President Cofer's Biography
The leader of an extraordinary renaissance at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, President James E. Cofer, Sr., is in his eighth year as the university's president.
When President Cofer and his wife Deborah arrived in 2002, they immediately began the "Reclaiming Our Campus" campaign, which involved more than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, community leaders, and area citizens who cleaned, planted flowers and repainted the campus. Shortly thereafter, President Cofer developed an ambitious visionary plan that included more than $80 million in new construction and renovations on campus. Students now enjoy the newest, up-to-date residence halls, state-of-the-art "smart classrooms," a completely-renovated Student Union Building, and multiple campus security improvements.
While it is easy to recognize the remarkable physical transformation of ULM's campus, there's another less tangible but equally vital change: the renewed spirit and confidence of the students and faculty and staff who live and work at ULM. In 2007, students rated ULM higher than ever before—breaking a record for student satisfaction at the institution and surpassing student satisfaction at the national level. Between 2002 and 2008, student enrollment increased 55 percent. The Chronicle of Higher Education featured this progress in a 2008 article, "Beautification leads to record growth." ULM's constituents are also noticing these improvements; between 2002 and 2008, financial gifts to the university increased by 71.6 percent and the number of donors increased by 46.8 percent.
In addition, shortly after arriving on campus, President Cofer saw the potential for a school that would combine art, music, theatre and dance. The School of Visual and Performing Arts was created in 2003, and in 2007, VAPA announced the creation of the Louisiana Lyric Opera, the state's only professional music theatre, which quickly became the cultural magnet of Northeast Louisiana. LLO employs renowned talent, including Broadway performers. President Cofer also focuses on the importance of intellectual exchange at ULM and in the community. In 2003, the Presidential Lyceum Series began. This popular lecture series features national speakers such as Bill Cosby, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ben Stein, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Steve Forbes, Lisa Ling, and, during the election year of 2008, Mary Matalin and James Carville.
Another of President Cofer's initiatives expanded the College of Pharmacy, Louisiana's only state-supported pharmacy program. ULM administration secured more than $5.5 million for the COP between 2002-2006, purchasing the three-story, 132,000-square-foot Bienville Building—now the College's home—from State Farm Insurance in 2005. After an onsite visit in 2006 by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, ACPE officials noted that the accredited COP, which now has satellite campuses in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, "experienced a major transformation and the College enjoys a new vitality and sense of purpose." During an onsite visit in 2008, ACPE representatives were so impressed with ULM's advanced Pharmacy Care Laboratory that they deemed it a paradigm for institutions intending to remodel or rebuild its care laboratories.
The university continues to build upon its renaissance. With the help of engaged faculty, ULM patterned its mathematics and English course redesigns after the National Center for Academic Transformation's Roadmap to Redesign philosophy, utilizing sound methodology, student-centered learning, clear assessment criteria and effective technology incorporation in 2007. To further encourage student success, ULM implemented living-learning communities, peer and faculty mentoring programs, extensive undergraduate research initiatives and advanced technological modalities. Cognizant of adult learners and today's busy student, President Cofer advocates "anytime, anywhere, anyplace instruction," resulting in additional online courses and new online degree programs.
Under President Cofer's leadership, ULM continues to garner national attention and often exceed stringent accreditation standards. A national report ranked ULM among the top 20 universities that produce the most scholarly work; ULM is the only Louisiana university included in the ranking. The Elementary Education Program was one of only 10 in the nation to receive full passing marks for its preparation of future mathematics teachers. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal recognized ULM as the premier provider for the College of Education and Human Development's Louisiana Leader Fellows Program; the College was featured in The New York Times article, "What Louisiana Can Teach." The College of Business Administration maintained accreditation of its bachelor's and master's degree programs in business administration and its accounting program, and the College of Pharmacy gained accreditation through 2014. The university is now one of only 13 universities in the United States to offer both an accredited M.A. and an accredited Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy, and ULM's long-term care concentration in the gerontology graduate program is the first in the U.S. to be nationally accredited.
As a result of his extensive experience in university and statewide higher education systems, President Cofer clearly understands the needs of higher education. Immediately prior to accepting the presidency at ULM, President Cofer served as Vice President for Finance and Administration for the University of Missouri System, where he worked in policy development, strategic planning, budget planning, institutional research, and investment management for the System's retirement plan. President Cofer was also responsible for the University of Missouri's hospital operation. In Missouri, President Cofer managed legislative and economic development operations for the university, including serving as the primary liaison between the Missouri legislative and congressional delegation and the governor and the governor's staff. President Cofer also supervised the University of Missouri Research Park in Chesterfield, Missouri. He served as Vice President for Finance and Administration in the University of Arkansas System, as well as Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs and Treasurer of the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia, where he supervised the negotiation, financing, and coordination of the Olympic Village and several sporting venues while serving as the Chief Fiscal Officer of the System. President Cofer was also Chief Fiscal Officer under two governors for the State of Mississippi.
During his academic career, President Cofer taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia, The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Mississippi College, Jackson State University, and Mississippi State University. President Cofer continues to publish articles and book chapters on the effects of student loan debt on student decisions, and continues to make numerous national and international presentations. President Cofer is a Senior Fellow with the Eisenhower Foundation. He served as a Fellow in Budapest, Hungary, working with the Hungarian Ministry of Education as they moved to a market-driven system of higher education.
President Cofer participates in state, civic, and professional organizations, including the National Association of College and University Business Officers, The Eisenhower Foundation International Advisory Council, and the Missouri Commission on College Affordability. His awards for distinguished leadership and public service include the Public Administrator of the Year Award from the American Society for Public Administration. In 2008, The New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education formed the nation's first Higher Education Cabinet, consisting of presidents, trustees and leaders from 76 colleges, universities and higher-education associations. President Cofer was one of those leaders named to the cabinet. In 2009, President Cofer joined another distinguished list of leaders: Friends of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
President Cofer received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration from Mississippi State University, and his Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His dissertation focused upon student financial aid and student retention and was awarded the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Melvene Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award.