Loyola’s president-elect, Xavier Cole, addressed the Loyola community for the first time in the Peace Quad this past Friday, March 24.

Cole, the first Black president and second layperson to lead the university, spoke about some of his plans for the next few years as university president.

“Loyola, you have my commitment to work tirelessly to advance this university’s mission to prepare our students to lead meaningful lives with and for others, to pursue truth, wisdom, and virtue, and to work for a more just world,” Cole said.

Cole said one of his key goals is to direct the university’s programs to meet the needs of the Loyola community.

“We want to continue building excellent academic programs,” Cole said. “We want to create opportunities to prepare leaders academically and spiritually.”

Student Government Association President, Stephanie Oblena, who sat on the Presidential Selection Committee, said that she was very pleased with the results of the selection of Cole as the university’s next president.

“To be represented well by a president means everything,” Oblena said. “I’m so happy that he’s here in this position.”

Miguel Hernandez, a business sophomore, said he enjoyed the celebrations and hopes for similar events to take place with the president in the future.

“More community kind of stuff, more engagement,” Hernandez said. “That’s something I’d like to see going forward.”

Cole will officially begin his tenure as university president on June 1.