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The University of New Orleans (UNO), the metropolitan research university of the State of Louisiana, was established by the Louisiana Legislature in 1956 to bring public-supported higher education to the state’s largest metropolitan community. The Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana State University acquired a 195-acre site on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain within the City of New Orleans. A number of the buildings remaining on the property from its prior use as an air station for the United States Navy were renovated for academic purposes during the winter and spring of 1958. In September 1958, Louisiana State University in New Orleans, which was renamed the University of New Orleans in 1974, opened to nearly 1,500 freshman students, more than twice the number anticipated. Only a freshman curriculum was offered the first year. In succeeding years, additional levels of curricula were developed and offered so that by 1962 the University was operating as a full four-year, degree-granting institution. Programs of study are now offered through five academic undergraduate colleges: Business Administration; Engineering; Liberal Arts, Education & Human Development; and Sciences - in addition to the Graduate School. Legislation was passed in the 2011 session to move UNO from the Louisiana State University (LSU) System into the University of Louisiana System (ULS).
The University of New Orleans has grown to become a research university that provides essential support for the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the culturally rich and diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. Located in an international city, the university serves as an important link between Louisiana and both the nation and the world. The university strategically serves the needs of the region through mutually beneficial collaborations with public and private bodies whose missions and goals are consistent with and supportive of UNO’s teaching, scholarly, and community service objectives. Joint projects with schools, governments, foundations, businesses, and civic groups enrich opportunities for learning and community growth. Research and graduate programs focus on fields of study in which UNO is nationally competitive or responding to specific state or regional needs. UNO offers more than one hundred challenging and in-demand programs, many of which are uniquely linked to the rich and vibrant city of New Orleans.
UNO is a selective admissions university serving approximately 8,000 students. Of this number, nearly three-fourths are undergraduates and a fourth are graduate students in both Master’s and Doctoral programs. The University’s diverse population is comprised of students from a broad range of backgrounds, representing nearly every state in the U.S. and one hundred countries across the globe. The university is committed to providing a supportive and student-centered learning environment for high-achieving and motivated students that enhances their success. UNO strives to enrich the quality of campus life through extra-curricular activities and programming. In addition to serving traditional aged students, the university supports a large population of non-traditional students whose experiences and motivation prepare them for programs of study leading to degrees as well as to professional and personal advancement.
UNO is classified as a Southern Regional Education Board Four-Year II institution, a Carnegie Doctoral/Higher Research Activity University and a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Level VI institution. The University of New Orleans is committed to continual improvement through a vibrant strategic planning process.
Mission and Vision
The University of New Orleans: A Student-Centered, Urban Research University
Mission
The University of New Orleans is a comprehensive urban research university committed to providing educational excellence to a diverse undergraduate and graduate student body. The University is one of the region’s foremost public resources, offering a variety of world-class, research-based programs, advancing shared knowledge and adding to the region’s industry, culture and economy. The University of New Orleans, as a global community asset, serves national and international students and enhances the quality of life in New Orleans, the state, the nation, and the world, by participating in a broad array of research, service learning, cultural and academic activities.
Scope
The University of New Orleans, as an urban research university, offers a number of challenging and in-demand programs, many of which are uniquely linked to the rich and vibrant city of New Orleans. The University of New Orleans grants baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees in academic colleges, including but not limited to: business administration, education and human development, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences, as well as interdisciplinary studies.
Vision
The University of New Orleans will be recognized as one of the preeminent urban research institutions in the nation, noted for its commitment to excellence in teaching and in student success; its location in a culturally vibrant city; its innovative and relevant undergraduate, graduate, professional and research programs; and its role as a primary engine of social, economic, intellectual and cultural development in the New Orleans region and beyond.
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