Fa l l ‘ 0 6
f o r
a l u m n i
&
f r i e n d s
o f
x a v i e r
u n i v e r s i t y
A Year to Remember
On the Record
with Norman Francis
With A Little Help
From Our Friends
XG Fall 2006
3
is produced biannually. For more information, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 504.520.7575.
contents
Published by
The Office
of Institutional
Advancement
3
A Year to Remember
7
On the Record
with Norman Francis
Dr. Norman C. Francis ’52
President
Adrienne Brooks
Vice President
Institutional Advancement
Warren Bell, Jr.
Associate Vice President
University and Media Relations
LaJuana Chenier ‘88
11
Moving Forward
18
A Profile of Leadership
20
With a Little Help
From Our Friends
Associate Vice President
Development
Richard Tucker
Editor-in-Chief
rtucker@xula.edu
Carol Dotson ‘82
Germaine Williams
Contributing Writers
Irving Johnson III
University Photographer
Cathy Jackson-Smiley ‘81
Director
Advancement Services
26
Rebuilding for the Future
Xavier University of
Louisiana
1 Drexel Drive, Box 66
New Orleans, LA 70125
Phone: 504.520.7575
Fax: 504.520.7915
www.xula.edu
Photo Credits: Irving Johnson, III – Cover, 7, 9-19, 21-22, 27-28; Warren Bell, Jr. – Cover,
8, 20; XU Facility Planning and Management – 4-5, 15; NNS/Times-Picayune/Landov – 3;
Blitch/Knevel Architects – 26.
XG Fall 2006
1
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
AUGUST 2006
What an extraordinary academic year we have experienced at Xavier, in terms
of the serious challenges to the university in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina.
Just before Hurricane Katrina struck our city and inundated our campus last
August, Xavier was poised to celebrate its 80th year as an institution enjoying
a wave of media attention and citations for our well-established track record
of excellence in the higher education arena. Instead, we spent the next five
months in recovery tasks to get the campus ready to reopen in January 2006.
The damages were extensive and the reconstruction expensive.
Despite predictable doubts, the campus did reopen in January and threequarters of our students (nearly 3,100) came back to Xavier to resume the
education they had started — and intended to finish — here. Xavier was
prepared to resume our educational services to the delight and relief of a
happy student body.
We are proud to report that our College of Pharmacy graduated 121 new
Doctors of Pharmacy during Commencement exercises on May 20. Then, on
August 12, we awarded another 500+ mostly undergraduate degrees during
our second 2006 Commencement for the College of Arts & Sciences which
included our Graduate School students.
We are proud to have never compromised our commitment to academic excellence despite Katrina’s
toll. Our students continue to compete and excel in the sciences as well as in business and liberal arts.
In fact, the July 13 “Top 100 Degree Producers” issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education confirmed
Xavier’s continued pre-eminence as the nation’s top producer of Black students being accepted into
medical schools every year since 1993.
As our returning students and faculty members enjoy a well-deserved break after two intensified
semesters, the University moves forward with preparations for the 2006-07 academic year, including
remaining repairs to some areas that were damaged by Katrina. Securing the millions of dollars
needed to cover the costs of those repairs, of course, will continue to be one of our biggest challenges.
Another will be increasing our enrollment to its pre-Katrina levels, a prospect that will take some
time as potential students and parents track the recovery of the greater New Orleans region.
We remain optimistic and confident, and for good reason: namely, the support we have already
received from our loyal alumni, as well as private corporations and foundations — all of whom
understood the need and importance for Xavier to sustain its mission.
Xavier was founded on the faith, courage and beneficence of a visionary destined for sainthood. We
are blessed and privileged to have Saint Katharine Drexel’s intercession every day, especially during
these most challenging times.
In this special “Katrina Anniversary” issue of XAVIER GOLD, we recount last year’s ordeal and
celebrate our efforts of “beating the odds” to maintain a legacy of quality educational services to our
students.
Enjoy!
XG Fall 2006
2
Norman C. Francis
COVER STORY
The heart of campus – the University Center,
Central Plant and women’s residence halls
– all under four-six feet of water.
A year to remember
A
ugust 29, 2006 marks the one-year anniversary of one of the most extraordinary
events in Xavier’s history.
On that fateful date in 2005, Hurricane Katrina came ashore and dramatically
changed the lives of millions in the Greater New Orleans area, southeastern
Louisiana and most of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Xavier University was not spared. In the blink of an eye the floodwaters that
followed the storm submerged virtually the entire campus under water, scattering
students, staff and faculty to the four winds while casting the continued existence
of the University into some doubt.
Like so many other times in its history, Xavier was up against the odds. But
undaunted by the challenge, the University immediately set about the task of
repairing the campus and attending to the sea of tasks necessary for reopening,
which Dr. Francis vowed would happen in just five months.
XG Fall 2006
And that promise was kept. Xavier was the only university in New Orleans that
suffered significant flooding to reopen on its own campus. President Norman C.
Francis welcomed faculty, students, staff and parents back to campus in January
with the half-joking observation that his decision to reopen the University as
3
A year to remember
quickly as possible after the storm would be recorded in history as either “crazy and
stupid” or “bold and visionary.”
Although that vision has come to pass, the impact of the staggering blow that was
delivered last fall remains.
Our 2006-2007 enrollment, although larger than first anticipated,
is nevertheless smaller than pre-Katrina levels. Construction and
repairs are ongoing — a reflection of the level of damage sustained
as well as the need to prioritize rebuilding efforts due to the slow
influx of insurance and other disaster funds. FEMA trailers still
occupy two of the main parking lots, making parking even more
exasperating than usual. The once beautiful campus greenery is
slowly returning, thanks to ongoing re-sodding and landscaping
efforts.
The conditions now are far removed from what they were in the
waning days of August immediately after Katrina — an anniversary
date that has forever changed how Xavierites view the month of
August. That’s particularly true for those who stayed on campus as
Katrina rolled in.
“TIME TO GO”
With most of the city already evacuated, not many
saw this final Times-Picayune headline.
It was not until late Friday evening, August 26, when it became apparent that
Hurricane Katrina — which weather forecasters had been predicting all week would
move into the Florida Panhandle — was instead taking aim at the New Orleans
area.
With time running short, the campus was officially closed and residence hall students
were urged to call their parents and evacuate as soon as possible. There was no
possibility of moving students out as a group: buses all over the city all were being
commandeered by local and state officials for emergency medical evacuations.
Anticipating that not all of the resident students would be able to evacuate on
such short notice, University personnel began collecting several days worth
of food and water and made plans to house both students and necessary
emergency personnel on campus.
In the end, approximately 200 students remained on campus, supervised by
some 40 adults from campus police, Student Services, Facilities Management,
and other administrative offices. As the storm closed in, students were
consolidated into two buildings: junior and seniors into the Living Learning
Center and remaining freshman and sophomores into Katharine Drexel Hall.
Everyone hunkered down as the storm hit early Monday morning.
“I was never afraid for our safety,” said Joseph Byrd, vice president for student
services and one of the many essential personnel who remained on campus.
“My biggest concern on Monday was the students standing by windows
watching the storm, which passed during the day.”
XG Fall 2006
4
Students watched the roof peel off of St. Joseph’s Dormitory and saw the roof of the
University Center rise up and down with the winds — but the latter stayed on. The
wind was intense and the rain hard — eventually resulting in the loss of electrical
power and communication with the outside world — but, all things considered,
overall there still seemed no great cause for alarm.
The Carrollton Avenue side of campus is flooded.
A year to remember
“HEY, I THINK WE MADE IT”
“We thought
we had dodged
another bullet...”
Once the hurricane winds had begun to die down Monday evening, university
personnel took vans out to inspect damage to the campus. Water had collected in
small pools on the campus, windows were broken, roofs were damaged and trees
were down, but access to all buildings was good. Plans were made to begin repairs
the following day. “We thought we had dodged another bullet,” said Byrd. But as
night fell, the situation was much worse than they knew.
