History of the Learning Center

The Learning Center for Rapides Parish was previously known as the University Center at England Airpark. At that time, Louisiana State University at Alexandria was the fiscal agent for the facility, and Northwestern State University was a partner institution.

During the same year legislation was passed converting LSUA to a four-year institution, the Louisiana Legislature transferred control of the Learning Center to the Louisiana Board of Regents and established the name "Learning Center for Rapides Parish."

Under its new name and with a new administrator, the Learning Center for Rapides Parish experienced a first semester enrollment of nearly 750 students during the Fall 2003. During that semester, nine colleges and universities offered courses at the Learning Center, including Louisiana Tech University, Northwestern State University, Louisiana State University, LSU at Eunice, LSU at Shreveport, Southern University at Shreveport, Bossier Parish Community College, South Louisiana Community College and Texas Wesleyan University.

The Learning Center for Rapides Parish is the first of its kind in the state and is the largest consortium of postsecondary institutions in the state. The Learning Center offers students the best of all academic worlds – partnerships among several institutions, course delivery through state-of-the-art technology and traditional methods and classes that meet the working students' schedule and needs.