In the past, the 17 academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences at Xavier University in New Orleans were divided between two divisions. Now in a major restructuring effort, there will be six academic divisions within the College of Arts and Sciences:
• Biological and Public Health
• Business
• Education and Counseling
• Humanities and Fine Arts
• Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
Each of the new divisions will have a chair and associate chair. Loren Blanchard, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Xavier University, stated, “The new arrangement is designed to make operations of the various academic departments more efficient and effective in terms of leadership, interdisciplinary courses and programs, personnel and resources, and budgetary considerations.”
Dr. Blanchard became the university’s first provost on July 1. Prior to coming to Xavier University five years ago, Dr. Blanchard was the chief academic officer for the University of Louisiana system in Baton Rouge and for the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans. Dr. Blanchard is a graduate of Xavier University and holds a master’s degree in educational administration from McNeese State University in St. Charles, Louisiana, and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Georgia.