When they awoke on Tuesday morning the water was still there — and it seemed to
be rising. By noon the campus’ chief engineer John Broggi got word that the 17th
Street Canal levee had been breached, and the entire city was flooding.
By Wednesday, the floodwaters had risen to nearly six feet across the campus. But
people and food had moved upstairs, and none of the students’ living quarters were
ever threatened.
Staff and students had ample provisions of all essential items including food,
drinking water and security — for a while. In fact, until the day before their
eventual evacuation, staff members used a small boat to ferry hot cooked
meals — prepared by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at the Convent
— to the students in the dormitories.
However, the general situation became less comfortable when the plumbing
began to fail and South Louisiana’s infamous heat and humidity returned.
“We felt pretty secure, the staff was doing all they could, given the
circumstances,” said freshman student Andre Parker. “We could see the
helicopters flying and wondering when they were going to get us —
although I realized we weren’t in any danger and not a priority.”
Students huddled in St. K.D. Hall watched the roof of
St. Joseph’s peel off during the height of the storm.
“TIME TO GET OUT, AGAIN”
In the meantime, Dr. Francis and key administrators were making arrangements to
evacuate the students. Ed Phillips, vice president for fiscal services, had reached out
to a colleague at Grambling State University; then Dr. Francis confirmed through
Grambling President Horace Judson that eight buses were heading down
to New Orleans for the students and staff. Later that day, Dr. Francis heard
from State Senator Cleo Fields in Baton Rouge, who sent three more buses
to join the caravan of Grambling buses already enroute to New Orleans.
Anticipating rescue, but not sure of the exact timetable, University
personnel began shuttling students via boat from the inaccessible flooded
campus to higher ground at the South Carrollton overpass on Interstate10. There they joined hundreds of local citizens who had evacuated their
flooded homes.
XU students and personnel helped stranded fellow citizens by sharing
what food and water they had carried with them from the campus. The
Red Cross dropped additional food and water supplies from helicopters.
But the conditions were Spartan at best.
A view of Washington Avenue in front of the
Administration Building – the canal has disappeared.
In the end, a caravan of National Guard trucks transported the students and staff
from the I-10 overpass to another staging area near the New Orleans Superdome,
where they finally boarded the buses provided by Grambling and Senator Fields.
XG Fall 2006
5
A year to remember
The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful. Upon arrival in Baton Rouge,
Southern University personnel and XU alumni welcomed the survivors with food,
water and fresh clothing. The next day, students heading to points further west and
north were bused to Grambling, where they were again greeted with open arms.
PRESIDENT MAKES A PLEDGE
With students and University personnel now safely removed from harm‘s way,
Xavier President Norman Francis immediately turned his attention to recovery. With
the campus still under water, Francis pledged that the University would reopen in
January 2006 no matter what it took to reach that goal. It wasn’t long before the
campus was surrounded by construction fencing, and a swarm of cleanup and
repair crews were repairing rooftops, testing electrical systems, dehumidifying
buildings, tearing out water-damaged sheetrock walls and treating nearly every
first floor area on campus for mold and mildew contamination.
Meanwhile, University administrators and support staff established multiple satellite
offices across Louisiana (Baton Rouge, Grambling, Grand Coteau and Lafayette)
and outside the state. They immediately set about the task of reassembling staffs,
contacting students, raising relief funds and developing an academic plan to ensure
a smooth resumption of the academic year
BACK TO CAMPUS
Despite all of the enormous physical, administrative and financial challenges —
after just five months of intensive cleanup and reconstruction — the University
reopened its doors bringing students, faculty and staff to the campus for what
was officially the resumption of the “fall” semester. And the students came back in
significant numbers. Some 3,089 students attended classes last semester — close
to 75 percent of the University’s pre-Katrina record high of 4,100 and much better
than the dire estimates just after the storm.
Xavier had to extend its academic calendar to make up for lost time. This past
summer, instead of the usual summer school sessions and programs, more than
2,700 undergraduates sweated through what would have been their spring
semester.
Even better news is that 121 members of the College of Pharmacy’s Class of ‘06
received their diplomas on schedule in May. And earlier this month, on August 12, the
College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School held their Commencement
ceremonies, with 500+ Xavier students receiving their undergraduate and graduate
degrees.
MUCH IS DONE, MUCH IS LEFT TO BE DONE
And while it is readily apparent to anyone who visits the campus that much remains
to be done to restore the campus and the surrounding community to its pre-Katrina
state, one thing is abundantly clear — Xavier University is back!
“As I have said before, every time we open our doors, it’s a miracle,” said Francis.“Well,
I can tell you that opening our doors this time was the biggest miracle of all.”
XG Fall 2006
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THE FUTURE
IS NOW
Prior to Katrina, Xavier was already
enjoying a wave of publicity for its record
of achievements in higher education. In
fact, the 2005 Newsweek “Hottest Colleges”
guide named Xavier as the “hottest school
for pre-meds” in the USA. Last August the
University was also cited as one of the
nation‘s best institutions for undergraduate
and graduate education by both The
Princeton Review and U.S. News and World
Report.
Fortunately, the
trends continue.
In fact, a recent
article in the July
13 edition of
Diverse Issues in
Higher Education
has confirmed
that Xavier continues to send more Black
students to the nation ‘s medical schools
than any other university — with scores
of our 2006 graduates entering medical
schools again this Fall.
“What happened to New Orleans — and
Xavier — represents the greatest disaster
this country has ever had,” said President
Norman Francis. “That we were able to
come back in such a short period of time is a
credit to our staff and faculty, who put aside
their personal losses and problems to make
this miracle happen.” Francis is referring
to the estimated 85 percent of Xavier ‘s
faculty and administrative staff — himself
included — whose homes were destroyed
or severely damaged by Katrina, but who
dedicated their energies toward getting the
campus reopened by January 2006.
“But whatever the challenges we face
and whatever the cost, we want everyone
to know that Xavier University will be
stronger and better than ever,” he said.“It is
too important to the city, the state and the
country not to do so.”
On the Record
with President Norman C. Francis
[Nearly one year after Hurricane Katrina’s devastating blow to the campus, XAVIER
GOLD sat down with the man who led it through its greatest challenge ever – President
Norman C. Francis – for a reflection on the events of that week, how the University
managed its remarkable recovery, plus what the future holds for Xavier.]
XG: Please share with us what you felt on that Saturday afternoon before the
storm hit, as you saw the size of the hurricane that was barreling down on New
Orleans and the Xavier campus?
NCF: Well, I was shocked in many ways, because before Friday everybody thought
that it was going through the Panhandle, going through Florida. And it wasn’t until
about noon on Friday that the weather reporters started saying it could come
directly at New Orleans. By then, it was pretty clear that we were not going to escape
and we made every effort to get our students out. We got most students to leave,
except maybe about 200, and given the circumstances, we felt sure that Xavier was
going to be as safe a place as anywhere in the city.
XG: In previous years, you, as President, have ridden out the storm on campus.
This year, you elected not to do that, so please tell us where you were and what
was going on in your mind?
Within a few weeks after the
storm, people began reaching
out to Xavier. Here, and
dispersed throughout
the magazine, are just a few
of their messages.
You are not forgotten. Do not grow
weary in doing good work.
– Talisman Ford, Colorado
NCF: On this one [Katrina] I was urged not to stay on campus, so I got a room in a
downtown hotel not far from the University where I felt that we could remain in
good communication with the campus. In fact, I called almost every two hours on
Monday to check on the situation. I talked to Joseph Byrd [VP, Student Services] late
Monday evening and I’ll never forget his words. He said, ‘We made it; we dodged a
bullet; some trees are down.’ He said we might have lost one or two roofs on the
dormitories but no other major damages he could tell at that time. Up until that
point, we had communication and everything seemed fine...
However, the next morning we realized that the water was rising in the city, and we
knew then we were in for trouble. A few hours later we got word that the hotel’s
first floor was being flooded. We lost the elevators, and later on that Tuesday, about
midday, we had lost power, and it was a nightmare. The CNN people were living on
the same floor and they were telling us what they knew. Unfortunately by then I had
lost all communication with Xavier. That was tragic!
