About the College
About the College
A Brief History
Louisiana Delta Community College is an open-admissions college offering two-year degree programs, certificates, and courses for personal or professional growth.
The Louisiana Legislature created Louisiana Delta Community College through Act 1369 of the 1997 Regular Session and Act 151 of the 1998 First Extraordinary Session in the area of the Monroe Regional Planning and Economic Development District, an area in Northeast Louisiana covering the Mississippi Delta. The institution is managed by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) with Dr. Randy Esters serving as the current Chancellor. LDCC held its inaugural semester of classes in Fall 2001 and became accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees in Summer 2009.
Beginning with the fall semester of 2001, LDCC was housed on the campuses of neighboring institutions. A newly constructed, permanent home was completed on Millhaven Road in June 2010. Sitting on just under 70 acres of land, the main building, named the Louisiana Purchase Building, stands complete with 128,000 sq. ft. When determining the name of the new campus building, the thought was to have it reflect the history and tradition of the state. Surprisingly, to purchase the land for the new construction, the state faced problems that led all the way back to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It took many months, but the pertinent document needed to resolve the issue of land ownership was found in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Someone said jokingly that the building should be named The Louisiana Purchase Building to reflect the difficulty surrounding the purchase; however, after the laughter subsided, it was deemed the perfect name. The Advanced Technology Center proudly resides beside the Louisiana Purchase Building with 28,000 sq. ft. Students began classes with the Fall 2010 semester on a campus they could finally call home.
Further changes were to come for LDCC. In July 2010, the first change came with a merger with Louisiana Technical College at Tallulah and Louisiana Technical College at Lake Providence. The second round of mergers came in July 2012. At that time, LDCC merged with the five campuses of Northeast Louisiana Technical College –Bastrop, Farmerville, Ruston, West Monroe, and Winnsboro—along with LiteracyLINC, the adult education program. The college’s name remained Louisiana Delta Community College with each specific campus designated by city location. LiteracyLINC came under the Workforce Development program, and its name became DeltaLINC. Eventually, campus offerings ceased in Farmerville, and a new campus in Jonesboro opened. LDCC hosted two groundbreaking ceremonies for the renovation and expansion of the Winnsboro Campus and for the new Jonesboro Campus on May 15, 2015. The two facilities were a part of Act 360 of the 2013 Legislative Session that authorized financing of capital improvements for 29 projects for Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges.
In the fall of 2016, LDCC began finding solid roots in servicing business and industry across its jurisdiction and even the state. The movement resulted in valuable partnerships for both LDCC students and the communities served. This momentum predicated on early adoption of rebranding efforts meant to launch in time for its 20th anniversary in 2021.
In April of 2018, LDCC officially announced the adoption of a new logo and new college colors. The burgundy and silver colors were retired to the “Legacy Collection,” and Delta Blue and Pewter replaced them as the new official college colors. DeltaLINC also received a rebranding with its name change of Center for Adult Development. The new branding preceded new buildings.
In August 2018, LDCC hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the Advanced Technology Center. The original building stood at 26,039 square feet. The expansion added 22,192 square feet, totaling 48,231 square feet. The $8.2 million (state and matching funds) expansion included an additional high-bay lab area for manufacturing training, meeting rooms, and additional classrooms. The project was completed in August 2019.
The following month, September 2018, LDCC Tallulah Campus also hosted a groundbreaking ceremony. The main campus would undergo an expansion. The original building stood at 30,727 square feet. The expansion added 6,767 square feet, totaling 37,494 square feet. The new addition cost $2.965,031 million (state and matching funds). The campus would utilize its new space for nursing classrooms, a biology lab, and office space. The expansion was completed in August 2019.
In April 2021, the Ruston Campus hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a new main building and an expansion of the welding shop. The original building was completely torn down, and a new building was erected. In June 2022, the building project was completed. The new campus boasts 15,040 square feet on the first floor, 11,230 square feet on the second floor, and 8,000 square feet in the welding shop.
While “how” business is done at LDCC continues to change with the evolution of technology and thought, serving students remains the priority of the college. LDCC ensures that students can start here and go anywhere.
CHANCELLORS SINCE FOUNDING
Dr. Lynn Kreider (2001-2005)
Dr. Luke P. Robins (2006-2012)
Dr. Barbara M. Hanson (2013-2016)
Mr. W. Dennis Epps (2016-2020)
Dr. Scott Rule (2021)
Dr. Randy Esters (2021-present)