Xavier University of Louisiana
President’s Annual Report — 2010
MISSION Xavier University of Louisiana, founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the university is to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society. This preparation takes place in a diverse learning and teaching environment that incorporates all relevant educational means, including research and community service.
Xavier University of Louisiana President’s Annual Report — 2010
Contents A Message from the President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Year in Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Finances and Key Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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A Message from the President
Dear Friends: I am pleased to offer you this President’s Report for 2010 highlighting some of the major accomplishments and milestones during the previous year for Xavier University of Louisiana. One major highlight for 2010 was the visit to our campus by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on August 29th to observe the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. President Obama’s eloquent speech delivered from the William and Mary McCaffrey Ballroom singled out Xavier’s campus recovery after Katrina as an example of what can happen when people are determined after a disaster to persevere, to rebuild and to move ahead. Xavier is pleased to report full reaccreditation for another ten years by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS) in December 2010. In June of 2009, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) announced the reaffirmation of Xavier’s College of Pharmacy. Likewise, in November of 2010, both the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) approved the reaffirmation of the Department of Music and the Division of Education, respectively.
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Meanwhile, the campus has been busy on new capital projects. Our stately Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion opened in fall 2010 with dedication ceremonies that brought members of the Qatar government back to campus. Pilings have been driven and the foundation is already poured for the long anticipated Saint Katharine Drexel Chapel to honor our university’s founder. In addition, numerous other campus improvements and building projects are in various stages of development. None of these things could happen, of course, without a dedicated team of administrators and faculty to whom we are eternally grateful for their dedication to the Xavier mission. We invite all to browse through the pages of this report to learn more about these important developments of 2010, so that you can develop a better appreciation of why we say in our materials that “It HAPPENS at Xavier!” Sincerely,
Norman C. Francis President
The Year in Review Highlights PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKES HISTORIC VISIT TO CAMPUS The Xavier campus has seen its share of dignitaries over the years, including Pope John Paul II, but a new milestone was set August 29, 2010 when President Barack Obama chose the university as the site to deliver his Hurricane Katrina five-year observance speech. An enthusiastic group of New Orleanians (including XU staff and students) as well as a host of national media, elected officials, senior cabinet members and other White House-invited guests gathered in the University Center Ballroom to witness the historic event. Mr. Obama praised the university and its leadership during his remarks for their commitment to renovating and reopening the campus less than five months after the storm. ACCREDITATIONS The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaffirmed Xavier’s regional accreditation for another 10 years in December 2010. The university was found to be fully compliant with all 86 SACS standards and requirements, including its new campus-wide Quality Enhancement Plan “Read Today, Lead Tomorrow” designed to encourage all members of the Xavier community to become more active and engaged readers. This announcement follows an exhaustive two-year self-study and an external review by an independent site visit team. Earlier in the year Xavier received reaffirmations of its accreditations from both the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) announced the reaffirmation of the College of Pharmacy in 2009. POST-KATRINA HIGH ENROLLMENT Post-Hurricane Katrina enrollment hit a new high again in the fall, thanks to a solid freshman class that exceeded projected levels and a welcome influx of new transfer students. 781 new freshmen and 151 new transfers pushed the university’s overall enrollment to 3,394 students, two percent higher than last fall’s figures. Enrollment has grown slowly but steadily in the five years since Katrina had reduced the student population to around three-quarters of its best pre-storm figures. 3
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2010 COMMENCEMENT An impressive 21% (107) of the university’s total 504 spring graduates received their degrees with Honors from the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Pharmacy, and graduate programs during Xavier’s 83rd annual commencement held May 8, 2010. Keynote speaker for Commencement was U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who addressed the nation’s critical need for more teachers; plus an honorary degree was bestowed upon legendary N.O. bandleader, composer and producer Dave Bartholomew. Twenty-six students graduated with summa cum laude honors, including two College of Pharmacy students – John Andry of Destrehan LA and Hong-Anh Hoang of New Orleans – who completed their studies with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. CAMPUS RESPONDS TO HAITI CRISIS The XU campus community raised more than $16,000 in relief funds during a major fundraising effort to benefit the victims of the Haitian earthquake. The “HAITI CHERIE” campaign raised the money through campus collections, payroll deduction options for faculty and staff, in addition to scheduling movies, exhibits and lecture series designed to heighten campus awareness of the Haitian people and culture. Some academic departments, as well as Freshman Studies, also incorporated Haitian books or themes into their curricula. QATAR Pharmacy PAVILION An October ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marked the opening of the university’s new Qatar Pharmacy Pavilion expansion. Qatar Minister of Education H.E. Saad Bin Ibrahim al-Mahmoud, whose Middle Eastern nation donated $12.5 million toward construction of the expansion, was among the honored guests at the well-attended event. All of the college’s new high-tech Pharmacy teaching labs, as well as two large auditorium-style lecture halls (each capable of seating as many as 200 students) are housed in the five-story, 60,000-square foot addition. Connected to both the Library Resource Building and the existing College of Pharmacy building and facing the campus’ I-10 boundary, the Pavilion also houses research laboratories, a mock pharmacy skills laboratory and a Drug Information Center. The expansion allows the COP to sustain its increased enrollment growth over the past decade while simultaneously advancing the overall quality of its academic programs and research endeavors.
