With Gratitude and a Shared Commitment

Dear campus community,

Today, the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors approved my appointment as the seventh president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I am deeply grateful for their trust and for the confidence so many of you — along with our alumni, community partners and stakeholders across Louisiana — have placed in me throughout this process.

My connection to UL Lafayette began more than 30 years ago as a graduate student and continued as a faculty member and senior administrator. To serve this institution — my alma mater — as its president is both an honor and a responsibility I accept with humility and resolve.

At its core, the University’s mission begins with students. It is sustained by strong academic, scholarly and creative programs. It is advanced by dedicated faculty and staff. And it is fulfilled through the impact UL Lafayette makes across Louisiana and beyond.

Our classrooms, laboratories, studios, clinical settings and fields of competition are where lives are shaped every day. Supporting excellence in teaching and ensuring that our students are challenged, supported and prepared — in every arena — will remain central to our work.

As a Carnegie R1 institution, we also carry a responsibility to advance knowledge through meaningful research and creative activity. Research strengthens our teaching, expands opportunity for students and drives innovation and economic growth across our state. We will continue to invest strategically in areas of strength while maintaining balance with our instructional mission.

In recent months, we have strengthened our financial foundation. We confronted fiscal challenges with transparency and discipline, implemented cost controls and clarified our budgeting model to ensure long-term stability while protecting our academic priorities and enhancing student success and wellness. That work will continue thoughtfully and responsibly.

UL Lafayette does not stand alone, and never has. Our progress depends on the engagement of alumni, community and industry partners, donors and legislative leaders who recognize the essential role public higher education plays in Louisiana’s future. Strengthening those partnerships will remain a priority as we move forward.

For 127 years, this University has evolved with courage. Our responsibility now is not simply to preserve UL Lafayette, but to prepare it for the next 127 years — strengthening our foundation today so future generations can thrive.

This is a moment of transition and one of opportunity. I am grateful to serve and work alongside each of you as we continue to strengthen and advance UL Lafayette for our students and for Louisiana.

Thank you — and Geaux Cajuns!

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru
President