signs agreement with LSUA to promote graduate programs

Published May 21, 2026

Dr. Carrie L. Castille of  and Dr. Paul Coreil of LSUA pose at the signing of an agreement between the institutions.

CAPTION: President Dr. Carrie L. Castille (left) and LSUA Chancellor Dr. Paul Coreil(right)signed the agreement at on May 21, 2026.


MONROE, La. – () and Louisiana State University Alexandria (LSUA) signed a memorandum of understandingat a press conference onMay 21, 2026. The agreementprovides pathwaysfor studentsgraduating from LSUA to enter graduate programs at , including Pharmacy, Criminal Justice, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Strategic Communications.

"In many of my comments,you’veheard me say, ‘Either we partner,or we perish.’ This is a partnership that we see as just the beginning.It’sall around supporting our students andgivingthem opportunities,” said President Dr. Carrie L. Castille. “We both share a commitment to educational opportunity, fostering innovation, supporting student success, and strengthening regional collaboration.”

As part of the agreement, the College of Pharmacy will grant preferred admission to five LSUA graduates per year, while LSUA will providefive transfer scholarships to students enrolling in select graduate programs such as Criminal Justice,Marriageand Family Therapy, and Strategic Communications.

LSUA Chancellor Dr. Paul Coreil noted that while his university only focuses on undergraduate programs, many LSUA graduates wish to further their education with master’s and doctoral degrees. “What better way to do that than to have partnerships with great universities like ?” said Coreil, noting the short distance between Monroe and Alexandria, as well as the similarity of the communities.

“We are excited about the future of this partnership and how it will develop students to meet immediate workforce needs in our state,” said Castille.“Workforce developmenthas to be the focus of higher ed,” agreed Coreil.

Theprovisions of the agreement includeopportunities for the two universities to collaborate academically through avenues suchas guest lectures, virtual exchanges, and academic workshops.The agreement also opens doors to collaboration onresearchand innovation and joint pursuit of strategic funding and grant development.

Through this collaboration, and LSUAseekto strengthen academic excellence, expand learning opportunities, and enhance research capacity. The partnership aims to create meaningful educational experiences, support innovation, andcontributeto the well-being of the communities served by both institutions.

For more information about , please visit.

For more information about LouisianaState University Alexandria, please visit.

A large group of people from  and LSUA pose at the signing of an agreement.

CAPTION: Administrators from and LSUA were on hand to celebrate the signing of the agreement.