Xavier A. Cole has been named the next president at Loyola University New Orleans. He will be Loyola New Orleans’ first African American president and only its second lay president.
Loyola University New Orleans enrolls just under 3,400 undergraduate students and about 1,200 graduate students according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 19 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Dr. Cole has been serving as vice president for student affairs at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Before joining the staff at Marquette in 2016 he was vice president for student affairs at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Earlier, he was assistant vice president for student development at Loyola University of Maryland.
“I am committed to strengthening this thriving institution by seeking out mission-aligned partnerships, promoting our financial health and stability, and investing in those who work and learn here,” Dr. Cole said. “There is so much possibility for us to rise up to meet the needs of our city, our state, and our region – needs in the business community, education sector, and healthcare fields. Loyola has the necessary academic programs not only to prepare future successful employees but to position them as trusted leaders.”
Dr. Cole is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, where he majored in history. He holds a master’s degree in history from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