XG: As the longtime leader of this university, and an alumnus, what were your
thoughts of being cut off from any communication with your staff, knowing
that the campus might be in danger?
NCF: I had confidence in the people in charge on campus. There were, at least, 40
staff persons with the students. The last I had heard was that the floodwater was
rising on campus and that they had already moved people to higher floors. Joe
[Byrd] indicated that they had entered the dining hall and retrieved more food and
water supplies. In fact, the [Blessed Sacrament] Sisters were cooking hot food for
XG Fall 2006
7
On the Record
the students at the Convent kitchen. With the water rising, my priority was to make
sure city and state officials and the National Guard were aware of our situation and
to make arrangements to get the students off campus.
XG: Please share with us what led up to the arrival of buses for the staff and
students on that Thursday night and the involvement of the schools that you
contacted?
NCF: Early Thursday morning – after
being evacuated from New Orleans on
Wednesday night – I was able to get back
in contact with Joe [Byrd] on campus,
who said that Ed Phillips [VP, Finance]
with Billy Joe Owens at Grambling, had
worked out a plan to send buses to
campus early Thursday morning. I called
the President at Grambling at 8 a.m., who
indicated the university’s eight buses had
indeed left about four hours earlier and
should be getting close to New Orleans. Roughly around 9:00 a.m., I got a call from
[State Senator] Cleo Fields in Baton Rouge, who said he had three buses and wanted
to help. The Grambling buses reached LaPlace at about 10:00 a.m. On instruction
from the State Police, I asked Grambling’s drivers to rendezvous at the Tanger Mall
in Gonzales to await Senator Field’s group.
September 9, 2005: President Francis
convenes his administrative staff in Lafayette,
La., where the decision was made to reopen
in January 2006. At that point in time, the
Xavier campus was still flooded.
There was only one way in and out of town – the Crescent City Connection – so
the buses had to wait there in queue for the State Police to escort our group from
their spot on the Expressway behind Xavier. Our people had been shuttled from
campus by boat to the South Carrollton overpass. The National Guard then sent in
big trucks and transported them to the staging area by the Times-Picayune, where
they boarded the buses that took them first to Southern in Baton Rouge and then
brought others up to Grambling. We are grateful that Southern University and
Grambling provided us a place to feed and house our people until we were able to
arrange for them to return home on Saturday morning.
I’m told that Reverend Jesse Jackson arrived by limousine with Cleo Fields and met
the Xavier people, took pictures and left the area. It is important for me to note that
Grambling and Xavier had already developed the plan for transporting the group
on Wednesday night. We were grateful, however, to Senator Fields for the three extra
buses to complement the Grambling buses.
XG: On September 9, you met with your senior administrative staff, and even
though the campus was still under water, you were determined to declare that
we were going to reopen by January. What was going through your mind?
NCF: I’ll never forget that meeting, in a hotel just outside Grand Coteau where I had
evacuated once I got out of New Orleans. It was an intense meeting, but the one
thing I insisted on was that we reopen as fast as we could…
XG: But Xavier was still under water. Why was that so important, bringing
people back to the campus?
XG Fall 2006
8
NCF: My feelings were that Xavier was riding high before the storm. We had just
registered the largest enrollment in our history; we had just gotten the rankings
from Kaplan and others for being among hottest schools in the country. We were
celebrating 80 years of excellence. My [feelings] were that we cannot stop. We have
to get back on our campus; and we can’t afford to stay out a year because you start
May your excellent university
recover quickly so you can
continue providing your students
with a quality education.
– Barbara Davis, Ph.D., Virginia
On the Record
to lose momentum. Plus, you start to lose faculty, you start to lose students.
I felt that Xavier was too important to the country and too important to those young
people who had worked hard not to come back as fast as we could.
I have no formal connection to
Xavier. However, because of my
Catholic faith I recognize and
support your unique position as
our country’s only historically
black and Catholic school.
– Stanley Beal, Texas
XG: Was reopening the campus also a matter of personal pride – namely, that
you didn’t want to see the campus that you had spent literally most of your life
building up to be washed away?
NCF: You know, I never gave a thought to that. My mind was strictly focused on the
thought that we had come too far, our campus community had worked too hard.
The media were all writing that Xavier was doing so well. That’s what drove me. It
was more like, “This shouldn’t have happened but we’re going to right this thing as
fast as we can.”
XG: Let’s talk about how you went about paying for those repairs. Did you
know where the dollars would come from to cover some of the extensive -- and
expensive – restoration work that started in September?
NCF: I never gave a thought to how much it was going to cost, and had no idea how
much it was going to cost. I was just driven that we had to come back. I guess I would
have gone ahead, whether or not they had told me it was going to cost more than
forty-million [dollars], which I didn’t have and still don’t have. I just felt there
was going to be a way.
XG: Bottom line is, you just knew it was the right thing to do?
NCF: There was no doubt in my mind. Xavier was a reed blown in the wind.
We might bend, but we weren’t going to break – and that led us to do what
we had to do.
XG: Within a few weeks after the storm, people began reaching out
to Xavier. Please discuss this outpouring of support – not only from
Xavier alumni, whom you would expect to want to support their
school in its darkest hour, but also from corporations and foundations.
Also individuals – some of whom didn’t even know Xavier before the
storm?
Long-time biology professor and athletic
faculty representative Sister Grace Mary
Flickinger, S.B.S., back in town from her
forced hiatus at the Motherhouse, chats
with President Norman Francis during an
early November tour of the campus.
NCF: The calls that we got when they did find us were what you’d call the
affirmation of the decision that we made. It was just surprising to me. I knew
we had friends out there. The first call I got was from Mellon Foundation
President William Bowen, who promised an immediate gift of one million
dollars to help us retain faculty and staff – that was a shot in the arm. Then I
got a call from the Bush Foundation offering two million dollar for whatever
our greatest needs were. I guess that spurred us to say, ‘We’re going to make
that January seventeenth [campus reopening] date.” And then, the outpouring of
gifts – large and small, too numerous to cover here – were arriving every day. I have
personally written each one.
This generosity has helped us retain critical faculty and staff. It helped us pay for
normal expenses that we needed to pay, plus pay for what was then becoming about
a five million dollar a month reconstruction bill. So, it was not just affirming, but it
was giving us great comfort that there were people out there who were sharing our
pain and our loss and saying to us, ‘We want you to come back,’ and it helped.
XG Fall 2006
XG: What about the response among Xavier alumni themselves, who were
already supporting the University in steadily increasing numbers each year?
Did the Katrina disaster inspire some heretofore non-supportive alumni to
support Xavier in its greatest hour of need?
9
On the Record
NCF: No question about it. I think Katrina allowed some alumni, who were not
participating before, the opportunity to say, ‘I’m going to help now.” And indeed, we
started receiving help from alumni whom we had not gotten gifts, and
also some substantial gifts that were above what would have been
normal annual gifts. And that has proved to be reaffirming as well,
“Xavier is going
because the foundations regularly ask the question, ‘What are your
to be better in the
alumni doing?’ And I can reply, ‘Let me tell you, they’re stepping up to
future than it was in
the plate to the degree that they can and we are very, very grateful for
it,’ and I think it’s going to continue.
the past.”
XG: What is your outlook for the future for Xavier?
NCF: Xavier is going to be better in the future than it was in the past. Nothing
has changed, we still have an excellent faculty, we still have the commitment, and
we’re graduating students. The College of Pharmacy graduated 121 in May, and the
Pharmacy class for next fall is as large as we would want it to be. So we’re not having
any problem with that. Likewise, the College of Arts and Sciences
and the Graduate School hold their commencement on August 12,
graduating one of the larger classes in Xavier’s history.
XG: Xavier’s enrollment will be somewhat lower in Fall 2006 than
it was pre-Katrina. Are you confident that you can overcome this
impact on enrollment in the post-Katrina New Orleans?
