According to Missouri State's official account of his presidency, Cofer "opened up the budget process, balanced the budget without cutting the academic departments even in light of the state appropriation reductions, gave equity raises to 40 percent of the faculty and started the process of raising the pay grades and salaries for staff.
He also initiated a review of the General Education Curriculum, expanded the campus’s thinking about ways in which to offer courses and he pushed for greater emphasis on student learning outcomes.
Cofer came to ULM in 2002, when that institution was experiencing severe financial and audit problems, having succeeded Lawson L. Swearingen, Jr., a former member of the Louisiana State Senate, in the top position.
[3] His "Reclaiming Our Campus" campaign effectively consolidated cooperation from the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community in restoring a sense of pride and became a case study for ACT Survey Sources.
[5] Although not damaged per se by the hurricane, ULM was affected by Katrina, with the campus serving as a major refugee site; additionally, President Cofer initiated an unprecedented winter session (during the normal Christmas holidays) so that students could take courses from which they had been uprooted during the Fall 2005 semester.