University of Louisiana at Monroe The University of Louisiana at Monroe ( ULM ) is a coeducational public university in Monroe , Louisiana , United States and part of the University of Louisiana System . History . ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College . Three years later it became the Northeast Center of Louisiana State University . In 1936 and 1937 , its dean was Stephen A . Caldwell . Its name changed again in 1949 , to Northeast Junior College of Louisiana State University . A year later , it became an autonomous four - year institution as Northeast Louisiana State College . In 1969 , it granted doctoral degrees for the first time and was elevated to university status as Northeast Louisiana University ( NLU ) . Much of the growth occurred during the administration of president George T . Walker from 1958 to 1976 . Under Walker , enrollment increased from 2 , 100 to 9 , 700 . NLU became the largest university in North Louisiana in terms of enrollment and state appropriations . Among all of the universities under the Louisiana Higher Education Board of Trustees , Northeast had the greatest percent of faculty holding terminal degrees , more nationally accredited academic programs , and offered the highest faculty salaries . Some three decades later , NLU was in 1999 renamed ULM . 21st century . A 2002 " Reclaim Our Campus " effort targeted recovery from financial and auditing difficulties . In the 21st century , the 75 - year - old " Indians " mascot was retired because of NCAA restrictions against American Indian - themed mascots , considered " hostile and abusive " by Native Americans . A mascot committee selected " Warhawks " in 2006 , honoring Maj . Gen . Claire Lee Chennault ' s United States Army Air Corps World War II unit ' s Curtiss P - 40 Warhawk . The university has adopted logos featuring primarily hawk ( bird ) imagery ; " ACE " debuted later that year . In 2010 , James Erwin Cofer Sr . , left the ULM presidency after eight years to head Missouri State University in Springfield , Missouri . He was succeeded by Nick Bruno as the eighth president of ULM . Academics . ULM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS ) . All undergraduate programs eligible for accreditation by professional agencies are accredited . ULM is the only university in Louisiana to offer a master ' s in gerontology and the only public university in the state offering the Doctor of Pharmacy degree . Atmospheric sciences . ULM has the only atmospheric sciences bachelor ' s program in Louisiana and Arkansas . Business . ULM offers AACSB accredited undergraduate and graduate ( MBA ) degree programs . English . The English department publishes " Turnrow " , a bi - annual journal of short fiction , poetry , visual art , and interviews . Marriage and family therapy . Master ' s in marriage and family therapy is accredited by both the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education and the Council for the Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs . A doctoral program in marriage and family therapy began in 1996 . Pharmacy . Established in 1956 , the College of Pharmacy is accredited by the American Council on Pharmacy Education , including one of seven Toxicology programs in the U . S . In 2007 , the College of Pharmacy moved from the main campus to the off - campus ( Bienville ) building . There are satellite campuses in Shreveport and Baton Rouge . In 1999 , Milburn E . Calhoun , a New Orleans physician , philanthropist , and Pelican Books publisher endowed the million - dollar Mary E . and Darrell L . Calhoun Chair in Pharmacology , named for his late parents . Theater arts . The Division of Theatre and Drama , established in 1953 , was headed by George C . Brian ( 1919 – 2007 ) , Ph . D . , a Baton Rouge native who was an actor , director , filmmaker , singer , dancer , and patron of the arts . He revitalized the program and brought Broadway stars to perform with his students . Athletics . Teams participate in NCAA Division I ( Division I FBS for football ) . ULM joined the Sun Belt Conference for all sports on July 1 , 2006 after playing in the Southland Conference in all sports except football ( swimming and diving team was in Sun Belt Conference , but was dropped in 2005 ) . ULM moved from Division I - AA ( now Division I FCS ) to Division I - A ( now FBS ) in 1994 and played as a I - A independent 1994 - 2000 . ULM became a football - only Sun Belt Conference member in 2001 and joined as a member in all sports in 2006 . ULM shared the 2005 Sun Belt Conference football championship with Arkansas State University and the University of Louisiana – Lafayette ( ASU received the conference ' s New Orleans Bowl bid due to tiebreaking procedures ) . In 2012 they signed All - Dallas - Area and Texas Class 6 - 5A All - District star offensive guard Jimmy Chung . ULM basketball coaches have included Arnold R . Kilpatrick , Lenny Fant ( 1957 – 1979 ) and Mike Vining . Fant was the first ULM coach to win three hundred games . The university is home to several award - winning groups including the Sound of Today and the competition cheerleading squad . The ULM water ski team is the most successful in the history of collegiate water skiing , having won 22 NCWSA national championships since 1979 . Bayou Desiard was the host site of the first national championships in that year . The football and baseball stadiums and ULM Activities Center were designed by architect Hugh G . Parker of Bastrop . Since being in the Sun Belt , the Warhawks have won conference titles in men ' s basketball ( 2006 - 07 West Co - Champion ) and baseball ( 2008 regular season and 2012 conference tournament ) . The ULM football team posted its first six - win season since moving to Division I - A in 2007 going 6 - 6 , which included a 21 - 14 victory at Alabama . On September 8 , 2012 , ULM beat number 8 Arkansas 34 - 31 in overtime to become the first Sun Belt Conference team to beat a top ten SEC team . This was also their first win ever against a ranked opponent . Greek life . The following is current as of July 15 , 2008 .