TULANE TALK

January 21, 2005

Good Morning:

The arrival of 2005 brought with it the realization that I have had the honor of being president of Tulane University for almost seven years now. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was being introduced to the Tulane community, meeting faculty members and students and eating my first crawfish. From mudbugs to the Y2K bug (remember that?), weíve been through a lot together.

What has always struck me about Tulane is how it feels more like a family than an institution, how it combines the best of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a major research university, how its students, faculty and staff approach their roles within this learning community with a sense of passion, how its distinguished past has given rise to the promise of it becoming one of the greatest universities in the world.

In the next issue of the Tulanian, I will share more of my reflections on my seven years at Tulane as well as the exciting plans for the launch of the largest fundraising effort in Tulaneís history, ìPromise and Distinction: The Campaign for Tulane University.î This issue will be available the first week of March at http://www2.tulane.edu/tulanian.cfm

Youíll notice, too, that the Tulanian, a publication that dates back to 1928, has been completely revamped with a bold new look reflecting the universityís enduring distinction and boundless promise.

Have a great weekend,