Commission on Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARY FORM
PREPARED FOR COMMISSION REVIEWS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name of Institution Xavier University Of Louisiana
Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Accreditation Liaison
Ronald Durnford, Ph.D. Vice President for Planning and Institutional Research,
504-520-5031
rdurnfor@xula.edu
Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Technical Support person for
the Compliance Certification
Mr. Karl Findorff, Unix Administrator
504-520-7448
kjfindor@xula.edu
Submission date of this completed document: September 10, 2009
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
1. Level of offerings (Check all that apply)
Diploma or certificate program(s) requiring less than one year beyond Grade 12
Diploma or certificate program(s) of at least two but fewer than four years of work beyond
Grade 12
Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent
designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent
not designed for transfer
Four or five-year baccalaureate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 120 semester
hours or the equivalent
Professional degree program(s)
Master's degree program(s)
Work beyond the master's level but not at the doctoral level (such as Specialist in
Education)
Doctoral degree program(s)
Other (Specify)
2. Types of Undergraduate Programs (Check all that apply)
Occupational certificate or diploma program(s)
Occupational degree program(s)
Two-year programs designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
Liberal Arts and General
Teacher Preparatory
Professional
Other (Specify)
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GOVERNANCE CONTROL
Check the appropriate governance control for the institution:
Private (check one)
Independent, not-for-profit
Name of corporation OR
Name of religious affiliation and control: Roman Catholic
Independent, for-profit *
Name of corporation:
Public * (check one)
Not part of a state system, institution has own independent board
Part of a state system, system board serves as governing board
Part of a state system, system board is super governing board, local governing
board has delegated authority
Part of a state system, institution has own independent board
* If an institution is part of a state system or a corporate structure, a description of the system
operation must be submitted as part of the Compliance Certification for the decennial review. See
Commission policy “Reaffirmation of Accreditation and Subsequent Reports” for additional
direction.
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INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION
FOR REVIEWERS
Directions: Please address the following and attach the information to this form.
1. History and Characteristics
Provide a brief history of the institution, a description of its current mission, an indication of its
geographic service area, and a description of the composition of the student population. Include
a description of any unusual or distinctive features of the institution and a description of the
admissions policies (open, selective, etc.). If appropriate, indicate those institutions that are
considered peers. Please limit this section to one-half page.
2. List of Degrees
List all degrees currently offered (A. S., B.A., B.S., M.A., Ph.D., for examples) and the majors or
concentrations within those degrees, as well as all certificates and diplomas.
3. Locations and Distance Education
List locations (country, state, and city) where course work toward a degree, diploma, or certificate
can be obtained primarily through traditional classroom instruction. For each site, indicate the
partial or complete degree offered and, for each degree, certificate, or diploma, whether a student
can obtain 50 percent of credits toward any of the educational programs.
Provide a brief description of distance education credit offerings that can be obtained primarily
through electronic means and indicate where the students are located. Indicate any degree or
certificate programs that can be completed primarily through electronic means. Please limit this
brief description to one-half page, if possible.
4. Accreditation
List all agencies that currently accredit the institution or any of its programs and the date of the
last review for each. Identify the accrediting agency that is the gatekeeper for federal funds if it is
not the Commission on Colleges. Describe any sanctions applied or negative actions taken by
any of these accrediting bodies (including the Commission) during the two years previous to the
submission of this report in regard to your institution.
5. Relationship to the U.S. Department of Education
Indicate any limitations, suspensions, or termination by the U.S. Department of Education in
regard to student financial aid or other financial aid programs during the previous three years.
Report if on reimbursement or any other exceptional status in regard to federal or state financial
aid.
Updated: February 2008
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Attachment
1. History and Characteristics
For over 83 years, Xavier University of Louisiana has distinguished itself as one of the most accomplished
institutions of higher learning in the region. It has a nationally renowned student success rate, particularly in the fields
of health science, and medicine, yet its general education curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts. Xavier's mission
is to create 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. The University has the distinction of being
the only Catholic and historically black institution in the nation.
Located in the Carrollton area of New Orleans, Xavier was established in 1915 as a coeducational normal
school for African Americans who had limited educational opportunities in the American south. The school was the
vision of Katharine Drexel, a Pennsylvania heiress who devoted her life and wealth to service and education. The
school was governed by the religious order also founded by Drexel, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS), who
built schools throughout the south for African Americans and in the west for Native Americans. In 1925, the school
expanded to a College of Liberal Arts meant to prepare African Americans for the teaching profession. The College of
Pharmacy opened two years later and Xavier University awarded its first degrees in 1928. The original school Drexel
founded still operates in uptown New Orleans as Xavier University Preparatory High School and maintains close ties
with the University. In recognition for her devotion and service, the Roman Catholic Church canonized Katharine
th
Drexel in 2000 which coincided with Xavier’s 75 anniversary.