NCF: It is going to be a challenge, and that’s true for every college and
university in the city of New Orleans. We are dependent upon New
Orleans’ successful recovery for Xavier to reach pre-Katrina numbers.
However, we are fighting hard to get new students to come. The
Government of Qatar gave us five million dollars to provide financial
aid for all those young people who had been displaced. There is ample
space to live on campus and funds available for financial assistance
for the next four years. So parents can feel confident that we are ready,
now, to take their eighteen- and nineteen-year olds into the freshman
year.
New Orleans plays, however, a big part in all of this. Irrespective of
those challenges, Xavier will be back because we will take the cuts that
we may have to make; we will be balanced in terms of budget; and
balanced in respect to our excellence and our quality. And, we’ll work
back year by year to achieve the August 2005 enrollment level.
XG: Where will Xavier be in five years?
NCF: Xavier will not miss a “beat” in our services. Xavier may be smaller
than it was in August of 2005 but we intend to make the best for those
who are here, and that’ll build on the ones in the future.
Xavier has graduated outstanding alumni over the years from
undergraduate enrollments of 800, 1,500, 2,500 and 3,000 pre-Katrina. We will
continue to do so whatever the student body enrollment. This is the promise of our
legacy from St. Katharine Drexel to this region. Xavier will serve, fully, the student
body regardless of its size. The value of a Xavier education has been proven by
services from our alumni around the nation and the globe.
There is no question in my mind that Xavier is as important – if not more so – to this
country and certainly to this state as we were the day we were founded more than
80 years ago. Our mission is totally relevant today and for many years in the future.
XG Fall 2006
10
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings, in the Crescent City in January
for a roundtable discussion with college
administrators and student representatives
held at Tulane, made a early visit to the Xavier
campus – where she received a personal tour
from President Norman Francis.
XAVIER
Moving Forward
Enrollment Holds Steady
Thanks to Loyal Students
75 percent of Xavier University’s pre-Katrina
students came back in January to resume their
studies.
Only weeks after the storm, President Norman Francis made it clear Xavier would
reopen in January. The real uncertainty then was enrollment. Although more than
75 percent of the pre-Katrina students had participated in the school’s online “reenrollment” in November, there was no way to predict how many of those same
students would actually show up on campus in January.
To their credit, most of those who had indicated they would return were true to
their word. Some 3,089 students attended class in the delayed ‘fall’ semester
(January-May). Following a short break, the University pressed on with its ‘spring’
semester (May- August) to get students back on the normal academic calendar, with
enrollment falling only slightly to approximately 2,700.
Not surprisingly, those returnees had a variety of reasons for coming back. Some felt
a strong sense of attachment to the school and its faculty, others were in their final
year and couldn’t imagine graduating from another institution and for still others,
that brief time away made them realize and appreciate just what they had before
the Katrina disaster.
Krystal Kofie, a sophomore psychology major from Chicago, was among those who
came back to the Xavier campus because she missed her friends and her school.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Kofie, who attended a smaller, predominately
white school in the Chicago area last semester. “I was hoping the school repairs
would be finished, but most of my friends are back, so it doesn’t matter so much.”
“I think my parents would be happier if I transferred, but Xavier is like my
second home,” she said. “I’ve built friendships here and I have a place at
Xavier.”
Since her return to New Orleans, she has been involved in the restoration
of the community through the campus volunteer organization MAX
(Mobilization at Xavier). “I was involved with MAX last year and I am
looking forward to being a Girl Scout leader and participating in the
monthly outreach day this year,” said Kofie, who also volunteers with
the New Orleans Hurricane Relief Fund. “Every Saturday we go to fix up
a school. We’ll take everything out, we’ll repaint it and it will be ready for
next year.”
A sea of classroom chairs ravaged by Katrina
… Classroom renovations were a top priority
during the recovery months of fall 2005.
Mayuri Kurihara, a junior majoring in music (piano/performance) from
Fukuoka, Japan, evacuated to the Memphis area after Katrina. She took
classes there at the University of Memphis, but says she couldn’t wait for Xavier to
reopen.
XG Fall 2006
11
XAVIERMoving
Forward
“I really love it here at Xavier,” said Kurihara. “They were really nice in Memphis, the
students, the teachers; there was nothing wrong with Memphis, it’s just that I was
always missing Xavier and New Orleans. I decided to come back here
right away when I heard we were reopening.”
Stephfon Guidry, a sophomore psychology premed major from
Beaumont who attended Texas Southern University in the fall, felt the
same way. “The school was different,” he said. “There were a few Xavier
students there and we all went to class regularly, but a lot of their
students didn’t.”
Although he found the campus was bigger and a lot more social, he felt
the professors were more impersonal than Xavier professors, probably
because they had so many students. He also noted some tension
between the New Orleans students and the Texas students. “Xavier
students sort of stayed together, and we were in regular contact with
one of the dormitory directors (Edra Ballard), who was also in
Texas and kept up our spirits,” he said.
The one thing that Guidry really liked about TSU was its
theatre program – one of the few places he felt really
accepted. He had the opportunity to become involved in
the program and performed in a few plays at his adopted
school. Despite that, Guidry says he felt a loyalty to Xavier
and wanted to come back and help rebuild the city. His
family left the decision up to him, although some were more
supportive than others.
“When my dad brought me back to campus and saw the
damage and the neighborhood houses that hadn’t been
gutted out, he said ‘This is what you’re coming back to? We
can turn around now if you want,’” said Guidry.“But I decided
I wanted to give it a chance. It’s not Xavier so much, but New
Orleans that they’re worried about. They saw the city in shambles on the news. We’re
not as bad as some – we do still have a campus.”
“Xavier has a family environment that was missing at TSU – so even with a few
inconveniences like stores closing early and few restaurants to be found after 8 p.m.,
I’m glad I came back,” he said. “I think now we just have to go to the next level and
show America we can make it.”
Guidry’s sentiments are echoed by Kofie. “People should stay
in New Orleans to help build it back up,” she said.“I just want to
stay and do my part.”
Although most of the higher
residence hall rooms were spared,
those on the first floors took on
water and mold … they were
completely refurbished in time
for the January opening.
XG Fall 2006
12
Hurricane winds knocked down trees and
tried their best to take down John Scott’s
centerpiece … but the artwork prevailed.
XAVIERMoving
Forward
Honor Grads Accent
Unique Pharmacy Commencement
It was an event that nine months ago no one was sure could happen, made even
more unparalleled as it marked the first time in the University’s seventy-nine-year
history of commencements that pharmacy graduated apart from Arts & Science
counterpart. But in the end, the only important point was that 121 members of the
XU College of Pharmacy’s Class of ’06 had indeed received their diplomas right on
schedule.
Seven of those students graduated
with summa cum laude honors, while
another 13 earned magna cum laude
honors and 10 others earned cum laude
distinction. The honor grads and their
classmates heard a keynote address
by distinguished pharmacist, educator
and civil rights advocate Dr. Robert
Gibson, who himself was awarded an
honorary Doctor of Science degree
during the ceremony.
Despite the storm – and thanks to the hard work
of pharmacy personnel and the generosity of
other pharmacy schools and health service centers
– P4 students were able to complete their senior
rotations and graduate in May.
Sara Al-Dahir of Metairie, La., headed
the list of seven summa cum laude
graduates, posting a 4.0 grade point average. Also earning their Pharm.D. degrees
with summa cum laude honors were: Shannon Canzoneri of Chalmette, La., Elizabeth
Davis of New Orleans, Rebekah Greaves of Covington, La., Kristy Loupe of Thibodaux,
La., Lien Nguyen of New Orleans, and Jessica Sandoz of Marrero, La.
Students graduating with magna cum laude honors were: Ayanna Avent, Julie
Cacamo, Joseph DiGiovanni, Phuong Huynh,Treslie Lafleur, Johnny Luu,Toni Marcella,
Huong Nguyen, Yen Nguyen, Zahra Rahman, Chanel Ransom-Bennett and Anna Vu.
