TULANE TALK

April 21, 2003

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing this Special Tulane Talk in response to a number of rumors that have been circulating on campus and in the community regarding the future of our Department of Athletics.

As most of you know, five years ago we began an ambitious university-wide process to develop an institutional vision and academic plan for the future.

After several years of making important progress in all academic areas of the university, we felt it was time to review the role of intercollegiate athletics at Tulane.

For the last several months, the Board of Tulane and the university’s senior administrative leadership, including leadership in the Department of Athletics, have engaged in a broad discussion of the role of athletics on campus. This type of discussion is commonplace within the university, where every school, college, department and center is reviewed periodically. In fact, all of the university’s schools and colleges have been reviewed in the past four years.

The board’s discussion and study of the university’s intercollegiate athletics program have centered on the following strategic question: Given the changing landscape of Division I intercollegiate athletics and the academic mission, goals and resources of Tulane University, what type of intercollegiate athletics program is in the best long-term interests of the university?

In answering this question, the board and senior university leadership are being guided by what course of action most effectively allows the university to fulfill its academic mission and goals.

The board has formed an eight-member committee to help with research and fact-finding. The committee will present its findings to the board on May 29.

I will continue to update you when there is more information to share.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reply to me at http@tulane.edu, or you can express your opinion by calling 862-8020 and leaving a message.