NATCHITOCHES – The University of Louisiana System released the following statement following a board meeting held earlier today in Baton Rouge.
JUNE 13, 2024
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEM BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WELCOMES DR. MARCUS JONES AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
THE SYSTEM BEGINS SEARCH PROCESS FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF NORTHWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
The higher education landscape is rapidly evolving, and the public institutions within the University of Louisiana (UL) System are committed to adapting, innovating, and positively impacting the communities they serve. Given these trends, the UL System’s Board of Supervisors and President Rick Gallot sought to enhance its leadership team by bringing in Dr. Marcus Jones, who is highly familiar with the System and deeply connected to NSU.
Dr. Marcus Jones will transition from his current role as NSU President to rejoin the UL System as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he will also serve as a senior advisor to President Gallot in areas related to strategic planning and enrollment management. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Jones has consistently demonstrated positive outcomes and a commitment to student success. His expertise will now be leveraged on a broader scale to benefit all nine institutions within the UL System.
The UL System is also preparing to revise its strategic plan, which will serve as a roadmap to guide the work across the state and its nine institutions in the years ahead. Dr. Jones’ vision and dedication to innovation are expected to drive the successful planning effort. This process will involve collaboration and input from various stakeholders, including statewide community members, faculty, staff, students, and NSU alumni – all of whom are valued members with a stake in the future of the UL System and NSU.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR NSU?
The UL System Board of Supervisors is initiating a national search to identify Dr. Jones’ successor. The Board is committed to an aggressive timeline to ensure the new NSU President is in place for the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester.
The ideal candidate for this role will be a visionary and entrepreneurial leader who has exhibited academic and senior administrative success. The Board seeks an individual dedicated to fundraising, economic development, community relations and student-centered initiatives. The successful candidate will also demonstrate transparent communication, collaborative management and shared governance, with high-level executive experience and demonstrated exceptional performance.
Dr. Jones and the senior leadership team at NSU are committed to maintaining smooth daily operations and ongoing campus initiatives during this transition period. Their focus remains on ensuring that students, faculty and staff are not adversely affected throughout the search and transition process.
The Board is excited about the future of Northwestern State University and confident that the search will identify a leader who will continue to elevate NSU’s impact on education and the community.
For more information, visit www.ulsystem.edu/nsu-search.