The 10 students graduating with cum laude honors included: Leslie Anderson,
Amanda Breaux, Brandi Forjet, Juliette Hotstream, Erin Humbles, Veleka Jones, Vy
Nguyen, Mandy Prevost, Lisa Segura and Robin Williams.
Last September – after Hurricane Katrina had flooded the Xavier campus – it
was unclear to those students in their final-year of the professional
pharmacy program whether they would be able to complete their
requirements. Pharmacy students in their final year normally complete
a series of rotations, working at various medical and retail outlets
throughout the city to gain hands-on experience in a variety of areas.
Due to the storm those students were displaced across the country
and rotations had to be found in new locations.
Yet all of the students stayed the course, and, with assistance from
faculty and administrators and additional help from the American
Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, were placed in new rotation sites
which enabled them to complete their necessary rotations and permit
a normal May graduation.
Many a future doctor has walked through
this door on the first of NCF Science
Complex, which sustained major damage.
XG Fall 2006
13
XAVIERMoving
Forward
XU Athletics Program
Will Return for 2006-2007 Season
The squeaky sound of sneakers on the basketball court, the ping of the tennis ball as
it hits the racquet, and the rush of wind generated by long distance runners eating
up the miles – all silenced by Katrina last August – will soon resonate on the campus
once again.
President Norman Francis has announced that Xavier’s storied intercollegiate sports
program – cancelled for 2005-2006 after the University’s academic schedule was
interrupted and most of its facilities were heavily damaged by flood waters – has
been reinstated for the 2006-2007 school year.
“It was always our intention to bring back the athletics program as soon as it was
feasible,” said Francis.“We are pleased that the University has progressed far enough
in our recovery to be able to bring back this staple of campus life.”
“Classrooms and learning are not all of what we do,” he added. “What goes on
outside the classroom is so important to the development of individuals.”
According to Calvin Tregre, senior vice president for administration
and chair of the University’s Athletics Committee, all of Xavier’s
established, pre-Katrina sports programs will be brought back,
including men’s and women’s basketball, tennis and cross country.
The future of the newest addition to the athletic program – volleyball
– is still being evaluated.
The head coaches for the reinstated programs – Dannton Jackson
(men’s basketball), Bo Browder (women’s basketball), Alan Green
(tennis) and Joseph Moses, Jr. (cross country) – and several of the
assistant coaches have returned. All have been serving the University
in other capacities during the interim. Dennis Cousin has returned
as Athletics Director.
The Barn’s new $200,000 wooden floor
warped and buckled, exposing original
old floor … University physical plant
crews transformed a portable loaner
floor into Xavier’s own.
XG Fall 2006
14
XAVIERMoving
Forward
Rebuilding the cafeteria – totally destroyed
by floodwaters – was another high priority
for recovery workers. It took more than $1.5
million to replace just the furniture and
equipment.
While it is uncertain how many of the student-athletes – all of whom are still on
scholarship – would return for the 2006-2007 season, the coaches have expressed
confidence the teams would remain largely intact except for those seniors due to
graduate in 2006.
The decision was made to suspend the athletic program last October after
floodwaters had buckled the University’s brand new wooden gym floor and caused
severe damage to all of its locker rooms and offices. The University itself did not reopen its doors until January 2006.
The NCF Science Complex auditorium remained
flooded with contaminated water for one month
after Katrina until it could be pumped out. It was
completely restored when classes were resumed
in January.
Pending the eventual acquisition of a new permanent floor, the University has
secured use of a portable wooden floor loaned to it by Jackson State University. It
has since been repainted and varnished so that it reflects Xavier. Locker rooms and
offices in the gym have been repaired.
Cross Country, whose season officially began in August, leads the University’s
return to intercollegiate competition. Tregre said Coach Moses has been involved in
training and strength conditioning with individual team members – as well as other
University students – throughout the interim and he anticipates Xavier will field a
competitive team upon their return.
Xavier is a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) and the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
XG Fall 2006
Many faculty and staff members who lost their homes in the flood are still housed in
FEMA trailers on two of the campus’ main parking lots.
15
XAVIERMoving
Forward
The University Center, which
serves as the center of student
activity and life has returned
to normal … but only after
extensive repairs.
Students are happy to be at home.
Workers have been laying down fresh sod and other landscaping to
help “Green the Campus.” as evidenced in the photo at right.
XG Fall 2006
16
XAVIERMoving
Forward
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XG Fall 2006
17
A Profile in Leadership:
SGA President
Rallies XU Students
W
hen Regina McCutcheon ’06 – a newly minted XU alumnus – talks about
her 2005-06 school year experience, she breaks it down in stages: before
Katrina, during Katrina and after Katrina.
The enthusiastic Student Government Association president was just stepping into
her role as student body leader when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, only
one week into the Fall semester.
“I started off with great expectations for the year,” she said in a recent interview.
“I was excited about my new position as SGA president and I was ready to get to
work. That first part – pre Katrina- was exceptional! I stayed on campus during the
summer, met with a lot of the administrators and talked about the students’ issues
and concerns. I got to know who the people were who make the decisions, it was all
very enlightening. And we started the semester off ready to make a difference.”
During Katrina was much more challenging for the biology/premed major. Once
she realized the danger, Regina evacuated to her home in Baton Rouge. She and
friend Myiesha Proctor had just finished a nine-hour drive to Baton Rouge, a trip
that should have taken about an hour. “When we got to Baton Rouge, that’s when
my cell phone exploded with calls! We started watching CNN and learned about
the floodwaters. I did get lots of misinformation during that time though. I was told
someone had drowned on the fourth floor of the LLC! I later found out the water
was nowhere near that high, and no one had drowned.”
Then SGA President Regina McCutcheon ‘06
was extremely happy to be back on campus.
Regina said she tried to call everyone she could, but with phone lines and cell towers
down she had problems getting through to anyone. Eventually a staff member from
student services reached her.
In the meantime, like Xavier students relocated across the county, Regina took
classes at another university. “It was really kind of a blur. I took classes at LSU and
found several other Xavier students there. There was nothing wrong with LSU, but I
was ready to get back to my school.”
After contacting Student Services’ Joseph Byrd and Nedra Alcorn, she
did volunteer work in the temporary Xavier office in Baton Rouge.“That
was really humbling, because here were all these staff people who were
dislocated, not sure if there was anything to go back to in the city and
they were working to put things together for the students.”
Regina was working as well. She traveled with Student Services
representatives to different universities where Xavier students had relocated. “I wanted to give the students spirit,” she said. “I wanted to be
there to guide or offer assistance, address issues and concerns they had
– like that imaginary person who drowned in the LLC on 4th floor!
XG Fall 2006
18
There was
never any
doubt
about her
returning
to Xavier.
Regina McCutcheon ‘06
Then SGA President Regina McCutcheon, her
fellow officers and Residence Hall assistants
line up near the Pine Street bridge to give an
enthusiastic reception to students returning for
the re-opening of the University.
“It was a good opportunity to meet a lot of new students that I probably wouldn’t
have met if we had continued a regular year.”
Finally coming back on campus in January, Regina
revived the executive board and recruited others
to plan activities that would motivate students
– as she says to transfer the excitement – about
being back on campus. “I wanted them to see
the University was not still in an awful state. I had
even gotten email from prospective students
asking me ‘What’s Xavier like – really?’ Of course
it took time for things to really get back in place,
but it has. Now the grass is even green!”
“We had lots of activities, events, town hall
meetings, so students could get the information
they need. Students were provided with an
avenue to ask questions and get information
on hurricane preparation and housing. That part
hasn’t been stressful – it’s not a job to me, it’s
something I like to do.”
She admits to having a case of ‘senior-itis,’ anxious for the end of the semester and
graduation – especially since she is about to begin professional school. Regina will
attend Tulane University Medical School, having received early acceptance in her
sophomore year. That school’s orientation was set to begin in early August with
classes beginning August 8, a week BEFORE the Xavier graduation ceremony.
