LSU Shreveport committed to not resting on record growth, success at Kemp Forum

LSU Shreveport committed to not resting on record growth, success at Kemp Forum

SHREVEPORT - As the fastest-growing university in Louisiana over the past 10 years according to data from The Chronicle of Higher Education, LSU Shreveport has a lot celebrate.

But Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith's message to the campus, to local and state dignitaries and to the community at Thursday's Kemp Forum - LSUS won't rest on its laurels.

"We're in the top one percent of the country in terms of growth, and we are hitting it out of the park in a lot of directions," Smith said. "But we can't become complacent.

"It's something that happens to a lot of institutions over the years, but we've got to keep pushing to improve."

New degree programs that align with student and industry demand is one path, and LSUS has launched programs like an undergraduate degree in occupational physiology and graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis and clinical rehab counseling in recent years.

Next on the docket is an undergraduate degree in data science, which is in the final stages of approval with the Louisiana Board of Regents.

A bachelor's in nursing is also in the approval process, which will supply much needed graduates into the regional medical hub that is Shreveport-Bossier. LSUS already has a Licensed Practical Nursing program.

Other degree programs, such as a master's in biotechnology, are in various stages of approval or planning.

LSUS has also entered into multiple agreements with LSU Health Shreveport, including to collaborate on degree programs with students in cardiovascular technology, cardiopulmonary science and medical laboratory science.

Students complete their first two years at LSUS, leaning on its strengths in traditional curricula, before finishing at LSU Health Shreveport in their medically specific field.

"We must continue to evolve as an institution," Smith said.

That evolution includes residence halls, Smith says.

LSUS's lone campus-adjacent living option - Pilots Pointe Apartments - is at capacity with a waiting list this past fall.

"We need to build residence halls because it opens us up to other students who want to come here that we can't currently accommodate," Smith said of a living situation which filled apartment vacancies with students from other area colleges until just recently.

STILL GROWING: After crossing the 10,000-student milestone in Spring 2024, LSUS needed just three semesters to surpass 11,000 - reaching a record 11,359 students Fall 2025.

While official spring enrollment won't be final for two more months, Smith said indications are for certain growth specifically in credit hours this spring.

"People are seeing the value of what we provide here on this campus," Smith said.

This growth comes in the face of record graduation numbers in four of the past five ceremonies.

"We aren't just bringing students in for an enrollment bump - we're supporting our students right through to graduation," Smith said. "We had the most summer graduates of any institution in the state (1,550), the most graduate degrees in the state, and the second-most total degrees awarded in the state."

THE HUB: LSUS received the first round of funding from the Louisiana state legislature this past year for The Hub, a health and wellness space that will provide students access to on-campus medical care and indoor recreation space.

Smith said he expects the remainder of the funding to be approved in the upcoming legislative session.

LSUS is the only four-year university in the state to not have any type of student recreation center.

Other construction projects include the continuation of the driving bridge to Pilots Pointe Apartments.

Projects on LSUS's wish list include residence halls and a science integration building that would provide additional instructional space and a more appropriate setting for the Life Science Museum, which contains more than 36,000 specimens of mollusk.

CENTER FOR NORTHWEST LOUISIANA REGIONAL IMPACT LAUNCHED: The new center is now in operation with inaugural director Jessica Hemingway in place this week.

The center aims to broaden and formalize LSUS's partnerships with various business, industry, and government entities - connecting LSUS's academic expertise to work toward regional solutions with stakeholders.

ACCREDITATION REAFFIRMED: The university received official word earlier this month that its accreditation has been reaffirmed for a full 10 years with no findings or recommendations from the Southern Association Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM TO PLAY FIRST SEASON IN FALL: LSUS added volleyball as an officially sanctioned NAIA sport, and its first season will be played this fall. The program launches in a region in which high school volleyball is exploding in popularity and in which facilities already exist - the team will play in LSUS's basketball gym The Dock.

KEMP FORUM: The annual Kemp Forum is made possible by an endowment from Dr. George A. Kemp and his wife Rita, which financially supports the Kemp Forum and provides this annual update to the community.