Murphy to depart at the end of the year

Nicholls State University President Dr. Bruce Murphy is leaving the university at the end of 2017.

The university announced Murphy’s impending departure this afternoon after he informed the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors of his intention. According to the announcement, Murphy is leaving to “engage in other strategic initiatives in higher education.”

Murphy became the fifth president in Nicholls’ history in January 2014. He is credited with leading the university during a financial rough patch, as Nicholls dealt with fewer state appropriation dollars and a weakened local economy. In spite of that, NSU has been able to increase enrollment for four semesters in a row and hitting a record freshman retention rate in the past year. The university was also provided salary adjustments for faculty in three out of four years of his presidency.

Murphy is leaving Nicholls at the end of this calendar year. The University of Louisiana System Board Chair Al Perkins will appoint a presidential search committee that will work with Nicholls students, faculty and staff as well as the larger Houma-Thibodaux area to find Murphy’s replacement. UL System President and CEO Jim Henderson thanked Murphy for his time leading NSU.

“We are grateful to Dr. Murphy for his service to Nicholls State University. Under his leadership, Nicholls’ faculty and staff enhanced rates of student success, achieved extraordinary progress in accreditation, and solidified the institution’s financial disposition,” Henderson said. “An institution with a rich history of serving the people of Louisiana’s Bayou Region, Nicholls is positioned for significant growth. The Board is committed to identifying a successor who will nurture a university culture centered on student access and success, academic innovation, and community engagement.”

Nicholls State University President Dr. Bruce Murphy

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