In the fall of 2005, Xavier recorded its highest enrollment at 4,200 students, a quarter of which were
freshmen and new students. Less than two weeks into the academic year, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and
compromised the levee system that protects the city. Xavier’s campus was inundated with the flood waters, some as
high as six feet. The campus suspended operations for the fall semester but the school’s leaders worked fervently
from their disparate locations throughout the country to stay in touch with faculty, staff, and students, to develop a
recovery plan. Remarkably, the University resumed campus operations in January 2006. Approximately 1,000
students were unable to return to the University, along with scores of faculty and staff who had lost their homes.
Xavier continues to rebuild its enrollment, now 80% of its pre-Katrina numbers, and has restored almost 95% of the
structural damage left by the storm. The total cost of the Xavier recovery is estimated to be $90 million.
Xavier is an affordable, yet high-quality institution rooted in a tradition of service embodied by the
University’s founder. The University espouses a high standard of achievement and hard work to which all are held
accountable. Student success and achievement at Xavier hinge on the University’s dedicated faculty and staff who
ensure that the University’s mission is realized through quality teaching and measured learning outcomes. Xavier’s
Chief Executive, Dr. Norman C. Francis, is the nation’s longest-serving university president. He has led Xavier for
more than 40 years and in 2006, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush for
his exceptional leadership in higher education and for his services as Chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Nearly 15,000 strong, Xavier alumni have built successful careers in almost every professional field.
Approximately one-quarter of all African American pharmacists throughout the nation are Xavier alums. The 70%
acceptance rate of Xavier graduates at medical and dental schools is almost twice the national average earning the
school the top slot in placing African American students in medical school. Ninety-three percent of those students
who enter medical school from Xavier receive their terminal degrees. In addition to Xavier’s highly regarded programs
in science and the health professions, the University offers more than 40 undergraduate majors across the
disciplines. Xavier students are grounded in a solid liberal arts foundation that encompasses languages, art and
music appreciation, literature, and communication.
In fall 2008, the University had 212 faculty members supporting its undergraduate, graduate, and
professional degree programs. At that time, enrollment was 3,236, with 2,454 undergraduate students in the College
of Arts and Sciences, 671 students in the College of Pharmacy, and 111 students pursuing graduate degrees.
Approximately half of Xavier students are from Louisiana, primarily from the New Orleans area. The balance comes
from roughly 40 other states coast-to-coast, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and abroad. Xavier's student
body is predominantly African American (70%), but the University is open to all. Approximately 89% of the students
enrolled at Xavier receive some form of financial assistance, with 62% receiving Pell grants.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Xavier, during the past decade, has ranked first nationally in
the number of African American students earning undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, physics, and in the
physical sciences overall. More than 70% of undergraduate students major in the sciences. Many well-prepared,
highly motivated students are attracted by Xavier’s reputation in this regard. Conversely, academically disadvantaged
students also are drawn to Xavier because of its track record in “leveling the playing field,” especially in the first year
of college. The New York Times Selective Guide to Colleges has observed, “Xavier is a school where achievement
has been the rule, and beating the odds against success a routine occurrence.”
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2. List
of Degrees
AREAS
DEPARTMENTS
Art
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Communications
Computer Science
Education (Division of)
English
History
Languages
COLLEGE OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Theology
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
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MAJORS
Art
Art Education
Biology
Biology Education
Microbiology
Accounting
Business
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry ACS
Chemistry, Pre-Pharmacy
Chemistry, Pre-Professional
Chemistry Education
Mass Communications
Speech Pathology
Computer Information Systems
Computer Science
Elementary Education
Middle School Education
English
English/English Education
History
Social Studies Education
French
Language Education
Spanish
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Statistics
Music
Music Education
Music Performance
Philosophy
Dual Degree Engineering
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Theology
DEGREES
B.A
B.A
B.S or B.A
B.S.
B.S
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.A.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.A.
B.S.
B.S.
B.S.
B.A.
B.M.
B.M.
B.A.
B.S. or B.A.
B.A.
B.S.
B.A.
B.A.
Educational Leadership
M.A.
Curriculum and Instruction
M.A.
Counseling
M.A.
Elementary Education
M.A.T.
Special Education
M.A.T.
Secondary Education
M.A.T.
Theology
M.Th.
Pharmacy
Pharm. D.
Xavier University of Louisiana has no off-site locations nor does it offer distance education programs. In
the wake of Hurricane Katrina, some programs were temporarily offered online to accommodate students
and faculty who were unable to return to the city by the time the University had resumed campus
operations. Substantive change information has been submitted to SACS regarding these programs.
Xavier University of Louisiana is accredited by:
∗ The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: Year of last
review - 2000
∗ The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs: Year of last review - 2003
∗ Approved by the American Chemical Society: Year of last review - 2007
∗ The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education: Year of last review - 2003
∗ The State of Louisiana Department of Education: Year of last review - 2003
∗ The National Association of Schools of Music: Year of last review – 2000
∗
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education: Year of last review – 2009 (Compliance with
all standards. Monitoring report due April, 2010)
Xavier University of Louisiana’s Office of Financial Aid has never had any limitations, suspensions, or
termination by the U.S. Department of Education in regard to student financial aid or other financial aid
programs.
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