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ST. KATHARINE DREXEL CHAPEL Construction commenced on a world-class chapel in honor of the university’s founder Saint Katharine Drexel. When completed in early 2012, the octagon-shaped, energy-efficient spiritual center will accommodate nearly 450 visitors and house 11,000 square feet of space to include a sanctuary, sacristy, meditation room and garden, day chapel and bell tower. Designed by world-renowned architect César Pelli, the Chapel will feature a limestone exterior, a domed copper roof and a large cross positioned strategically atop the dome. XAVIER ALUM APPOINTED AS FEDERAL JUDGE Brian Jackson ’82, a partner in the law firm of Liskow & Lewis where he specialized in commercial litigation, government investigations and white collar criminal defense, was nominated to serve on the federal bench for the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana by President Barack Obama. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and commissioned in June 2010. The USA’s “Top Doctor” Dr. Regina Benjamin ’79, director of her own nonprofit primary care medical clinic in Bayou La Batre AL, was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the country’s 18th U.S. Surgeon General in January 2010. 3rd ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP CONCERT The 3rd Annual Dr. Norman C. Francis Endowed Scholarship Benefit Concert was held Nov. 19 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Theater. The evening began with a patron party for sponsors and major corporate donors. Featured performers included Bill Cosby, Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson, Howard Hewett, and Freddie Jackson. AT&T-Louisiana served as the presenting sponsor. Total net profit exceeded $125,000. To date, $600,000 has been contributed as a result of these benefit concerts to the endowed scholarship fund that was created in 2008 in recognition of the 40th presidential anniversary of Dr. Francis. The goal for the scholarship fund is the creation of a $1 million endowment.
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Awards & Distinctions ACADEMIC SUCCESS NOTED Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine’s annual “Top 100 Undergraduate Degree Producers” issue (June 2010) showed XU once again ranking first in the nation in the number of African American students earning baccalaureate degrees in two areas – the biological and biomedical sciences, as well as the physical sciences. The university also placed 47th in awarding undergraduate degrees to African Americans in psychology. NIH RESEARCH FUNDING Xavier’s College of Pharmacy ranks among the nation’s top 20 when it comes to research funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 2010 report on such funding. The new ranking reflects a substantial jump from Xavier’s previous ranking of No. 58 out of 109 total schools included in the annual NIH rankings. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM The United Negro College Fund awarded the university a $92,000 grant to fund the Xavier/UNCF Social Entrepreneurship Fellow program, which advocates the employment of business principles to address social missions or problems. Student Participants receive assistance and training in leadership and business skills, participate in an eight-week summer internship, and be eligible for a two-year, $10,000 grant if they commit to working in some type of social entrepreneurship organization or business. CENTER FOR CANCER RESEARCH The College of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the College of Arts & Sciences, received a five-year, $10-million award from NIH/National Center for Research Resources to help establish a Center for Cancer Research. This project provides funds to increase their number and quality of cancer researchers, to support selected pilot projects to assist junior investigators in becoming fully competitive in cancer research, to provide seed funding for developmental projects, and to develop three core laboratories to support cancer research activities in the university. FIGHTING CHILDHOOD ASTHMA The Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. has pledged nearly $2 million to Xavier’s Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education (CMHDRE) to sustain Head-off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana, a program that has been successfully assisting families to manage their children’s asthma. 9
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Student Achievements ANNUAL WHO’S WHO LIST 150 student scholars were selected for the 2011 edition of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, an annual chronicle of the nation’s outstanding campus leaders. The students were selected based on their academic achievement, service to the community, leadership in extracurricular activities and potential for continued success. KEMPER SCHOLAR Freshman Leon Vaughn, a business major from Detroit MI, was named to the Kemper Scholars Program’s Class of 2013. Designed to prepare students for leadership and service, the program promotes education in the liberal arts while providing opportunities for career exploration and practical experience through internships. The prestigious program provides annual scholarships of up to $10,000 a year (based on need) as well as a stipend. PHARMACY SKILLS COMPETITION Two pharmacy students – Christopher Gillard, a P4 from Vacherie LA (West St. John High) and Ifeanyi Onor, a P4 from Nigeria – were among the top 10 finalists at the 15th annual ASHP National Clinical Skills Competition. A record 109 teams participated in the event, during which students demonstrated their skills by assessing patient information and current therapy, identifying and prioritizing drug therapy problems, identifying treatment goals, and recommending a pharmacist’s care plan. PROJECT BUENA LINGUA Four speech pathology majors and one recent graduate – seniors Bernice Chaiasson of Ventress LA and Trenai Lewis of New Orleans, juniors Erin Hale of New Orleans and Michelle Johnson of Gretna LA, and Kirstin Coleman ’10 of Upper Malboro MD – spent two weeks in the Central American country of Nicaragua this summer conducting hearing and speech evaluations for children and adults as part of the University’s Buena Lingua program. The program seeks to increase the number of speech pathologists qualified to provide services to native Spanish speakers. 11
