TULANE TALK

September 20, 2004

Good Morning:

Hurricane Ivan has come and gone and our campuses and people appear to have weathered the storm very well. We were prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. Our prayers were thankfully answered.

This threat did allow us to fully test our hurricane plan for a category 4 or 5 storm. I am very pleased with how our plan and people performed. We learned valuable lessons that will serve us well if, and when, the next weather emergency arises. As always, we will do a thorough debriefing of the storm experience and incorporate lessons learned into our emergency plan.

There are many people to thank for their dedication and hard work during this threat. Please know how much I appreciate your commitment and dedication to the safety and security of the Tulane community. A president could not ask for a more accomplished team with which to work.

I do want to send a special word of thanks to President Ron Mason (a former senior administrator at Tulane University) and his staff at Jackson State University for their outstanding cooperation in housing and hosting our evacuated students during the storm. Their assistance is greatly appreciated by everyone associated with Tulane. On behalf of the Tulane community, I send several “Hullabaloos” to Jackson State University for their hospitality and friendship.