HLS 25RS-1403 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 45
BY REPRESENTATIVE GEYMANN
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: To designate Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as McNeese
State University Day at the Capitol
1 A RESOLUTION
2To designate Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as McNeese State University Day at the Capitol
3 and to commend McNeese State University for its recent successes and contributions
4 to the State of Louisiana.
5 WHEREAS, McNeese State University, faced with a decade long decline in
6enrollment, undertook a comprehensive rightsizing effort to restore financial sustainability
7and strengthen its educational mission; and
8 WHEREAS, all McNeese stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and
9community partners, collaborated to craft a clear, focused strategic plan aimed squarely at
10reversing enrollment declines; and
11 WHEREAS, early results of this strategic effort are exceptionally promising, where
12the fall 2024 enrollment climbed by three percent to six thousand two hundred forty-three
13students, the first increase in enrollment in fourteen years and spring 2025 enrollment rose
14by three and six-tenths of a percent, which was the first spring over spring gain in fifteen
15years; and
16 WHEREAS, interest from prospective students has surged, evidenced by Preview
17Day attendance jumping by sixty-two percent, to seven hundred ninety-eight students;
18Cowboy Commitment Day attendance increasing by thirty-six and seven tenths percent to
19seven hundred twenty-nine students; the number of high school students sending ACT scores
20to McNeese doubling this spring; and applications for fall 2025 increasing by thirteen
21percent; and
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HR NO. 45
1 WHEREAS, Southwest Louisiana communities are abuzz with pride, as social media
2engagement and website visits hit record highs, reflecting widespread excitement about
3McNeese's resurgence; and
4 WHEREAS, McNeese students are distinguishing themselves academically by
5presenting original research at national conferences and in the arts with theater students
6competing in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and reaching the
7regional round for the first time in university history; and
8 WHEREAS, under the leadership of Coach Will Wade, the McNeese State
9University men's basketball team's dynamic performance in the 2025 National Collegiate
10Athletic Association tournament captured national attention, showcasing the talent and
11tenacity of the Cowboys and shining a spotlight on the university across the country; and
12 WHEREAS, the Cowboy family's rallying cry, "Ride for the Brand", speaks to the
13spirit of unity, ambition, and limitless possibility that defines McNeese State University; and
14 WHEREAS, it is fitting that the Louisiana House of Representatives pause its
15deliberations to honor McNeese State University's outstanding achievements, to
16acknowledge its positive impact on students and communities across the state, and to
17celebrate the bright future ahead.
18 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
19Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as McNeese
20State University Day at the Capitol in recognition of the university's exemplary rightsizing,
21strategic planning, enrollment gains, community engagement, and student accomplishments.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
23President of McNeese State University as a token of the House of Representatives' esteem
24and appreciation.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 45 Original 2025 Regular Session Geymann
Designates Wed., April 23, 2025, as McNeese State University Day at the Capitol.
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