Nearly a year into her presidency, Dr. Monique Guillory is leading Dillard University through a period of major change and challenge. As enrollment hovers around 1,000 students and the cost of operations continues to rise, Dillard faces growing pressures shared by higher education institutions nationwide—including increased competition, reduced federal funding, and an upcoming “demographic cliff.”
Despite these challenges, Dr. Guillory has taken bold steps to stabilize and strengthen Louisiana’s oldest HBCU. Over the past year she has reorganized leadership roles, added new student-focused services, and begun restructuring academic programs to prepare students for an evolving job market. Her plans include modernizing core curriculum requirements, expanding arts scholarships, increasing mental health support, and elevating Dillard’s visibility in New Orleans and beyond.
As she describes it, this moment is an opportunity to reimagine Dillard’s future while honoring its deep roots and legacy of resilience.
