TULANE TALK

March 15, 2002

Good Morning:

For the most part, this week consisted of a lot of internal meetings not worth detailing (i.e. valuable but not too exciting to describe). Instead, the highlight of the week was my biannual class reunion with students from my leadership class. I began teaching this course two years ago, along with Dan Nadler from Student Affairs, as part of our First Year Experience, a program that introduced freshmen students to New Orleans and Tulane.

Having spent over 25 years as a management educator, scholar and consultant, I have always been fascinated by the topic of leadership. During my days as a professor, I taught an MBA course on leadership and did some writing about the subject based on interviews I conducted with dozens of organizational leaders over a five-year period. When I first became President in 1998, I obviously did not have an opportunity to be in the classroom on a regular basis but the leadership class gave me a chance to teach again.

In order to gauge how my former students are progressing and using the leadership lessons learned, Dan and I meet with them twice a year to discuss various issues of mutual interest (e.g. How can student leaders have an impact on the future of the university?). These sessions are always enlightening and refreshing. They are also a reminder of the talent and insight of our students. It also lets me do what I enjoy most – to be in the classroom with students learning as much from them as they probably do from me.

Speaking of students, I was presented with a class ring at Wednesday’s Senior Ring Ceremony. This was a pleasant surprise and a vivid reminder that this year’s graduating class arrived on campus with me four years ago. How time flies!

Have a nice weekend,