When asked about other possible options after the hurricane, Regina says there was
never any doubt about her returning to Xavier. She did feel an obligation as the
SGA president, but says that was not the main reason for wanting to come back to
Xavier. “I just love Xavier. It’s the people, the family atmosphere. Your teachers show
they care, they want you to learn, and they won’t give up on you. It’s a great learning
atmosphere, a place to achieve your career goals, learn to be a better leader. It’s just
grown on me, and I’ve grown on it.”
“I wanted them to see the
University was not still in
an awful state.”
XG Fall 2006
19
With A Little Help from Our Friends ...
Supporters Step Up
for Xavier
IN
the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina –
arguably Xavier’s darkest hour since its
founding, when doubt and uncertainty
about the future reigned high – the University
was able to draw on three key strengths: faith and
guidance from God, the leadership of President
Norman C. Francis, and help from alumni and
friends around the nation and the world.
“You cannot overestimate how much the support
of our alumni and friends meant to us, especially
in those early days” said Dr. Francis. “I’m not just
talking about the financial contributions they
made – although those were important. Those
contributions were often accompanied by letters
and words of encouragement and hope. And
those words gave us strength to keep pressing
forward.”
That support came from a broad spectrum of
alumni, individuals, corporations, foundations,
religious organizations, schools and colleges, and
other groups. Some were long-time supporters
of Xavier; others were new to the University,
moved by the news of the devastation caused
by the flooding. There were contributors who
were well-known, such as comedian Bernie Mac (a Xavier parent) and Philadelphia
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and those who remain anonymous. From our
youngest supporter, five-year old Xavier Young – who directed his birthday gifts
be given to the University sharing his name – to the nation of Qatar and its $17.5
million gift, Xavier has received support far and wide.
Although limited space in this magazine does not enable us to list all contributors
individually at this time, the representative sample below exemplifies the goodwill
and support the University has received this past year:
Alumni & Friends:
Individual alumni, the National Alumni Association, and alumni chapters around
the country played a critical role in Xavier’s recovery efforts. Immediately after the
hurricane, alumni responded with individual contributions, as well as providing
support and guidance for students who were displaced and dispersed to their
communities. Not only did National Alumni President Joy Joseph ’60 increase her
XG Fall 2006
20
Former U.S. President William “Bill” Clinton
tours the Xavier campus escorted by XU
President Norman Francis along with XU
alumna and Board of Trustees member
Alexis Herman ‘69. During his visit to New
Orleans with former President George Bush,
they announced the award of millions in
grants for colleges and churches in the states
ravaged by Hurricane Katrina – including
$1.4 million for Xavier.
With A Little Help from Our Friends
...
Please do
not hesitate
to call on
me if there
is anything
that you
need to
continue the
fight to get Xavier University of
Louisiana back to its rightful
place educating our youth. Its
legacy cannot end here.
– Bernie Mac, Chicago
monthly contribution to Xavier, but she also helped to solicit others to do the same.
Even alumni from Louisiana who themselves had lost everything in the flooding
remained steadfast in their commitment to Xavier and demonstrated their support
wherever the evacuation had taken them. National Alumni Association Secretary,
Mrs. Lorraine Rousseve Detiege ’59 was among the first of our displaced alumni to
contact us to let us know she wanted to continue to give her monthly contribution
to Xavier. Others responded by increasing their giving level, such as Roland Pattillo
’55 a physician in Georgia, who dug deep to contribute a $20,000 cash gift. Patillo
said he understood the emergency and knew the need and the importance for him
as an alumnus to help.
Several Alumni Clubs – California, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, DC,
Puget Sound, Atlanta, and Lafayette hosted fundraisers to support the University’s
Hurricane Relief Fund. Individual alumni also employed creative ways to generate
funds: Phenella Perez ’47 asked that donations be given to set up a scholarship
at Xavier in lieu of birthday gifts to her and George Brown ’51 organized a ‘minicampaign’ with family, fellow church members, fraternity brothers, friends and
neighbors to send contributions to Xavier.
The outpouring of support from people around the country who are not Xavier
graduates was equally impressive. This group is known collectively as Friends of
Xavier (FOX), and they responded by the hundreds after seeing news reports or
interviews with Dr. Francis on the television, radio or in newspapers. One new FOX,
Ted Pfister, put together a special announcement and organized the support of his
fellow parishioners at the Rice University Catholic Student Center in Houston.
Schools & Colleges:
Public and private schools from around the country found unique
ways to support Xavier in its time of need. Grambling University
sent buses to help some of the students and staff to evacuate the
flooded campus. In addition, Grambling provided office space,
computers and other equipment so that our displaced Fiscal
Services office could get up and running again. Likewise, Our Lady
of the Lake College in Baton Rouge, the University of Louisiana
in Lafayette, and Houston Community College in Texas provided
space and other services for displaced staff to set up offices and
work while the University was closed. Xavier University of Ohio
temporarily hosted our website enabling students, faculty and
staff to communicate with one another.
Members of the Alumni Board of Governors
tour the campus.
Elementary and middle schools held bake sales, sold T-shirts, and
collected funds for Xavier. Jackson State University donated its
portable gym floor to replace the flooded floor in the Barn. However, JSU’s blueand-white logo has now been repainted with a gleaming Xavier gold and white seal.
Colleges and universities such as Notre Dame, Loyola College in Maryland, Bowdoin
College in Maine, South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, Hunter College in
New York City, Brown University of Rhode Island, Westminster College in Maryland
and Holy Cross College in Massachusetts also rallied their students, faculty, staff
and alumni and collected funds to send to Xavier. The College of New Rochelle,
XG Fall 2006
21
With A Little Help from Our Friends ...
presented Dr Francis with an honorary degree at its commencement and appealed
to their alumni, students, faculty and staff to send contributions to Xavier in honor of
the occasion. To date, more than 500 individuals from the College have responded
sending more than $45,000 to date.
Religious Organizations:
As the nation’s only black and Catholic university, Xavier is a unique institution. Our
founding organization, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, collected funds on
Xavier’s behalf. In addition, various Diocese and Archdiocese around the country
sent contributions, including the Archdiocese of New York, the Archdiocese of
Atlanta, the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, the Diocese of St. Petersburg
and the Diocese of Pensacola and Tallahassee. The Black and Indian Mission
included Hurricane Relief as part of a special collection. Other organizations
such as the American Jewish Committee and the United Black Presbyterians,
as well as individual churches around the country, such as the venerated
Memorial Church of Harvard University, took up collections and sent funds
to Xavier.
Concerts & Other Benefits:
A number of individuals, schools and organizations organized special
concerts and benefits to raise funds for the University. Xavier professor James
Oakes organized a piano concert in Everett, Washington during the time he
was evacuated there. Dara Rahming ’95, who sang in the Washington Opera
production of Porgy and Bess last year, organized “An Afternoon of Spiritual
and Sacred Songs” for Maryland and Washington D.C. area alumni and
friends. Pianist Wilfred Delpin ‘71 and tenor Clarence Carter ‘71 performed
with others at a fund raiser in the Cane River area of northwest Louisiana at
historic St. Augustine Church. A group in California called the Red Beans and
Rice Committee hosted a fundraiser at the home of African-American artist
Synthia Saint James and directed proceeds to Xavier. Brother Tyrone Davis
of the Office of Black Ministry in the Archdiocese of New York organized his
annual Black History Month Celebration into a concert fundraiser for Xavier
featuring gospel vocalist BeBe Winans and enlisting key sponsors such as
the National Basketball Players Association.
Foundations, Corporations, & other organizations:
Xavier traditionally has received strong foundation and corporate support, given
the quality of it educational programs, graduates, and national distinction. This has
grown in the post-Katrina era, and grants from organizations such as the Mellon
Foundation, the Bush Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the
Sherman-Fairchild Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott
Foundation, Pfizer, the Bush-Clinton Hurricane Relief Fund, British Petroleum (BP), the
Howard Hughes Institute, the Wallace Coulter Foundation provided critical support
XG Fall 2006
22
President Francis points out the damage
suffered during Hurricane Katrina and the
subsequent recovery efforts to Colin Powell,
former U.S. Secretary of State, during the
latter’s visit to the campus in June. Powell,
in town for the re-dedication of the D-Day
(now WWII) Museum, requested to see the
University’s progress first hand.
