University of New Orleans


The University of New Orleans is public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is part of the University of Louisiana System.

History

of New Orleans in 1956 authored the act which established the University of New Orleans. At the time New Orleans was the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a public university though it had several private universities, such as Tulane, Loyola, and Dillard. The institution was a branch of Louisiana State University, and as such was originally named Louisiana State University in New Orleans or LSUNO. The UNO University Ballroom was named in Hickey's honor late in 2014, more than two decades after his death.
The university was built on the New Orleans Lakefront when the United States Navy relocated Naval Air Station New Orleans. The Orleans Levee Board leased the closed base to the LSU Board of Supervisors. The renovation went quicker than expected. LSUNO opened for classes in 1958, two years ahead of schedule. It was the first racially integrated public university in the South. For its first five years, it was reckoned as an offsite department of the main campus in Baton Rouge, and as such its chief administrative officer was originally called a dean, then a vice president in charge. In 1962, the LSU System of Higher Education was established, and LSUNO became a separate campus in that system. To signify that it was now a co-equal institution with LSU, its chief executive's title was changed from "vice president in charge" to "chancellor." After a decade of growth, the LSU Board of Supervisors approved a name change to the current University of New Orleans. Nearly fifty years later, in 2011, the University of New Orleans was transferred from LSU to the University of Louisiana system, and its chief executive's title was changed to "president."

Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, the university suffered damage due to Hurricane Katrina. The main campus is on relatively high ground and the damage was caused mostly by winds, rain-driven-water, and human activity during the storm. The university was used as an evacuation point and staging area by the National Guard. A levee breach on the London Avenue Canal occurred just a few blocks south of the main campus and caused the flooding of the first floor of the Bienville Hall dormitories, the Lafitte Village couples apartments, and the Engineering Building.
UNO was the first of the large, damaged universities in New Orleans to re-open, albeit virtually, by using web-based courses starting in October 2005. The university was able to offer classes in the fall semester immediately following Hurricane Katrina at satellite campuses; the main campus re-opened in December 2005.
Hurricane Katrina reduced enrollments at all colleges in New Orleans, but the University of New Orleans was particularly hard hit. This echoed the damage to New Orleans as a whole, since UNO serves as a leader in educating students from New Orleans. Since the hurricane, the student enrollment is on a steady increase toward pre-Katrina numbers. In 2011, State Senator Conrad Appel of Jefferson Parish, with the support of Governor Bobby Jindal, tried to combine UNO with the historically black Southern University at New Orleans as a way to save higher education dollars. His plan was withdrawn in both houses of the legislature because of a lack of support from his colleagues.

Chief executives

Organizations

There are more than 120 registered clubs and organizations active at UNO, including 15 fraternities and sororities. UNO Student Government is the official student government association. Registered organizations are separated into categories of either religious, honorary, political, professional, social, service, organizations, or special interests.

Media

The Driftwood is the UNO weekly newspaper and is published every Thursday. UNO also owns and operates WWNO, a local radio station. WWNO began transmitting in 1972.

Greek life

The Greek community at the University of New Orleans is composed of 16 organizations, governed by three councils.
Panhellenic AssociationNational Pan-Hellenic CouncilInterfraternity Council

  • Alpha Xi Delta
  • Delta Zeta
  • Sigma Kappa
  • Zeta Tau Alpha
  • Alpha Phi Alpha
  • Delta Sigma Theta
  • Iota Phi Theta
  • Kappa Alpha Psi
  • Omega Psi Phi
  • Phi Beta Sigma
  • Sigma Gamma Rho
  • Zeta Phi Beta
  • Kappa Sigma
  • Lambda Chi Alpha
  • Theta Xi
  • Phi Kappa Sigma

    • Colleges

    UNO has four colleges: College of Business Administration, College of Liberal Arts, Education and Human Development, College of Engineering, and College of Sciences. The university also offers a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

    Campus

    The university's campus is located in the New Orleans metropolitan area, sitting on Lake Pontchartrain at the end of Elysian Fields Avenue and on the former site of NAS New Orleans. The UNO Research and Technology Park is located adjacent to campus on the former site of the Pontchartrain Beach amusement park. The Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena and Maestri Field at Privateer Park, UNO's basketball and baseball facilities, are located at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Leon C. Simon Boulevard.
    Many of UNO's lecture buildings are designed and numbered like a ship to remind students that campus used to be a naval base. The oldest lecture buildings, the Liberal Arts Building and the Science Building, are both numbered and laid-out like a ship with Liberal Arts featuring exterior balconies for access to the classrooms as opposed to interior hallways. UNO's newer chemical-sciences building is designed like a steam boat.
    UNO's Homer Hitt Alumni Center is built around a smoke-stack which remains from when campus was a Naval Base. It is the oldest structure on campus.