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Athletics VOLLEYBALL RETURNS Xavier’s revival of women’s volleyball in 2010 included a schedule of more than 30 regular-season matches. It was the university’s third season of intercollegiate volleyball, but the first since 2004. The program was suspended in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. RUNNERS WIN GCAC TITLES The men’s and women’s cross country teams won their respective Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) championships for the fifth year in a row at the NAIA Championships qualifying meet. XU coach Joseph Moses was chosen GCAC Coach of the Year. TENNIS REPEATS The XU men’s and women’s tennis teams captured their fifth and second consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference titles, respectively. PENN RELAYS HONOR XAVIER COACH, TEAM Former XU coach Ralph Metcalfe and the Xavier relay team he assembled which made history at the 1942 Penn Relays were both honored at the recent 116th running of the United States’ oldest annual track and field event. Herb Douglas, the only surviving member of the 1942 Xavier relay team (the first HBCU school to win a race at the Penn Relays) and XU President Dr. Norman Francis were among those attending the event. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL EXCELS The Gold Nuggets completed the 2009-2010 regular season GCAC conference schedule unbeaten at 18-0, becoming only the second women’s team to accomplish the feat. And whose team was the first to achieve it? Xavier, of course!
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Faculty Achievements BIG EASY AWARD Dr. John Ware ’77 (Rosa Keller Endowed Chair in Music) was presented the Big Easy Entertainment Award’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. He was cited for his efforts as an educator and performer. His major commitment to the Greater New Orleans community has been through his leadership over several decades of the New Orleans Black Chorale. HUMANIST OF THE YEAR Dr. Michael White ’76 (Languages) was named a “2010 Humanist of the Year” by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. The renowned jazz clarinetist, bandleader, composer, jazz historian and XU music/Spanish educator was honored for his outstanding contributions to the study and understanding of the humanities. OUTSTANDING FACULTY Five junior and senior faculty members were honored during Commencement 2010 for their extraordinary performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service. The teaching awardees were Dr. Farrah Gafford (sociology) and Dr. Bonnie Noonan (English). Dr. Karen Zhang (computer science) and Dr. Gary Donaldson (history) were commended for exceptional scholarship in their fields, and Dr. Michael Adams (chemistry) received the service award for his dedicated service to the university. NEW PHARMACY DEAN Dr. Kathleen Kennedy was named the new Dean of the College of Pharmacy. She had served as interim dean since August 2009 and was associate dean for more than seven years prior to that. Kennedy also served as the founding director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education at Xavier.
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Student Outreach SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVES A new Xavier initiative now ensures top performing high school students from Catholic high schools across the nation, as well as those from public high schools in two Louisiana parishes, are eligible for full tuition scholarships. The newly-established Saint Katharine Drexel Scholarship offers full tuition to all valedictorians and salutatorians from any Catholic high school in the U.S. who are admitted as firsttime freshmen, while the Norman C. Francis Scholarship provides the same benefits to the top graduates from public schools in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. FRESHMEN LAGNIAPPE In the vernacular of New Orleans, the term “lagniappe” connotes “something extra” that you get when you purchase an item or service. A healthy contingent of close to 350 pre-freshmen and their families took advantage of the university’s second annual Lagniappe orientation preview, an invitational weekend designed to ease the transition of new students into the college environment. All first-time freshman students admitted to Xavier for the fall 2010 semester were invited to attend the orientation preview, which was required for all regional students. BOOST The university’s early intervention BOOST program (Building Optimal Outcomes and Success Training) proved successful in the retention of first-time freshmen who were required to enroll in at least one developmental or intensive course. Freshman Seminar instructors served as mentors for the students, who were required to attend tutoring for specified courses and meet with their mentors at least twice a month. CENTER FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH The Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR) at Xavier awarded nearly $220,000 in support of faculty-student research this year. Many of those research projects were on public display during the bi-annual, two-day Festival of Scholars events. In addition, Xavier’s online journal (XULAneXUS) published by and for Xavier students, produced two issues this year. 17
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Campus Improvements FACULTY AND Staff HOUSING New modular, energy-efficient housing units – replacing university-owned houses in the neighborhood that were damaged during Hurricane Katrina – were constructed in several locations around the campus. The attractive new housing will provide stability to the neighborhood while assisting in the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff. CAMPUS RENOVATIONS Multiple major renovation projects are underway, including major renovations to the Art Village and upgrades to offices housing several academic departments. REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS The University continued to purchase blighted properties in the South Campus (between the main campus and Xavier South) and West Campus (Gert Town) areas since the XU Board of Trustees initiated a property acquisition program in 2008. A total of 32 such properties have been acquired. STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER The aging St. Joseph’s Residence Hall – unused since Hurricane Katrina – has been gutted and is currently being transformed into a new energy efficient Student Success Center. When completed, the three-story building will house the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, as well as the reading and writing labs and various other student-oriented offices. It replaces the Old Student Center – yet another victim of Hurricane Katrina. EXPANDED PARKING FACILITIES A new 111-capacity parking lot has been completed directly behind the Living & Learning Center, and near the Xavier South building, along the I-10 Expressway between Howard Avenue and Dixon Street.
