Dr. Natalie J. Harder
Coker University’s 17th President
From the President
In 2020, Coker University faced challenges that left other institutions to shutter. Many institutions in higher education are still being carried along by those same forces today. In recognizing these headwinds, Coker has spent the last few years doing the hard work necessary to lay the foundation for the next chapter. We have restructured departments to serve our students better, we have optimized our academic programming based on student and market demand (for example, creating a new health professions school which enrolled more than 200 students within three years), and we created fiscally sound budgets to ensure stability.
With a strong strategic plan built on a commitment to mission, staff and faculty creativity, and care for our students, Coker is not simply drifting with the current – we are charting our own course and successfully rowing together. Because of that unity, we are beginning to thrive through increased enrollment, athletic success, record grant awards, and renovated student spaces.
Through the lens of our 2025–2028 Strategic Plan: Mastering Knowledge. Expanding Networks. Shaping Futures, we are sharpening our focus and measuring success against clear, bold goals.
As always, Go Cobras!
Dr. Natalie J. Harder
President – Coker University
About
Natalie J. Harder, Ph.D.
Dr. Natalie J. Harder became the 17th and first female president of Coker University on June 1, 2020. She previously held the position of Chancellor at South Louisiana Community College for eight years.
Natalie earned her Ph.D. in Community College Leadership at Old Dominion University, her MS in Public Policy and Administration at The H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and her BA in Economics from SUNY Buffalo.
Natalie and her husband, Cian Robinson, have two sons and two dogs.
