College Holds Inauguration for 4th President

On Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 3:00 pm, Our Lady of the Lake College held the inauguration of Tina S. Holland, PhD, the fourth President of Our Lady of the Lake College.

The inauguration ceremony, which took place at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge, was attended by a broad representation of students, friends and members of the College as well as civic and healthcare leaders including the Honorable Jay Dardenne, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Louisiana, Melvin “Kip” Holden, J.D., Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and Joseph C. Rallo, PhD, Commissioner of Higher Education of the Louisiana Board of Regents. Civic, religious and educational leaders as well as members of the College and an alumna spoke during the program to express best wishes to the president.

Institutions of higher education use Presidential inaugurations as an opportunity to formally welcome new leadership and to mark a new vision for the future of the institution. During the inauguration ceremony, Dr. Holland shared aspects her vision for the College: to grow educational programs to meet both the needs of students and the community, and to further develop the physical campus, and “in so doing we hope to establish a true sense of place for our campus—a place where we build students professionally, personally and spiritually—to be leaders and servants.”

Earlier in the day an Inaugural Mass was also held at St. Joseph Cathedral. The Mass was officiated by the Most Reverend Robert W. Muench, Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

With the installation of Dr. Holland, Our Lady of the Lake College begins a new chapter in its nearly 100 year history. Established in 1923 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, the School of Nursing began as a school of nursing in conjunction with the establishment of Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium in the Capitol Lake area of downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Revising the curriculum over the years to incorporate advances in medical science, nursing practice and nursing education the school transitioned to a degree-granting institution of higher education in 1989. By July of 1995 the College was officially renamed Our Lady of the Lake College, earning full accreditation to offer associate degrees.

After serving as an Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs for the LSU System and Chancellor at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, James W. Firnberg EdD served as the College’s first President from 1993 to 1999. Under his leadership the institution transitioned into an institution accredited to offer baccalaureate degrees. Michael Smith, PhDserved as President from 1999-2006, and was followed by Sandra S. Harper, PhD from 2006-2013.

Currently the College offers a full range of applied arts and science and clinical degrees, now offering associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. The 25 areas of study include arts and sciences, biology, clinical laboratory sciences, health sciences, liberal studies, nursing, nurse anesthesia, physical therapist assisting, physician assistant studies, radiologic technology and respiratory therapy.

In addition to an emphasis on academic excellence, Our Lady of the Lake College has continued a promise to serve others begun by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, earning national recognition for its commitment to do service in the community.