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The West Bank Campus, 2600 General Meyer Avenue, is the only public institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area. The original site of the 13.7-acre Delgado West Bank Campus was acquired in 1967 as surplus U.S. Navy property in a cooperative endeavor with Touro Hospital, LSU Medical School, the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Orleans Parish School Board.
The West Bank Campus, using existing facilities, reached an enrollment of approximately 500 in its first two years of operation. Because of the destruction by fire of the temporary wooden facility and lack of financial resources, it ceased operation in 1970. In 1974, new facilities were constructed and educational services resumed with an enrollment of 750.
Through the years, the West Bank Campus has grown, enlarging the vocational technical building to include more classrooms, ceramics and science laboratories and a physical fitness center. In 1999, a major new building, LaRocca Hall, was completed. It was named in honor of Henry Andrew LaRocca (1908-1957), a physician who was devoted to the well-being of West Bank citizens. LaRocca Hall includes 15 multipurpose classrooms, a state-of-the-art computer classroom, an inclusive student services area and faculty offices. The building also has a multifunctional tiered lecture hall equipped with a variety of audio-visual capabilities, including online teleconferencing.
Currently, over 5,000 students choose from the many associate's degree and certificate programs offered in the Arts & Sciences and Business & Technology divisions at the West Bank Campus. |
