Dr. Marcus Jones, the 20th president of Northwestern State University, has announced that he will be leaving NSU, to become the University of Louisiana System’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Marcus Jones So I will be sort of the liaison for the 9 institutions in our system. I work on policy issues with the system. I will help coordinate things with the legislature. I will also, sort of, oversee the financial aspect of institutions. I will also be working with the security and safety folks on the campuses.
Dr. Jones is an alumnus of NSU having graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration. He then received a master’s in international business and trade from Grambling State University and a law degree from Southern University Law Center. During his time as NSU president, he says one of his biggest objectives was to expand the reach of NSU by bringing in international students and developing exchange programs.
Marcus Jones I absolutely love how well-rounded students end up being when they have that global experience. I studied abroad when I was here at Northwestern for a year, and I know how much it changed me. And so, I try to encourage as many students as possible to participate in a, even if it’s just a short stay, to participate in a study-abroad experience, because I think it makes all the difference.
Dr. Jones has spent 25 years with the university, and he says he most enjoyed interacting with students.
Marcus Jones When I first came back to Northwestern after having been away, before I became president, I came back as the interim president. And I had no intentions on ever applying for the position. Got back to campus, and realized how much I missed the students. And so, if there’s something I can say that I enjoy more than anything else, it is the interaction that I have with students and also being able to, sort of, take a student who comes from an environment like the environment from which I came, who doesn’t really know how to navigate, you know, higher ed. and a university campus, and watching them grow and helping them and become productive young adults. I love the faculty, I love the staff, but it’s the student body that I really, really enjoy.
Dr. Marcus Jones took his place as NSU’s president in 2021. He says he will miss the university but is hopeful for its future.
Marcus Jones I’m going to miss it, I’m going to miss the university. I’m from Winnfield, I came to Northwestern as a first-generation student. And had I not received the education that I received from Northwestern I wouldn’t be where I am today. And Northwestern has given me a lot, and it has been my honor to serve as the 20th president.