LSU Honors College

French House, The

The French House, home of the Ogden Honors College
Location Louisiana State University Campus, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Coordinates 30°24′40″N 91°10′32″W / 30.4110°N 91.1755°W / 30.4110; -91.1755Coordinates: 30°24′40″N 91°10′32″W / 30.4110°N 91.1755°W / 30.4110; -91.1755
Area 3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built 1935
Architect Weiss,Dreyfous & Seiferth
Architectural style Renaissance, French Renaissance
NRHP Reference #

82002768

[1]
Added to NRHP January 13, 1982

The Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College at Louisiana State University was founded in 1992 and is a vibrant, diverse, and prestigious academic community located at the heart of LSU. The Ogden Honors College typically admits the top 10% of incoming LSU freshmen, and provides its students with a curriculum of rigorous seminar classes, mentoring relationships with top LSU faculty, and opportunities for undergraduate research, culminating in the Honors Thesis.[2] Its focus on community service, study abroad, internships and independent research helps today’s high-achieving students become tomorrow’s leaders. The Ogden Honors College is led by Dean Dr. Jonathan Earle, who joined the University in 2014.[3] Since 2005, Ogden Honors students have been awarded with more than 90 prestigious national and international fellowships, including 16 Goldwater Scholarships, 8 Truman Scholarships, 18 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, 5 Critical Language Scholarships, and 3 Udall Scholarships.[4][5][6][7] In December 2014, LSU announced that they had received a $12 million investment from Roger Ogden, notable alumnus and philanthropist, the largest unrestricted endowed gift in LSU history. Shortly after, the LSU Board of Supervisors approved the renaming of the college to be the "Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College" in honor of Ogden's late father and son.

History and setting

In 1992, the LSU Board of Supervisors approved the transformation of the honors program at the University—a collection of courses in a number of departments across campus—into the LSU Honors College.[8] Bill Seay served as the College's first and only dean until 2003 when Nancy Clark assumed the role.[9] The third and current dean is Dr. Jonathan Earle who joined the university in 2014.[10] The Honors College was initially located in the Old President's House on Highland Road.

The French House In 1999, the Honors College moved into the French House, Renaissance-style chateau originally constructed as a center for intensive study of the French language, literature, and culture.[8] The French House was dedicated on April 15, 1935, when French Ambassador André de Laboulaye traveled to Louisiana to celebrate LSU’s Diamond Jubilee. The French ambassador laid the structure’s cornerstone, which included a piece of wood from the original Fort de la Boulaye, the first French settlement in Louisiana. Ambassador François de Laboulaye, André de Laboulaye’s son, rededicated the building on April 3, 1981. The French House remains the only non-Quadrangle LSU structure on the National Register of Historic Places.[11] Plans for renovating the French House have been set in motion as the University attempts to raise money through a major capital campaign.[11][12]

Laville Honors House Located near the French House is the Laville Honors House, a residence hall for students enrolled in the College. The Laville Honors House includes an East Hall, West Hall, and central lobby. The East and West wings are mirror images of one another. Plans were approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents in 2008 to add 3,600 square feet (330 m2) of new space and renovate 110,500 square feet (10,270 m2) of existing residence hall space, which included expanding lounges and study space and providing for faculty residence on the first floor.[13] The West Hall renovations were complete in fall 2010.[14] The renovations of the East Hall and addition of a central lobby were completed in April 2012 at a cost of $14 million.[15]

Cornerstone of the French House

Courses, undergraduate thesis, and awards

There are three different types of Honors courses at the University. Courses offered through the Honors College are designated by the HNRS prefix and include interdisciplinary courses which generally exist as seminar-lecture pairs and feature the history, politics, philosophy, art, languages, and literature of specific civilizations or time periods. Academic departments across campus also offer honors equivalent courses. Students may also choose to "Honors Option" a course by entering into a contract with a professor of an upper level course and fulfilling a set of agreed upon requirements that go beyond the expectations laid out in the course's syllabus.

Students in the College have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate thesis, graduate with College Honors, and earn two different distinctions. Sophomore Honors Distinction is bestowed upon a student who completes 20 hours or more of Honors courses by the end of the second year, maintains a 3.5 cumulative GPA in Honors courses and in all course work, and completes one Honors interdisciplinary course. Upper Division Honors Distinction can be earned by completing Honors work in courses at the 3000 level or above, including three to six hours of research, and by writing and defending an undergraduate thesis in the student’s main field of study. Students who attain both Sophomore and Upper Division Honors Distinction graduate with College Honors—a designation that appears on a student's diploma.

Admission and enrollment

Although the Honors College accepts continuing and transfer students, most of the incoming students enroll as college freshmen. Recommended SAT scores (V+M) and GPA for prospective high school students are 1320 and 3.5 respectively.[16] Students may also have a minimum composite score of 30 on the ACT and should complete the writing component of the SAT or ACT for consideration.[16]

Today, the LSU Honors College has a student enrollment of approximately 2,000. Applications for fall 2006 reached 2,400 by December 15.[17] The Honor College enrollment grew by 33 percent in the fall of 2007.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "LSU press release on Ogden naming gift". Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Jonathan Earle named LSU Honors College Dean". Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ogden Honors College Office of Fellowship Advising past award winners list". Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "LSU Truman Scholars". Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Goldwater Scholarship website". Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "NSF GRFP award offers and honorable mentions database". Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  8. 1 2 Ruffin, Thomas F. (2002). Under Stately Oaks: A Pictorial History of LSU. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0-807126-82-9.
  9. ↑ Duplechain, Josh(2002). "LSU Honors College names Nancy Clark new dean". Louisiana State University Media Relations. Accessed on 28 September 2007.
  10. ↑ "Jonathan Earle Named LSU Honors College Dean". www.lsu.edu.
  11. 1 2 "LSU Honors' home in disrepair". The Advocate. Accessed on 2 February 2008.
  12. ↑ "French House Renovation". LSU Honors College. Accessed on 7 April 2012.
  13. ↑ "Facilities and Property Committee Minutes (PDF)" (PDF). Louisiana Board of Regents. Accessed on 2 February 2008.
  14. ↑ Herrington, Herrington (2011, January 20). ""East Laville Hall to re-open in 2012: Residence hall undergoes first rennovation(sic) since 1940s"". The Daily Revielle.
  15. ↑ Braun, Paul (2011, November 13). ""East Laville to be finished April 2012: Renovations under budget, cost $14 M"". The Daily Revielle.
  16. 1 2 "Applying to the LSU Honors College". Louisiana State University Honors College. Accessed on 28 September 2007.
  17. ↑ Alexander, Caroline(2006). "Applications to Honors College double: Improved recruiting tactics a factor". The Daily Reveille. Accessed on 28 September 2007.
  18. ↑ Ballard, Ernie(2007). "LSU Fall Enrollment Figures Released, Freshman Class Figures Highlight Positives for the University". Louisiana State University Media Relations. Accessed on 28 September 2007.
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