Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge, or simply Louisiana State University (LSU) is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. LSU currently includes 9 senior colleges and 3 schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment, which has increased approximately 5% recently to host students from New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina, stands at more than 30,000 students, and there are 1,300 full-time faculty members. LSU is one of only six American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center.

The Flagship Agenda

In 2003 Chancellor Mark Emmert spearheaded the creation of the Flagship Agenda, a plan to reverse the low morale, lack of competitiveness, and lack of available resources that had plagued LSU during the 1990s. Its focus is to have LSU better serve Louisiana and the world by increasing student quality and research productivity, thereby vaulting LSU into placement as one of the finest public universities in the country. However, in the 2006 US News college rankings LSU was ranked in the third tier and not listed among the top public universities. Because the improvements put a higher financial strain on students, the Agenda has had some controversy. However, many people involved with the university agree that LSU has become a far higher-quality institution since the Agenda's implementation, which Sean O' Keefe, who in 2005 left his post as head of NASA to become LSU's new chancellor, pledged to continue until its conclusion in 2010.

Related Topics:
2006 - US News - College rankings

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Flagship Agenda Action Plan

• Increase research productivity by hiring a significant number of new, high-quality faculty and improving technology infrastructure.
• Increase number and quality of graduate students and programs through targeted investments and program review.
• Increase quality of undergraduate students and programs by raising admissions standards, improving recruitment, and reviewing courses of study.
• Increase quality of campus life by increasing diversity, inclusiveness, and facilities investments.
• Increase funding to support the previous actions through more state and private support.