John L. Crain

John L. Crain

Born 1960
Franklinton, Louisiana
Residence Hammond, Louisiana
Nationality  United States
Fields Accounting
Institutions Southeastern Louisiana University
Alma mater University of Mississippi
Southeastern Louisiana University
Known for Southeastern Louisiana University president
Business professor
Prolific author
Notable awards Southeastern Louisiana University President's Award for Excellence in Research 1994

John Luther Crain (born 1960, Franklinton, Louisiana) is president of Southeastern Louisiana University at Hammond, having been appointed to the position on 2009 February 17 by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System. He succeeded Randy Moffett.[1]

Contents

Education

Crain holds B.S. and MBA degrees from Southeastern and received a Ph.D. in accountancy from the University of Mississippi.[2] He is an inactive CPA and an accomplished pianist.[3]

Researcher & administrator

Crain previously served as interim president, provost, vice president for academic affairs, accounting department head, president of the Faculty Senate, and tenured professor of accounting. He began full-time employment as an assistant professor of accounting at Southeastern in 1987 and held his first administrative position as interim director of the University's Small Business Development Center.[4] In 1992 Crain received the Southeastern President's Award for Excellence in Research; by 2009, on being named president, he had authored 63 refereed journal articles.[5]

Praise

At the time of Crain's appointment as president of Southeastern, retired professor of chemistry Larry Holmes, who had in the 1970s awarded Crain a blue ribbon for a high school science project, commented: "That's very nice. It makes me feel good."[6] Roman Heleniak, professor emeritus of history at Southeastern, commented in a congratulatory column that "John is intelligent, down to earth, and more than fair."[7] At the outset of his presidency Crain publicly emphasized an "involved citizenry" as being vital to Southeastern.[8] Crain said:

I started as a member of the faculty, working directly with students[,] and I keep that in mind in every decision that I make.[9]

The neighbouring Saint Tammany Parish School Board congratulated Crain on his appointment, with superintendent Gayle Sloan commenting,

We are really looking forward to continuing what was already a strong relationship with you at Southeastern.[10]

Crain was designated the 2009 outstanding alumnus of Southeastern's College of Business.[11]

Challenges

Crain's accounting background appeared well matched to the challenges he soon faced as president, in that Louisiana's public institutions of higher education confronted unprecedented budget cuts and looming budget cuts.[12] In an article in the student newspaper, Crain announced mid-academic year eliminations of 35 positions; expecting "even deeper cuts in the future," Crain said:

These changes would almost certainly involve the elimination of programs, including academic programs, and the termination of some tenured faculty. Despite the challenges we have dealt with and may still face, we remain absolutely committed to the success of our students and the ongoing viabillity of the university, albeit in what may be a smaller scope and scale.[13]

Crain is involved in Southeastern's fundraising.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ Robin Chen Delos , "John Crain Named President of Southeastern" in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 2009 February 18 (accessed 2009 June 12). Jordan Blum, "System board approves Crain for SLU president" in Advocate (Baton Rouge), 2009 February 18, p. 9A. "John L. Crain named Southeastern's 14th president" posted by the Ponchatoula Times on nola.com, 2009 February 18 (accessed 2009 June 12).
  2. ^ Southeastern General Catalogue faculty listing.
  3. ^ Statement on the Southeastern Louisiana University web site.
  4. ^ Announcement on the University of Louisiana System web site. From a pool of 19 international applicants, the five semifinalists for the position were finalists Crain and Michael Shonrock, Linda L. M. Bennett, Nick Bruno, and Karen A. White, per "Five finalists named for Southeastern Louisiana University presidency" as reported by WVLA Television Channel 33 (NBC-TV affiliate in Baton Rouge). See also René Abadie, John L. Crain Named Southeastern's 14th President; and Kia Hill Hayes, "Interim chief wins presidency . . ." in Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 2009 February 18, Saint Tammany Edition, p. B4; and "Southeastern's new president" in Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 2009 February 18, p. 4A.
  5. ^ Statement on the Southeastern Louisiana University web site.
  6. ^ Lil Mirando, "Crain named president" in Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 2009 February 18, p. 1A, 3A (Holmes quoted on p. 3A) (web version = University names Crain 14th president).
  7. ^ Roman Heleniak, "Rednecks" in Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 2009 February 20, p. 4A.
  8. ^ Crain, "Advancing Southeastern" in Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 2009 February 21, p. 4A.
  9. ^ John L. Crain quoted in Aubrey Black, "Southeastern president selected" in Lion's Roar (Southeastern Louisiana University student newspaper), 2009 March 3 (Vol. 80 Issue 21), p. 1.
  10. ^ Sloan quoted in Kim Hall Hayes, "New SLU [Southeastern] president gets warm welcome" in Times-Picayune, 2009 March 14, p. B2 (web version = "School board forges ties across lake").
  11. ^ The award was announced at the College of Business Honors Convocation on 2009 April 23.
  12. ^ Don Ellzey, Leaner university: Crain expects more budget cuts will be "very unpopular" in Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 2010 January 15, pp. 1A, 5A (web version = Budget cuts won't be popular, says Crain, accessed 2010 January 16).
  13. ^ Budget Cuts Take Toll on Campus Jobs" in Lion's Roar (Southeastern Louisiana University), Volume 81 Issue 17 (2010 January 17), p. 1 (not online). See similar statements by University of Louisiana at Monroe president Nick Bruno
  14. ^ "Grants/philanthropy". Baton Rouge Business Report 29 (11): p. 43. 2011-01-11. http://www.selu.edu/news_media/news_releases/2010/dec/entergy_grant.html. Retrieved 2011-01-20.  Entergy Corporation's charitable foundation, represented by Craig Schimpf, gave $10,000 to Southeastern's Department of English for the Department's program in publishing studies, the check being received by Crain together with department head David Hanson and Southeastern's Senior Director of Development Katherine Hufstetler Rose.