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As we look back on 2016, it is evident that ULM is showing a rapid rate of growth and achievement across the board. University enrollment is at an all-time high, retention and graduation rates have increased significantly, the international student body is soaring, and university programs and faculty are seeing more and more national recognition. Campus continues to be transformed through renovations and new building projects. Athletic programs have been strengthened in the last year with better facilities, new coaching staffs for football and soccer, the continued revitalization of men’s basketball, and high Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores across the board in all sports. In this Sixteen in 16’ issue, we take a look back on some of ULM’s most celebrated moments of the year—a year marking the institution’s 85th Anniversary.
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ULM became a Doctoral University: Moderate Research Activity (R3) in the Carnegie Classification, the leading method for recognizing and describing colleges and universities in the USA. We are one of only six doctoral universities in the state.
R3
UNIVERSITIES
IN THE STATE*
R2
R1 R2 R1
R1
- Highest Research Activity
R2
- Higher Research Activity
R3
- Moderate Research Activity
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* Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
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R3
DOCTORAL-GRANTING
BEST NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY 6
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U.S. News & World Report
“We are no longer merely a regional university.” – DR. NICK J. BRUNO, ULM PRESIDENT
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For the first time, ULM ranks as a “National University” by the U.S. News & World Report. For the last two years, U.S. News ranked the university among the “Best Regional Universities,” so the new ranking is a significant upgrade in status.
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University Construction • Complete renovation of Scott Plaza Fountain and Starbucks. • Grand opening of the completely renovated Sandel Hall—a onestop shop for students. • ULM partners with Barnes & Noble to serve the campus and community as the official bookstore. • Breaks ground on new state-of-the-art Student Event Center.
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| SIXTEEN – IN – ‘16 Above: Members of the Louisiana Legislative Delegation along with University Administrators cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the newly renovated Sandel Hall. Left: The student event center, open to ULM students, faculty, staff and the entire north Louisiana region, will be renovated from the space formerly occupied by the Lake C. Oxford Natatorium. The facility will include a ballroom that will seat 550, a theatre that will seat 83, an outside amphitheater, and a practice area for ULM’s spirit groups. There will also be a large deck area overlooking beautiful Bayou DeSiard.
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The football fieldhouse, the first athletic facility in ULM history to be completely funded by private donations, features 11,750 square feet of space that includes coach offices, a conference room, a video area, a Hall of History, and a new student-athlete locker room.
4 Athletic Construction
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• University Park receives new artificial turf for outdoor recreational complex.
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• ULM Athletic Department unveils the new Football Fieldhouse.
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Fall 2016 enrollment tops 9,100—the highest since selective admissions was implemented ten years ago.
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Dr. Karen Briski, Professor of Pharmacology, secures a $1.7 million NIH grant to research diabetes—the largest grant awarded to a faculty member in the history of the institution.
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School of Construction Management Celebrates 50 Years—Five decades as the premiere institution of construction education in the state of Louisiana.
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JOIN US AS WE CELEBR ATE
50 YEARS OF THE SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTIO N MANAGEMENT
to
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1966 – 2 016
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Local Neville High School student Darius Washington, who made a perfect score (36) on the ACT, shakes hands with Senator Francis C. Thompson at the grand opening of Sandel Hall. Washington was one of less than 1,600 students nationwide who earned a perfect score, and he plans to attend ULM.
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8 92 students score 30+ on ACT—tripled in six years.
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The ULM Waterski Team wins their 27th national championship.
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Katelyn Minchew receives her Honors certificate and graduation medallion from political science professor Dr. Joshua Stockley, Director of the University Honors Program, at the ULM Honors Program Annual Awards Banquet held on May 11, 2016.
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10 ULM’s Honors Program reaches 200 students, the largest in program history. The program has grown from 24 to 200 in six years.
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11 ULM implements a new 36-hour, online-only Master in Public Administration (M.P.A.) program. In its first year, the program has enrolled over 60 students.
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your time is now
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12 eULM
• Recognized for offering top occupational therapy program in the nation.
• The online RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program was ranked no. 1 in the nation by CollegeStart.org.
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• The Master’s in counseling program ranks no. 7 in the nation for affordability by CollegeChoice.net.
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• The Master’s in history program ranks no. 4 in the nation by CollegeValuesOnline.com.
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13 Dr. Todd Murphy, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Science, receives three grants totaling over a quarter of a million dollars for severe weather research.
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$4.7 MILLION IN NEW ENDOWMENTS
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14 ULM announces $4.7 million in new endowments for faculty and student support. ULM’s two endowed chair proposals (in business and agriculture) were the only ones advanced by the UL System to the Board of Regents.
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15 ULM is tops in the NCAA’s Academic Performance Rate (APR) in the Sun Belt Conference in three sports and beats the national average in four sports.
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–CENTER–
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16 ULM opens a new Autism Center, whose mission is to serve as a comprehensive resource that will enhance the quality of life for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families.
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700 University Avenue, Monroe, LA 71209 318.342.1000 | www.ulm.edu