University of New Orleans

TheUniversity of New Orleans(UNO) is apublicresearch universityinNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States. First opened in 1958 asLouisiana State University in New Orleans, it is the largest public university and one of two doctoral research universities in theGreater New Orleansregion. UNO is a member of theUniversity of Louisiana Systemand isclassifiedamong "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".The university consists of eight schools and colleges offering 40bachelor's, 45master's and 17doctoraldegree programs.Among its academic offerings are the only civil, mechanical and electrical engineering programs in New Orleans, the only graduatehospitality and tourismprogram andPAB-accreditedurban planningprogram in the state of Louisiana, and one of the few schools ofnaval architecture and marine engineeringin the United States.
UNO's 195-acre main campus is located on the shores ofLake PontchartraininGentilly, New Orleans. The university's East Campus houses athletic facilities includingMaestri Fieldand theUNO Lakefront Arena. UNO also owns and operates The Beach, a research and technology park adjacent to its main campus.
The university's athletic teams are thePrivateers. A total of 14 Privateer teams compete in theNCAA Division ISouthland Conference.
State SenatorTheodore M. Hickeyof New Orleans in 1956 authored the act which established the University of New Orleans. At the time New Orleans was the largestmetropolitan areain the United States without a public university though it had severalprivate universities, such asTulane(which was originally a state-supported university before being privatized in 1884),Loyola, andDillard. The institution was a branch ofLouisiana State University, and as such was originally namedLouisiana State University in New OrleansorLSUNO. 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 theUnited States NavyrelocatedNaval Air Station New Orleans. TheOrleans Levee Boardleased 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 (1958–1961), then a vice president in charge (1961–1962). In 1962, theLSU System of Higher Educationwas 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 theUniversity of Louisiana system, and its chief executive's title was changed to "president."
On August 29, 2005, the university suffered damage due toHurricane Katrina. The main campus is on relatively high ground, so 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 theNational Guard. A levee breach on theLondon Avenue Canaloccurred 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.
While the COVID-19 pandemic caused a drop in enrollment at universities across the United States, the University of New Orleans was particularly hard hit for a variety of reasons. Partially due to a large portion of UNO's non-traditional student base seeking education at non-traditional online universities, a failure to truly have in-person classes for traditional students in the years following COVID, and subsequent hurricanes the years following, UNO's enrollment hit record lows, close to its post-Katrina numbers. Because of this, less than a year after her appointment to the position, President Kathy Johnson laid off numerous employees and shrunk budgets by over 15% during the summer of 2024.The following year, university administrators announced a $10 million budget deficit and began mandatory furloughs for university employees.
There are more than 120 registered clubs and organizations active at UNO, including roughly 15fraternities 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.
The Driftwoodwas the UNO weekly newspaper and was published every Thursday.UNO also owns and operatesWWNO, a local radio station.WWNO began transmitting in 1972.
The Greek community at the University of New Orleans is composed of about 15 fraternities and sororities.
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.
The university's campus is located in theNew Orleans metropolitan area, sitting onLake Pontchartrainat the end ofElysian Fields Avenueand on the former site ofNAS New Orleans.The UNO Research and Technology Park, referred to as "The Beach" is located adjacent to campus on the former site of thePontchartrain Beachamusement 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.
UNO's classes were originally housed in the remaining buildings following the closure of NAS New Orleans at that site. As a nod to campus' time as a Naval base, the oldest lecture buildings completed in 1960, 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, and both Liberal Arts and Science featuring two central courtyards in each building.
Throughout the years, additional permanent buildings were built to accommodate a larger student body. These include Milneburg Hall (1969), the University Center (1969), the Earl K. Long Library (1970), the Geology/Psychology Building (1972), the Engineering Building (1987), the Life Sciences Complex (Phase 1: the Computer Center, Phase 2: the Biology Building, and Phase 3: the Mathematics Building; All completed between 1979 and 1984), the Chemical-Sciences Annex (1997), and Kirschman Hall (2004).