    Residential Life

    The university's campus is home to three on-campus housing options for students:

    Pontchartrain Halls

    Pontchartrain Halls consists of the North and South buildings which collectively hold 740 students. Despite being UNO's traditional "residence hall" option for students, students are placed in apartment-style suites in which everyone has a private bedroom, a bathroom shared with one suitemate, and a living room shared with three suitemates. Smaller options in which students can share a living room with one suitemate as opposed to three or a completely private suite are also available to students at a higher price. All suites do come with furniture. The halls also feature 24 hour front desks, study rooms, computer labs, social/community rooms, free community laundry facilities, and community kitchens in both buildings and a community game room & on-site convenience store in the North building that residents of both buildings have access to. Students are required to participate in a meal-plan program.

    Privateer Place

    Privateer Place is UNO's more non-traditional apartment-style living for students. It features similar rooms to Pontchartrain Halls but all layouts include in-suite kitchens and thus participation in a meal plan is not required. In addition, Privateer Place features a sand volleyball court, basketball courts, clubhouses for events & socializing, a community pool, and a barbeque area. Privateer place features paid laundry facilities in the clubhouses, but some higher-priced units have in-suite laundry. Despite being on UNO's campus, Privateer Place houses students from many academic institutions in New Orleans including Tulane, Loyola, Dillard, Xavier, SUNO, Delgado, etc.

    Lafitte Village

    Lafitte Village is UNO's gated graduate and married student community. It consists of 48 one-bedroom and 72 two-bedroom units. Each unit has its own kitchen and bathroom. There is a community-laundry facility located in the facilities. It is the oldest student housing facility on campus that is still utilized.

    Bienville Hall

    Bienville Hall used to be UNO's traditional residence hall. However, it was severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Thus, the building was abandoned in fall 2007 after Pontchartrain Halls opened. The building still stands on the edge of campus near Leon C. Simon Drive, but is closed to public access and remains abandoned.

    Dining Services

    The university's dining services are currently managed by Chartwells Higher Ed. They manage all dining locations on campus including the university's buffet-styled cafeteria is known as the Food Hall at the Galley. Retail dining locations are mainly located on the Deck and the Cove. Retail locations include Subway, Chick Fil A, Build Pizza, Jamba Juice, Moe's Southwestern Grill, Sushic, and Brewed Awakening. Additionally, Chartwells manages three convenience "Markets" on campus known as the Market NOLA, Market Cove, and Market Pontchartrain.

    Athletics

    The University of New Orleans currently has 14 varsity sports teams, and is a Division I member of the NCAA, competing in the Southland Conference. UNO originally attempted to reclassify to Division II's Gulf South Conference. On February 1, 2011, Provost Joe King submitted the Division II proposal to the LSU Board of Supervisors. Previously, UNO competed at the Division II level from 1969 to 1975. On March 9, 2012, President Peter J. Fos announced that UNO plans to remain a member of NCAA Division I, with potential homes being the Sun Belt or Southland Conference. On August 21, 2012, UNO announced that it would be joining the Southland Conference, effective the 2013–2014 academic year.

    Sports

    The official fight song of The University of New Orleans is "Let's Hear It For UNO". The song was adopted after a competition in 1981. The winner was Lois Ostrolenk. Before this, the melody from William Tell Overture was used. A variation of the overture is still played to honor this tradition.

    Club sports

    The University of New Orleans has many club sports provided by the Department of Recreation and Intramural Sports. Club sports are available to all UNO students who have an interest. Active club sports include:

    Research and Technology Park

    The University of New Orleans Research and Technology Park is a research park whose tenants collaborate with the university to conduct research, provide training, and create education opportunities. Tenants have many university services provided to them, including the university library and recreational facilities.

    Notable alumni