New NSU president sees success unfolding in CENLA campus visit

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ALEXANDRIA - New Northwestern State University President James Genovese was impressed Thursday as he toured upgraded facilities at the university's CENLA campus at England Industrial Airpark.

Northwestern's 65,000-square-foot space has been transformed into state-of-the-art classrooms, computer labs, clinical labs and faculty offices. The campus also includes new areas for workshops and seminars, supporting NSU's mission to offer diverse and dynamic learning experiences.

Management from the Airpark worked closely with Northwestern administrators to strategically plan the renovation, which creates tremendous growth opportunities for students pursuing degrees through the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health as well as degrees in business, criminal justice, social work and general studies. New spaces also support STEM activities, including robotics training and community STEM events.

The facility was developed to accommodate academic programs that align with regional workforce needs in healthcare, manufacturing, construction and administrative services. Enrollment at the CENLA campus has increased nearly 60 percent in recent years.

"What's going on here is what's good about Northwestern and what we do and strive to be," said Genovese, who made his first visit to the Alexandria campus since assuming office Aug. 5. "This is what I want to see succeed at every campus. We have a new building because we are expanding, because we have increased enrollment and the expansion of the physical plant is a positive sign for NSU."

The success of the CENLA campus aligns with Genovese's plan to improve recruiting, marketing, funding and exposure for Northwestern's campuses in Shreveport, Leesville, Marksville and the main campus in Natchitoches.

Jason Parks, executive director of the CENLA campus, thanked England Authority's Deputy Director David Broussard and Executive Director Ralph Hennessey for their help in making the development a reality

"They worked very closely with the president's office and our administration (under former president Dr. Marcus Jones) to make sure things happened with very strategic planning," Parks said. "We appreciate the hard work everyone put into making it a reality for us here on the CENLA campus."

Genovese said the new facilities reflect the momentum developing at Northwestern and encouraged alumni, faculty and staff to be active in promoting the CENLA campus.

"What's going on here is what we want to succeed at every campus. You have a great organization. We need to go and the tell people what we have here," he said.

NSU's CENLA campus offers a suite of support services and courses in both face-to-face and online platforms.

Information on NSU's CENLA campus is available at https://www.nsula.edu/CENLA/.

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