James E. Cofer

Who is James E. Cofer?

James Erwin Cofer Sr., spent eleven months acting as the tenth president of Missouri State University in Springfield. On May 14, 2010, he succeeded Dr. Michael Nietzel in the position at Missouri State. Cofer resigned after eleven months as President at Missouri State University due to what he claimed were "the rigors of the schedule." After a twelve month sabbatical, Cofer was eventually reassigned to the faculty in the College of Business at a salary of over $200,000 per year. Cofer was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant for the 2014-2015 Academic year.

From 2002-2010, he was president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He previously held faculty appointments in prestigious venues such as the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, and Mississippi State University in Starkville, from which he obtained the Bachelor of Science and MBA in business administration. He received his Ed.D. in administration of higher education from UALR in Little Rock, Arkansas. Eisenhower Fellowships selected Cofer as a USA Fellow in 1995.