RESILIENT Xavier weathers the pandemic and paves the way for others to follow
A TWIST OF FATE Ironically, just prior to publication of this issue, Xavier found itself facing yet another unexpected challenge – this one in the form of Hurricane Ida, one of the most destructive storms ever to hit Louisiana. Fortunately, unlike in Hurricane Katrina some 16 years ago to the date (August 29), the University was spared wide-spread damage. The City of New Orleans, however, as did most of the southeastern part of the state, saw its electrical and water services devastated. Facing an unknown duration of such conditions – estimated to last several weeks – University administrators made the proactive decision to move all residential students who had not previously evacuated to Dallas TX, from where they could safely return home. Remote instruction resumed in an asynchronous, or selfpaced, form Sept. 7. The campus reopened for inperson classes on Sept. 20. Yet again, Xavier demonstrated its resilience.
8 | XAVIER GOLD
In the nearly 100 years since its founding by St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS), Xavier University of Louisiana has faced several watershed moments where its essential mission – perhaps even its very continued existence – was challenged by difficult circumstances or unforeseen events.
Most notable was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused such extensive infrastructure damage to both the campus and the Greater New Orleans area that the University was forced to close for nearly six months. Other game-changing events included the 1955 death of St. Katharine – which cut off nearly all the University’s then financial support – and the 1968 decision by the SBS Order to turn over leadership of Xavier to a then young, untried Dr. Norman C. Francis and a predominantly lay Board of Trustees. In each of those situations, Xavier found a way forward. Such was the case again in March 2020, when yet another unexpected challenge reared its ugly head – this one in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. As it eventually played out, the University was forced to improvise fall 2020 and spring/summer 2021 under a hybrid instructional modality and a modified academic calendar. Presented with another set of unprecedented circumstances that required an equally unprecedented reaction, Xavier responded with a transformation which not only allowed the institution to survive, but to emerge even stronger. The complete story of this undertaking would take a novel. This is the short version.
D-Day The declaration by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards that effectively shut down the state and the Xavier campus came in mid-March of 2020, but fortuitously the University was not caught unawares. Having followed the progression of the virus from China to other areas of the world via news reports, in January President C. Reynold Verret wisely pulled his cabinet together to discuss the future. “We said, what if the virus makes it to the U.S. and to Louisiana, what do we already have in place and what do we need to add that would allow us to stay in operation,” recalled Verret. The result was that over the next three months contingency plans were formulated to address such issues as communications, student housing and health precautions, remote learning, and a myriad of other concerns.
