Louisiana Baptist University - History

History

LBU began in 1973 as Baptist Christian University as part of the Baptist Tabernacle, offering distance education so that full-time ministers could complete degrees without leaving their pastorates. The founding minister was Jimmy G. Tharpe (1930–2008), who during his career established some seventy-five Independent Baptist churches in Louisiana and Texas, Baptist Christian College and the secondary school, Baptist Christian Academy. The trustees restructured the LBU charter in February 1993 and changed the name to Louisiana Baptist University. Louisiana Baptist University has claimed that on February 1, 1994 it became the first non-traditional postsecondary institution in the state of Louisiana to receive full licensure by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

The school was investigated by a grand jury about course work done by two corrections department employees and the son of a warden. The investigation stemmed from the three using degrees earned from the school for higher pay, but "Louisiana's civil service doesn't recognize the degrees from Baptist Christian College as fulfilling education requirements for state positions." Marilyn Otstott, the school's registrar and English teacher, was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of perjury. Otstott was found guilty of perjury when she told a grand jury that she graded course work for three people when she did not. As a result of her convictions, the judge gave her probation on the condition that she end her relationship with the school and pay court costs. After she was found guilty, university president Tharpe "denied the college abused Otstott" during the investigation.

Baptist Christian College also gained attention for offering divinity degrees by mail to people in prison.

The name Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary was coined in 1994 to separate the identity of the school more clearly from Baptist Christian College, which, as it developed, closed two years thereafter after controversy . LBU was previously housed in the Centrum Building on Hollywood Avenue. It relocated to a 12,500-square-foot (1,160 m2) facility off Interstate 20 at 6301 Westport Avenue in the center of West Shreveport.

In 1998 Louisiana Baptist University announced "plans to offer a business administration degree. The university doesn't think Regents approval is necessary." This caused controversy over schools awarding degrees with substandard instruction. As a result, on December 10, 1998, the Board of Regents unanimously voted to deny the University an operating license for its business education programs, required it to cease admitting students, and cease advertising. Students matriculated at the time were allowed until December 31, 1999 to finish their degrees. Then, reversing its prior decision, on April 22, 1999, the Board voted to accept the recommendation of the Planning, Research and Performance Committee to exempt Louisiana Baptist University under the religious institution exemption provided for by Act 129 of 1991, allowing it to operate as a religious institution.

Kathleen Blanco, then governor of Louisiana, declared the month of April 2005 as "Louisiana Baptist University Month".

Numerous LBU faculty and administrators procured degrees from LBU, a practice questioned by the accrediting bodies. Rick Walston, who compiled Walston's Guide to Christian Distance Learning said that LBU has not sought accreditation from either a secular board or a Christian agency.