Events

The Office of External Affairs plays an important role in the execution of many events
on and off campus.

The Cove Grand Opening

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, The Cove was UNO's most heavily utilized dining facility.  Storm and termite damage left it shuttered for several years...until December 2, 2011 when the Office of External Affairs organized a ribbon cutting ceremony to thank those who helped generate the necessary funding to complete The Cove's renovation: Governor Bobby Jindal steered Community Development Block Grant funds to the campus; Student Government President John Mineo procured financial support from student government; and UNO alumna Norma Jane Sabiston, board member with UNO's International Alumni Association, led a fundraising campaign to secure the rest. The ribbon cutting was followed by a second line march through the main dining room and into the Sandbar where Ellis Marsalis, former Director of UNO's Jazz Studies program, christened the new stage along with UNO faculty members Steve Masakowski, Ed Petersen, Brian Seeger, Brent Rose, Roland Guerin, and Victor Atkins, graduate student Sam Wiseman, and New Orleans Jazz Institute Artistic Director Irvin Mayfield.
 
The renovated $4.7 million, 16,000 square foot student dining and entertainment facilty features a food court, a main dining area, the Sandbar bar and live music venue, and a lushly landscaped courtyard with a fountain and fire pits. The Cove was originally built in 1973 as a student food and recreation center, and it quickly became the center of campus life. In 1990, UNO jazz studies director Ellis Marsalis turned The Cove into a living laboratory where UNO students performed with national and international jazz artists. Jazz at the Sandbar grew to become part of UNO’s academic and cultural fabric. Jazz at the Sandbar, now in its 21st year, offers the only regular live jazz in Gentilly, Lakeview and New Orleans East and will return to its permanent home in The Cove in the spring semester 2012.

 

 

Visit by President Barack Obama

On October 15, 2009, President Barack Obama made his first visit to Louisiana as President and chose the University of New Orleans as his venue. The Office of External Affairs was responsible for coordinating all aspects of the President's visit according to the strict security requirements of the White House and Secret Service.

UNO Transfer Bill Signing Ceremony

On July 12, 2011, Governor Jindal visited the University of New Orleans to sign legislation providing for a change in UNO's governance. With Governor Jindal's signature, SB 266 became Act # 419 of the 2011 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. The bill set in motion the transfer of UNO from the Louisiana State University System to the University of Louisiana System. Governor Jindal signed the bill at the desk of UNO founding Chancellor, Dr. Homer L. Hitt.

Students First

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana congressional delegation worked together to secure $175 million to aid in the recovery of affected higher education institutions. More than $32 million was directed to the University of New Orleans and administered by the Office of External Affairs between 2006 and 2010. A significant portion, $2.2 million, was applied to improving the student experience at UNO. Among the many improvements funded by hurricane recovery dollars are campus-wide wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi), technology improvements to labs in the music, fine arts, engineering and math departments, and new equipment and furnishings in the University Center, career counseling center, health services center and the UNO Lakefront Arena. The Office of External Affairs hosted a ceremony on March 25, 2011 to thank the Louisiana Congressional delegation for their hard work in securing the recovery funds for higher education. The event was attended by U.S. Senator David Vitter, U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond, representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu and U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise, and several of the UNO Community's most ardent supporters.

UNO Day at the Legislature

Every year, the University of New Orleans Office of External Affairs attempts to bring the best of UNO to the Louisiana State Capitol for a day. While legislators from all over the state are in session in Baton Rouge, we take that opportunity to educate them about the valuable research we do, the important role we play as Louisiana's only urban public research institution, and the challenges we face in serving students from all backgrounds. For many legislators who represent areas outside of greater New Orleans, this is the only interaction they have with UNO all year. This is our chance to demonstrate UNO’s contributions to the entire state and the return on investment we generate for state tax dollars. In this photo, two of the legislators who are UNO alumni, Representatives Nick Lorusso and Austin Badon (third and fourth from left, respectively) visit with representatives from UNO's Lester E. Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management.