TULANE TALK

August 22, 2003

Good Morning:

Tulane Talk begins again! Where did the summer go? I certainly hope you all had an opportunity to get some rest and relaxation in the last few months, and are ready for another busy year.

Tomorrow I will meet our incoming first-year undergraduate students and introduce them to their provost, deans and other academic leaders. This class, some 1,600-plus strong, is one of the most academically qualified first-year classes in Tulane University’s history. They, along with our returning students and new graduate, professional and transfer students, will bring great energy and intellectual vigor to our campuses. It will be great to have them all back home.

The end of summer also signals the beginning of the ranking season. U.S. News and World Report released their annual survey this week and once again Tulane was ranked among the top 50 universities in the nation. This year we were ranked 44th, down one spot from last year. Our business program was ranked 39th, also down one spot from last year, and our engineering program was ranked 77th, up from last year’s 79th ranking, among schools that offer a doctorate in that field. Since U.S. News and World Report changed their methodology yet again this year, it is hard to ascertain the cause of these slight fluctuations.

As is my practice, I will start making the rounds of various faculty, staff, student and external groups in a few weeks to update everyone on our accomplishments of the past year and goals for this year. I always look forward to these sessions because it gives me an opportunity to meet personally with so many of you.

Have a great weekend,