With A Little Help from Our Friends ...
We cannot imagine the
devastation and destruction
that Xavier, indeed your entire
area, suffered. We marvel at
the remarkable resiliency and
unceasing spirit that makes your
initiative to clean up, refurbish,
and rebuild your excellent
university
– Pinny and George Kuckel,
New York
for the recovery. The Pharos Capital Group, an African-American owned equity firm
also provided support. African American fraternities and sororities also rallied their
members to provide support, including substantial gifts from Sigma Pi Phi as well
as Delta Kappa Gamma and Alpha Kappa Alpha. The Alpha Beta Boule Sigma Pi Phi
Fraternity cancelled its annual Christmas Ball and collected what would have been
spent on that event for Xavier.
“The outpouring of support for Xavier exemplifies the old saying, ‘A friend in need is
a friend in deed’,” says Dr. Francis. “It is gratifying indeed that our situation touched
so many – and they responded.” While much still remain to be done and additional
funds will be needed as the rebuilding and recovery continues, the support shown
in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina ensures that Xavier University not
only “gets by” with a little help from our friends, but will thrive as one of the nation’s
premiere institutions for higher education.
More Messages from Alumni & Friends
The importance of your work
of your school and the promise
it offers to the community goes
without saying … May our Lord
bless your every effort
– Rupert J. and Evelyn T. Groh,
Jr., Arizona
“
My prayers and support are with you, as they have been always for the past 62 years. I am
pleased and know that you will restart the education of our youth on January 17th.
– Dr. Louise Guenveur Streat, ’52, North Carolina
“
We hosted this event to contribute toward your campus recovery efforts from the Katrina
hurricane and subsequent floods … Please know that you are in our prayers, and we know
2006 will be a year of success and advancement for you.
– Red Beans & Rice Fundraiser Committee, California
“
I am keeping the Xavier staff and student body in my prayers, along with all others affected
by the hurricanes that swept through that region.
– Taniesha Tolbert 02, Maryland
Please accept this donation from
the Jane Cooper Elementary/
Middle School. We had a desire to
raise money for your institution
after the loss you suffered from
Hurricane Katrina. Our slogan
was “Change for a Change.”… It
is our hope that our change can
help make a change.
– The Jane Cooper School
Students and Staff, Detroit
“
It is hard to even try to image the sense of loss that must be felt by the faculty and students
who have been part of a university with such a fine long-standing reputation in the pursuit
of scholarship…..we want to help.
– Mrs. and Mrs. Ronald Greene, California
“
Congratulations on the excellent and remarkable strides you and your staff have made
in the recovery of Xavier University. My prayers are with you each day … I would like to
establish a Memorial Scholarship for Arthur [Simmons] … Arthur loved Xavier University
and was proud to be a graduate.
– Mrs. Eloise Simmons, ’42, California
“
Both my Aunt and Uncle, Joseph W. August ’52 and his wife Gertie Farve August ’42 (who
died during Katrina), were loyal Xavier fans who wished to perpetuate Xavier’s legacy of
excellence in education. Please keep them in your prayers.
– Reynaud ’75 and Debra Farve ‘74, California
XG Fall 2006
23
With A Little Help from Our Friends ...
XU Alumni Chapters
Pitch In
W
hile the past year has proven to be one of the most
challenging for the university, our alumni chapters and
alumni leadership across the country have come forward and
helped Xavier with its recovery efforts.
Alumni chapters helped disseminate information for displaced
alumni and students. They held fundraisers to benefit the
Hurricane Relief Fund and gave our students books and clothing.
We are very grateful to our alumni chapters for showing true love
and dedication to our alma mater. Here are some more details on
their activities:
Acadiana
The Acadiana Alumni Chapter hosted its first Jazz Luncheon raising over $5,000 in support of the Xavier University
Hurricane Relief Fund.The event was well attended with performances by local jazz musicians.For more information
about the Lafayette Alumni Chapter, contact the chapter president, Karen Gardiner ’86 at (337) 662-1099.
Atlanta
The Atlanta Chapter hosted a Naturally N’Awlins gathering for XU students who evacuated to the area.The chapter
asked area alumni to adopt a student to assist them with needs of toiletries, books, pens, etc., and also held a
football party with all proceeds going to the relief fund. Through their efforts the chapter was able to support the
Hurricane Relief fund with a donation of $2,000. For more information about the Atlanta Alumni Chapter, contact
the chapter president, Tenitra Batiste ‘94 (281) 481-4009.
Birmingham
The Birmingham Chapter raised funds for the Xavier University Hurricane Relief fund through its annual jazz
brunch and silent auction. The chapter contributed over $5,000 to the fund. Members of the chapter solicited the
Birmingham community to support the relief fund as well. For more information about the Birmingham Alumni
Chapter, contact the chapter president, Dr. Holly Bastian ’85 (205) 790-7388.
Chicago
The Chicago Alumni Chapter hosted a special reception for parents and students in October. Dr. Norman Francis
was in attendance providing an update on the state of the university and recovery efforts. A Trunk Party was also
held for displaced students, providing clothing, shoes, coats, etc… The Annual Lake Michigan Cruise was held in
June. As alumni cruised Lake Michigan they were entertained by the on board soulful jazz band and comedian Dr.
Lavar Walker ’02. The Freshman Welcome Reception in conjunction with their Walk-A-Thon was held in August.
Alumni, friends, current students and incoming freshmen were in attendance to participate in the three-mile noncompetitive walk to raise scholarship funds for Xavier students. Incoming students and parents were also able
to establish connections with current students and alumni members prior to heading off to campus. For more
information about the Chicago Alumni Chapter, contact the chapter president, Steve Capers ‘91 (312) 881-0044.
XG Fall 2006
24
With A Little Help from Our Friends...
Houston
The Houston Alumni Chapter hosted a reception for current and displaced students of the University, with
members of University’s Admission Office and Student Services on hand to address any concerns of the parents
and students. The event was well attended with a great response of 40 students. The Houston Alumni Chapter
held it’s first “Mardi Gras in December” reception at the Hilton Waldorf-Astoria with over 230 alumni and friends
in attendance. Proceeds totaling $11,000 from this event were donated to the Xavier University Hurricane Relief
Fund. The chapter also hosted its annual Sundae Sunday in August to welcome incoming freshmen to Xavier. For
more information about the Houston Alumni Chapter, contact the chapter president, Edmund Broussard ’51 (713)
747-6080.
New Orleans
Due to Hurricane Katrina the New Orleans Chapter events were cancelled.The chapter is in the process of revitalizing
their initiatives this year. For more information about the New Orleans Alumni Chapter, contact chapter president,
Maria Sly George’58 (504) 586-1197 or (601) 796-8042.
New York
The New York Alumni Chapter is looking for more alumni members who could help in revitalizing
the chapter. Following the campus reopening the New York Chapter made a contribution to help
support the Hurricane Relief Fund. For more information or how you can help with the New York
Alumni Chapter, contact the chapter president, Veronica Mitchell ’46 (718) 527-7212.
Puget Sound
Members of the Puget Sound Chapter have supported the Hurricane Relief Fund with individual
donations and with the solicitation of corporations in the area. For more information about the
Puget Sound Alumni Chapter, contact the chapter president, Marc Philipart, II at (206) 890-4008
or via e-mail at xula_psac@yahoo.com.
Southern California
It is with great pleasure that we
are able to report that we have
exceeded our goal for the Jazz
Luncheon. This was the chapter’s
first function, and we feel it was a
success...I am confident that we
will strengthen in numbers and
provide additional resources to
XU in an effort to keep the Legacy
ALIVE!
