafayette.

Notable Firsts for the University

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has achieved several important "firsts":

• 1954 – It was the first all-white public college in the Deep South to allow African-American students to enroll. This happened just months after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
• 1961 – It started the first university chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for students.
• 1962 – It offered the first Master of Science degree in computer science in the U.S.
• 1994 – It created the first Ph.D. program in francophone (French-speaking) studies in the Western Hemisphere.
• 2007 – The Cajun Advanced Picosatellite Experiment (CAPE) successfully launched Louisiana's first student-built satellite, CAPE-1.
• 2008 – Ray Authement, who was president from 1974 to 2008, became the longest-serving president of a public university in the United States.
• 2012 – It became the first Louisiana university to be named an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center.
• 2017 – It was approved to offer the first master's degree in informatics in Louisiana.