COMMENDATIONS: Commends and honors Dr. Paul Dean Coreil on the occasion of his retirement as Chancellor of Louisiana State University of Alexandria and to recognize his many accomplishments in higher education, public service, youth development, and the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 39
BY SENATORS WOMACK, CLOUD, LUNEAU, MORRIS, REESE AND SEABAUGH
AND REPRESENTATIVES BUTLER, CARRIER, DESHOTEL,
DEWITT, FIRMENT, MIKE JOHNSON, TRAVIS JOHNSON,
LARVADAIN, MCFARLAND, OWEN, RISER AND
SCHAMERHORN
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To commend and honor Dr. Paul Dean Coreil on the occasion of his retirement as
Chancellor of Louisiana State University of Alexandria and to recognize his many
accomplishments in higher education, public service, youth development, and the
Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.
WHEREAS, Dr. Paul Dean Coreil has devoted more than forty-three years of
distinguished service to the LSU System, including thirteen years on the campus of
Louisiana State University of Alexandria and eight years as Chancellor of LSUA, and his
career reflects an extraordinary commitment to the people and communities of Louisiana;
and
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil returned to LSUA in 2019 with a bold vision for growth,
access, innovation, and public service, and under his leadership the university experienced
one of the most transformative periods in its history; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as chancellor, LSUA achieved record enrollment
growth, surpassing an ambitious goal of increasing enrollment by fifty percent within five
years in only three years, and growing to more than eight thousand students, a one hundred
forty-five percent increase during his tenure; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil's leadership helped establish LSUA as the fastest-growing
university in Louisiana for four consecutive years and elevated the university to the fifth
largest university in the state, while continuing to expand educational opportunity for
students across Louisiana and beyond; and
WHEREAS, under his leadership, LSUA reached another all-time enrollment record
of seven thousand seven hundred twenty-eight students in the Spring 2026 semester, further
demonstrating the sustained institutional momentum achieved during his administration; and
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SCR NO. 39 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil championed workforce-aligned academic innovation by
supporting the expansion of Professional Aviation, Accountants for the Future, Educators
Rising, the Interdisciplinary Pre-Med program, the LEAD V program, and a 3+3
Occupational Therapy pathway with LSU Health Shreveport; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil also advanced the development of a Health Education
Campus designed to expand nursing and allied-health training in central Louisiana, helping
address critical workforce shortages in the region; and
WHEREAS, under his watch, LSUA and the LSU System moved forward with
Louisiana's first three-year accelerated bachelor's degrees in STEM fields, including
Information Technology and Bioinformatics, demonstrating a forward-looking model of
workforce-aligned undergraduate education; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil's administration also oversaw the completion of key campus
projects, including the Martin Family Student Success Center, which stands as a lasting
investment in student access, support, and success; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, LSUA gained increasing statewide and national
recognition, including ranking as the number one safest college campus in Louisiana and the
number seven safest college campus in America by Niche, and rising to number four in
Niche's 2025 Best Colleges in Louisiana rankings; and
WHEREAS, before his chancellorship, Dr. Coreil served with distinction as Vice
Chancellor of the LSU AgCenter and Director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension
Service from 2001 until 2013, following an earlier career that began as a Sea Grant agent in
Cameron and Calcasieu parishes; and
WHEREAS, one of Dr. Coreil's most significant accomplishments in that role was
his work in wetland resources, where he helped private landowners, industry, and
government agencies implement strategies to slow coastal land loss and served as a trusted
liaison in matters of environmental stewardship and public policy; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil also made a profound and lasting contribution to youth
development through Louisiana 4-H, where over the course of thirty-four years he helped
strengthen the program, establish conservation initiatives such as Marsh Maneuvers, and
continue fundraising support for youth environmental programs even after retirement; and
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WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil's lifetime of leadership and service has been recognized
through his induction into the LSU AgCenter Hall of Fame, the Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame,
the National 4-H Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Coreil's legacy is one of stewardship, bold vision, educational
access, workforce development, youth advancement, and faithful service to the state of
Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and honor Dr. Paul Dean Coreil on the occasion of his retirement as Chancellor
of Louisiana State University of Alexandria and does recognize his many accomplishments
and lasting contributions to higher education, public service, youth development, and the
people of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express
its deepest appreciation to Dr. Paul Dean Coreil for his decades of dedicated leadership and
service and extends best wishes to him in his retirement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Dr.
Paul Dean Coreil.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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