Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/4

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Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment, which temporarily increased approximately 5% to host students from New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina, stands at more than 33,000 students, and there are 1,300 full-time faculty members.

LSU is one of only thirteen American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launched the campaign, the most ambitious fundraising drive in its history.

The LSU main campus occupies a 650-acre (2.6 km²) plateau on the banks of the Mississippi River; overall, LSU is located on 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) of land just south of downtown Baton Rouge. The campus boasts more than 250 principal buildings. Many of the buildings are built in the style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, and are marked by red pantile roofs, overhanging eaves, rolling arches, and honey-colored stucco, and most were built between 1925 and 1940. Thomas Gaines' The Campus as a Work of Art praises LSU's landscaping as "a botanical joy" in its listing among the 20 best campuses in America. The live oak trees on campus have been valued at $36 million. Through the LSU Foundation's "Endow an Oak" program, individuals or groups are able to endow live oaks across campus.

LSU is a member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 20 varsity sports (9 men's, 11 women's). Its official team nickname is the Tigers; and Lady Tigers for women's teams that have a male counterpart (the term "Bayou Bengals" is also heard at times, but not officially recognized), and its school colors are purple and gold. LSU's mascot refers to its Confederate heritage, drawing from the fame of two Louisiana brigades whose fierce fighting earned them the nickname "the Louisiana Tigers." Based on winning percentage, the University's athletics program is consistently one of the best in the nation. (read more . . . )