The College of Engineering building is the tallest building on campus. It has nine floors and is home to the university's Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) Program, among other engineering programs.
Two buildings on campus feature atrium designs as opposed to hallways. Kirschman Hall, the newest lecture building on campus and home of the College of Business Administration, features a large atrium in the center with a few satellite hallways connecting to it. It is considered to be the second largest lecture building on campus (after the engineering building).
The University of New Orleans features three buildings that are considered to be the centers of campus life:
The Earl K. Long Library is home to the Privateer Enrollment Center, which is "a one-stop shop for all your enrollment needs." This location includes offices of Enrollment, Orientation, the Bursar, Financial Aid, and Academic Advising. Not only is this building home to many enrollment services, but this building also has a Coffee Shop run by dining services and different academic resources on each floor. The first floor is home to a large study area known as the "Learning Commons" which is home to a large computer lab in the front, an open-concept study area in the rear, the offices of Student Accountability/Disability Services & the Learning Resource Center, and group study room. The second floor is home to quiet computers, additional group study rooms, periodicals, the Women's Center, and the UNO Press. The third floor houses the silent study room, the honors program, the innovation suite, the meditation area, and private study rooms for faculty and graduate students. The fourth floor is where the quiet study area, the special collections/archives, the reading room, various conferences rooms, and additional offices are located.
The university center is "the center of campus life at UNO." The building is home to dining services locations, the grand ball room, the Captain's Quarter's Game Room, the UNO Bookstore, and various meeting spaces. University offices located here include counseling services, career services, student involvement and leadership, Greek life, student government association, student affairs, the HUB, the student pantry, student transitions, and the Juan LaFonta Diversity Engagement Center. It is also home to an Oschner Health Clinic and various leisure spaces. The lobby of the building features a large atrium with flags hanging down. These are placed the first time a student comes to the university from another nation.
The Administration Building consists of two sections: the original administration building and the newer administration annex, an addition to the building that was built later. Many university administrative offices are located here though these are typically administrative and not often visited by students. However, it is important to note that the main office for the graduate school is located here and not in the Library.
The university's campus is home to three on-campus housing options for students all located on UNO's main campus:
Prior to the construction of the two Pontchartrain Halls following Hurricane Katrina, students lived at a dormitory known as Bienville Hall. After being used as office space while campus was being reconfigured after Katrina, the main residential section of the building finally closed down in 2010. The disused building was demolished in 2023 and the Hynes-UNO Charter School was built on the site.
The rear Commons of the building was not included in the deconstruction. Once the cafeteria and amenities for on campus housing, it is now home to the Facility Services Workshop, and some storage for the Engineering Building.
The university's dining services are currently managed by Chartwells Higher Ed, a branch ofCompass Group. 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 (which is in the university center on the east side of campus) and the Cove (which is a building located on the west side of campus). Retail franchises include Subway, Chick Fil A, Fujisan Sushi, Bowl Life, and Brewed Awakening (which brews Starbucks Coffee). Moe's Southwest Grill and the Sandbar at the Cove are under temporary closure due to low student enrollment. Additionally, Chartwells manages three convenience "Markets" on campus known as the Market NOLA (which is located in the university center and serves PJ's coffee), Market Cove (located in the cove), and Market Pontchartrain (located in the residence hall on campus).
The University of New Orleans currently has 14 varsity sports teams, and is a Division I member of theNCAA(National Collegiate Athletic Association), competing in the Southland Conference. UNO originally attempted to reclassify to Division II'sGulf 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 theSun BeltorSouthland Conference.On August 21, 2012, UNO announced that it would be joining theSouthland Conference, effective the 2013–2014 academic year.
In November 2022, students overwhelmingly voted against a fee increase to add football, women's soccer, women's golf, and marching band to the campus.
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 fromWilliam Tell Overturewas used. A variation of the overture is still played to honor this tradition.
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:
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.