Louisiana College in Pineville will drop this name in favor of Louisiana Christian University, effective immediately. The name and status change will be officially announced on November 16 prior to the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
LCU spokeswoman Elizabeth Clarke said on Wednesday that a board vote in favor of the new designation took place on October 25. The vote of some three dozen directors was unanimous that day, but the change was not made public until Wednesday.
“It has been wholeheartedly and unanimously supported,” President Rick Brewer said in a prepared statement. “It is consistent with our mission to be Christ-centered. It is a logical step. We don’t throw away our past. We recognize that this school has always been Christian.
“When I became president in 2015,” said Brewer, “I told the board that I have come to lead a great Christian college to become an even bigger Christian university. “
Brewer said the change was now official. Work is underway to modify the brand image and logo of the college. The new name has been reserved for the Secretary of State.
In a statement, Louisiana Baptists executive director Steve Horn said Brewer and his team have done a great job of expanding the academic landscape at Louisiana College. The rebranding in university will allow prospective students to discover that college is more than just an undergraduate school.
The university has some 1,250 students enrolled in 70 fields of study. It offers master’s programs in teaching, education, nursing and social work. A fifth master’s degree in business was announced in October and is awaiting accreditation. The aim is to offer the MBA which will probably start in the fall of 2022.
“In other words, LCU is a Louisiana school, which is unabashedly Christian, whose expanded academic offerings elevate it to the university level,” Horn said.
It also offers a multitude of male and female sports teams.
Brewer said students today want to attend college and often associate “college” with a community or technical college. The “definition” of a university is an institution of higher learning that has several colleges and graduate programs.
LC has been classified as a Level III institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