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FINANCES
Market Value of Endowment FUNDS (Amounts in Millions)
REVENUES ($111.92 Million) Investment Income $11.88 Contributions $7.39 Auxiliary Enterprises $9.31
Net Tuition and Fees $40.18
Other $0.34
Grants and Contracts $42.82 in Millions
EXPENDITURES ($ 95.49 Million)
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Yearly totals are as of June 30 of each respective year except Current, which is as of Dec. 31, 2010.
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The university borrowed $16.5 million from the Endowment in fiscal year 2006 for campus restoration following Hurricane Katrina. That amount was repaid in Fiscal Year 2007.
Depreciation $7.64 Student Aid $10.83
Personnel Costs $33.10
Operating Expenses $43.70
Interest on Debt $0.22 in Millions
Expenses by Function ($95.49 Million) Instruction & Research $30.76
Academic Support $10.21
Public Service $2.23
Student Services $8.14
Scholarships $10.83
Institutional Support $26.06 in Millions
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Auxiliary Enterprises $7.26
Key Indicators — 2010 Market Value of Endowment Funds (as of 12/31/2010): . . . . . . . . . $133,880,157 Tuition: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,100 (Arts & Sciences) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,800 (College of Pharmacy) Students Receiving Financial Aid: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 % Student Enrollment (Fall 2010): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,391 Male/Female Distribution: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.4% / 71.6 % African Americans:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.9 % Average ACT Score for Entering Freshmen:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.0 High School Rankings (Entering Freshmen): - Top 10%: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 % - Top 25%: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 % - Top 50%: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 % Degrees Conferred (2010): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504 Largest Academic Departments: . . . . . . . . Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, Psychology, Business Student/Faculty Ratio: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.7 to 1 Number of Full-Time Faculty:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Number of Full-Time Faculty with Terminal Degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Accreditations . . . . . . . . Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . . . . . Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs . . . . . . National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . State of Louisiana Department of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . National Association of Schools of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Athletic Affiliations: . . . . . . . . Sports Offered: . . . . . . . .
. . National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) . . . . . . . . . . . . Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) . . . . . . . . . Basketball, Tennis and Cross Country (Men) Basketball, Tennis, Cross Country and Volleyball (Women)
Number of Living Alumni: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,638
Xavier University of Louisiana Board of Trustees 2010 Mrs. Mary K. Zervigon (Chair) New Orleans, La.
Sister Patricia Suchalski, S.B.S. (Vice Chair) Bensalem, Pa.
Sister Eileen Sullivan, S.B.S. (Secretary) New Orleans, La.
Mr. Mark Romig (Assistant Secretary) New Orleans, La.
Sister Doris Blum, S.B.S. Atoka, Tenn.
Sister M. Juliana Haynes, S.B.S. Bensalem, Pa.
Mr. Michael Rue Tustin, Calif.
Dwight L. Bush, Sr. Washington DC
Sister Stephanie Henry, S.B.S Philadelphia, Pa.
Ms. Paula T. Saizan Houston, Texas
Dr. Dale Mason Cochran Los Angeles, Calif.
Dr. Toni Hoover Groton, Conn.
Mr. Leo P. Sam, Jr. Tallahassee, Fla.
Sister Elizabeth Collins, S.B.S. Bensalem, Pa.
Msgr. Paul A. Lenz Washington, D.C.
Sister Barbara Specker, S.B.S. Bensalem, Pa.
James M. Garner, Esq. New Orleans, La.
Mr. Michael Lynton Culver City, Calif.
Mr. David Voelker New Orleans, La.
Mrs. Carla A. Harris New York, N.Y
Sister Amedee Maxwell, S.B.S. Bensalem, Pa.
Mrs. Janice F. Wilkins Woodside, Calif.
Sister Rita Radloff, S.B.S. Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Norman C. Francis (ex-officio member) New Orleans, La.