§3217. University of Louisiana System

            A. The University of Louisiana System is composed of the institutions under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, referred to in this Section as the board of supervisors or the board, as follows:

            (1) Grambling State University at Grambling.

            (2) Louisiana Tech University at Ruston.

            (3) McNeese State University at Lake Charles.

            (4) Nicholls State University at Thibodaux.

            (5) Northwestern State University of Louisiana at Natchitoches.

            (6) Southeastern Louisiana University at Hammond.

            (7) The University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

            (8) The University of Louisiana at Monroe.

            (9) The University of New Orleans.

            (10) Any other college, university, school, institution, or program now or hereafter under the supervision and management of the board of supervisors.

            B.(1) A state maritime academy, the Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy, is hereby established for the purposes of leveraging and coordinating existing maritime programs and facilities, providing for the training of merchant marine officers, and providing for additional educational pathways aligned with the workforce needs of the maritime industry.

            (2) Subject to the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Board of Regents under Article VIII, Section 5(D) of the Constitution of Louisiana, specifically the authority to approve, disapprove, or modify a proposed degree program, department of instruction, division, or similar subdivision, the academy shall be under the supervision and management of the board of supervisors and shall be headed by an executive director hired by the system president.

            (3) The training programs offered through the academy may operate across multiple institutions within the system. The programs shall be developed in a manner that makes maximum use of existing state and local resources, including programs, facilities, and faculty, through cooperative service agreements and contracts with other public education institutions' maritime programs such as those housed in the Louisiana Community Technical College System and elementary and secondary training programs recognized by the Maritime Administration of the United States Department of Transportation.

            (4) The board of supervisors is the designated legal state entity to qualify the academy and its training programs for federal assistance and to receive and expend funds under the provisions of the Maritime Academy Act of 1958, P.L. 85-672, and any applicable rules, regulations, and laws.

            (5) The executive director of the academy may establish an advisory board for the purpose of making recommendations relative to the establishment and operations of the academy.

            Acts 1975, No. 313, §2, eff. July 17, 1975; Acts 1980, No. 250, §1; Acts 1992, No. 341, §1, eff. July 1, 1992; Acts 1995, No. 45, §1, eff. June 8, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 634, §1, eff. June 20, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 33, §1, eff. May 29, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1369, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 151, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2011, No. 419, §1, eff. July 12, 2011; Acts 2023, No. 231, §1.