In 2005, when Xavier University of Louisiana was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, the resulting devastation caused the institution to shut down for four months to rebuild.  After losing a large fraction of the student body and finding the initial new freshman class less than half the pre-Katrina class, the University has been making a steady return to prominence as the number two University for sending black graduates to medical school in the US.

During 2014 and 2015, Xavier University engaged students, faculty, staff, administrators, and board members in a year-long process to develop and implement the University’s strategic plan.  The strategic plan established priority outcomes and included specific strategies and action plans for achieving our goals.

Key Results Achieved

Key results achieved include:

• Increased graduation rates in the College of Pharmacy from 72% to 82%, exceeding our first year goal of 75%;

• Increased percentage of graduates in the College of Arts and Science who go to a professional/graduate school or begin working in a profession related to their academic degree from 50% to 53%;

• Achieved our target of adding two new academic programs;

• Improved the financial stability of the University by increasing net resources by over a quarter of million dollars; and

• Increased freshman applications by 877, exceeding the Pre-Katrina average by 17%.

  ---

  Sponsor: Ronald Durnford, Ph.D.
  Vice President Office of Planning, Institutional Research & Assessment
  Facilitator: Michael Wilkinson
  Leadership Strategies – The Facilitation Company 
   

  ---