NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — More than $100 million has been raised by America’s only Black and Catholic college, Xavier University of Louisiana, for its $500 million Centennial Campaign.
University leaders say the achievement comes as the school honors St. Katherine Drexel, the patron saint of racial justice and philanthropy and the foundress of the university, along with the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
The milestone is said to demonstrate the value of Xavier as a university that invests in educating, empowering, and producing the next generation of leaders.
“This important fundraising milestone is a testament to Xavier’s value as an institution that produces some of our nation’s most thoughtful leaders – leaders with the ability and intellect to take on our greatest challenges,” said President of Xavier University of Louisiana Reynold Verret.
University leaders say for nearly a century, Xavier University has been a “driving force for students who believe in the power of higher education” rooted in values of service, equity and social justice.”
Four initiatives, built upon the university’s founding mission of creating a more just society, are the basis of the Centennial Campaign:
- Increasing Affordability & Access Through Financial Assistance
- Matching Our Campus to Our Potential
- Investing in the Well-Being & Success of the Entire Student Body
- Recruiting and Retaining Exceptional Faculty & Expanding Academic Programs
“I am beyond confident that by surpassing this first campaign milestone, we are well on our way to reaching our total $500 million goal and setting up Xavier for its next century of excellence and triumphs,” said Campaign Chair Gladstone Jones.
Jones adds that Xavier has continued to solidify itself as an educational option for those looking to become the trailblazers of tomorrow.
In the past, Xavier University of Louisiana was recognized as one of the nation’s top Historically Black Colleges and Universities by the U.S. News Media Group. It remains one of the country’s leading producers of Black pharmacists with students pursuing doctoral studies in STEM.
The Centennial Campaign funds have so far established 48 new endowed scholarships, two new endowed chairs, 54 new annually funded scholarships and 38 current endowed programs.
“Our generous supporters know that an investment in Xavier is not only an investment in our current students, but it’s an investment in social justice and the communities and the nation they serve,” said Verret.
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