– Karen Gardiner ‘86, Acadiana
Alumni Chapter President
The Southern California chapter has had a busy year. The chapter elected new officers in February. They are:
President, Jeneice Houze ’59; Vice President, Phenella Perez ‘47; Corresponding Secretary, Jacqueline Brandon ‘59;
Recording Secretary, Dianne Roebuck ‘63; Parliamentarian, Vera Robert ‘51; and Sergeant at Arms, Ernest Williams.
The chapter hosted its annual jazz brunch, which attracted more than 700 attendees and raised $30,000 for the
Xavier Hurricane Relief Fund. Additional funds were raised by some of the pharmacists employed by the state of
California spearheaded by John Fuller ‘58; those funds were directed to the university as well. The chapter also
hosted its Incoming Freshmen Reception in July. Important information as well as a warm reception was provided
to parents and incoming freshmen. For more information about the Southern California Alumni Chapter, contact
the chapter president, Jeneice Houze ‘59 at (310) 649-2860.
Washington, DC
The D.C. Alumni Chapter hosted a brunch for area alumni and displaced alumni, students and parents. The event
was well attended and provided important information about the university to those in attendance. The chapter
also held its annual Send Off Reception for incoming freshmen in August. At the reception incoming freshmen
were congratulated on joining the Xavier family and were given warm wishes as they started their journey of
higher education at Xavier. Upcoming events for the chapter include, the annual Scholarship Brunch scheduled for
October and the chapter’s annual Holiday Gathering in December. The chapter is also conducting a t-shirt sale and
proceeds will go to the University’s Hurricane Relief Fund. For more information on the Washington, D.C. Alumni
chapter please contact the chapter president, Dr. Evita Bynum ’85 (202) 669-7714.
XG Fall 2006
25
Rebuilding
FOR THE
FUTURE
Plans for the expansion of the College of Pharmacy
were already on the drawing board before Katrina
struck. Likewise, a larger, separate Chapel was a
dream for Xavier going back to Saint Katharine
Drexel herself.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, those plans have
taken on an added new importance and urgency. The
Pharmacy building, already bursting at the seams,
did not escape the storm unscathed. The entire first
floor had standing water and was decimated by mold
– resulting in the loss of all furniture, computers and
equipment, including a $200,000 scanning electron
microscope. Even labs on the upper floors were
affected by roof leaks and the loss of refrigeration.
Likewise, the University Chapel, located on the first
floor of the administration building, was completely
flooded and has since been gutted to the studs
while awaiting renovation. Daily mass is now being
offered in a small makeshift chapel that is woefully
inadequate in accommodating Xavier’s 4,000 plus
student body, faculty and staff.
As Xavier recovers and rebuilds, these two projects represent its commitment to the
future and to the mission and legacy of our founder, St. Katharine Drexel.
College of Pharmacy Expansion
As part of its post-Katrina support to the Gulf Coast region, the nation of Qatar
announced a $12.5 million gift to Xavier for the construction of a 60,000 squarefoot addition to the College of Pharmacy. This generous contribution, in addition to
Qatar’s $5 million given to Xavier for student scholarships, will allow the University
to finalize the Pharmacy building plans and break ground next year.
“When the Qatar representatives said they wanted to do something to help the city
and the region and that they had an interest in education and health care, it was
a natural fit,” said Dr. Francis. “The College of Pharmacy had already developed its
five-year strategic plan, which included specific plans for this expansion, so we were
ready to make our case to Qatar.”
Dr. Wayne Harris, dean of the College of Pharmacy, concurs. ““We are excited about
the possibilities that this affords us,” said Harris. “It will allow us to modernize our
facilities, to embrace the latest technology, and to expand our health disparities and
other research programs.”
XG Fall 2006
26
The architect’s preliminary rendering of
the new College of Pharmacy Expansion
– a five-story addition to the existing facility,
as seen from Pine St.
Rebuilding for the Future
“It’s all about the
quality of the
education we
provide,” said Harris.
“Maintaining our
student/faculty ratio
is essential.”
The physical expansion will come in the form of a five-story addition
that will be attached to the existing structure. Scheduled to begin
construction May 2007, it will sit on an angle between the existing
COP building and the campus’ I-10 boundary to the north, forming a
quadrangle with the COP and the Library Resource Building.
Although the addition is still in the design phase, preliminary plans
call for moving most of the laboratories to the new building, while
remodeling space in the existing building for additional classrooms,
conference rooms, faculty and staff offices, the drug information
center and storage. All of the new high-tech teaching labs, as well as
two large lecture classrooms – each capable of seating as many as
200 students – will be housed in the expansion.
Pre-Katrina, the cost of the construction was estimated to be approximately $14.5
million. The expected completion date is August 2008.
“Our strategic plan – developed before Katrina – was
to graduate 150 new pharmacists each year, with a
maximum of 640 students enrolled in the college at
any one time,” said Harris, who indicated that meant
accepting 165 new applicants each year.
Harris noted that increasing enrollment is not just a
matter of increasing physical space and obtaining the
latest high-tech equipment.
“It’s all about the quality of the education we provide,”
said Harris. “Maintaining our student/faculty ratio is
essential to ensuring proper class size and providing
all students with maximum opportunities for research,
personal development and clinical education, which is
linked to community resources.”
President Francis goes over plans for the expansion
of the College of Pharmacy with the nation of
Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E.
Nasser Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, during his visit to
New Orleans. Qatar has pledged $100 million
donation in relief to the region – including $12.5million to expand Xavier’s College of Pharmacy
and another $5-million in scholarships for Xavier
students affected by Katrina.
The College of Pharmacy remains committed to
rebuilding its community clinics, which were damaged
by the flooding, and continuing its Minority Health and
Health Disparities Research and Education initiatives.
“We feel that pharmacists have a major role to play
in serving the health care needs of New Orleans post-Katrina,” said Harris, “and
Xavier is a critical resource in the education and training of the next generation of
pharmacists.”
XG Fall 2006
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Rebuilding for the Future
A New Chapel
Gatherings that begin with prayer; programs and discussions where the spiritual
life of the community is evident, where the commonplace goals in life, shaped by
the surrounding cultures, are challenged or questioned; and where being black
and Catholic enrich each other…all help define Xavier University’s identity. It is the
only black and Catholic University in the United States, as well as the only American
college or university founded by a saint.
The one thing Saint Katharine wanted for Xavier before her death in 1955 was a
separate, free-standing chapel – a place where the Xavier community could come
together to celebrate the Eucharist. Even though she didn’t accomplish this goal
before her passing, Xavier is still striving to fulfill her dream.
Prior to Katrina, Xavier had begun its
campaign for a new Saint Katharine
Drexel Chapel and Religious Center.
Fundraising had begun. A preliminary planning process with campus
ministry, members of the Theology
Department and the Institute of Black
Catholic Studies, and key administrators had just been completed.
Introductory meetings were held
with the award-winning and world
renowned architect Cesar Pelli of the
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architectural firm
in New Haven, Connecticut, and a
representative from the firm visited
the campus to learn more about the
University.
The destruction of Xavier’s existing
Chapel has given new urgency to
this campaign, which has a goal of
approximately $10 million to build a new spacious chapel that will respond to the
expansion of academic, social and spiritual programs for the growing numbers of
students, faculty, staff and community residents who call Xavier their parish home.
The University’s plans for the Saint Katharine Drexel Chapel and Religious Center,
which is currently slated to be built on the site of the old Student Center, include
a spacious chapel that will accommodate 700 for mass; space for receptions,
gatherings, group meetings and presentations; courtyard or outdoor space for
special events; and office space that will house the department of Campus Ministry
and its myriad of activities that play an essential role in helping students integrate
their lives with faith as well as learning.
The new chapel and religious center and its centrality on campus will reinforce
Xavier’s Catholic identity and continued commitment to the goals and mission
established by Saint Katharine and will welcome students of all faiths to share in
their spiritual development.
XG Fall 2006
28
Mass on the XU campus must now be
“improvised” post-Katrina, like this service held
in the Music Building lobby, until the previous
chapel in the Administration Building is either
restored or replaced.
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