The newly installed president of Norfolk State University is a North Suffolk resident who says he plans to boost enrollment and revamp academic programs at the historically black university.

Eddie N. Moore Jr. was installed in office on Sept. 16. Suffolk’s Mike Duman, a city councilman and auto dealership owner and a longtime friend of Moore’s, spoke at the event.

But despite his apparent “new” status, Moore has actually been at the university for three years. He’s merely dropped the “interim” from his title.

“I never probably embraced the interim title as restrictive to what I planned to do,” Moore said.

Moore has led the university out of a period of turmoil, following its placement on warning status in 2013 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. A year later, the college was placed on probation, a worse status. But a year after that — about 10 months ago — the probation label was removed.

Now that Moore is no longer simply the interim president, he plans to spend time fundraising, stabilizing enrollment and improving programs.

“(Fundraising) is something that Norfolk State was not doing very well for a while,” Moore said. “I think that’s largely because of the turnover in leadership.”

Moore will make sure the message gets out about Norfolk State’s improving status.

“We want to make sure people understand Norfolk State is alive and well,” he said. “I think we have a story to tell about what’s been accomplished in the last three years.”

It seems the message is being received. Total enrollment grew about 6 percent this year from last year.

“We think the university works best at around 6,000 students,” Moore said. “We don’t want to get there overnight. We want to grow in a way we can manage the growth and absorb it into our existing operation.”

Moore said the university will actively recruit out-of-state students. Out-of-state enrollment had slipped to 11 percent from a high in the 30s but now is at 17 percent, he said.

“We want to bring in Virginia students first, but we are looking to re-engage our alumni all over the country and help us find students that would benefit from the Norfolk State experience,” he said. The university will focus on states where there is a shortage of college slots and graduating students are encouraged to look elsewhere.

Finally, Moore said, the college is revamping its cybersecurity program. It has started with a major investment in the labs.

“We built the lab first, so we would have something to show,” he said.

Moore is a native of Philadelphia, Pa., but both of his parents moved there from Elizabeth City, N.C., so he has roots in the region.

“I’m happy in Suffolk,” he said. “We’re pretty excited and happy about our home selection.”

Moore is an Army veteran and previously served as president of St. Paul’s College and Virginia State University. He and his wife have five children and five grandchildren.