TULANE TALK

March 19, 2004

Good Morning:

Do you believe people can change? How about institutions? I’d answer “Yes” to both of these questions. To back up my answer I would offer the case of Tulane University, an institution on the cusp of transforming itself from a highly regarded research institution into a truly distinctive, preeminent research university characterized by the outstanding quality of its students; the unique collegiate experience it offers as a result of its size, diverse academic offerings and location; the significance and impact of its research in selective areas; and its commitment to economic development and community engagement.

I shared these thoughts with our board and members of the President’s Council this week as I summarized the accomplishments of Tulane over the past five years and our goals for the next five years in improving the quality of our undergraduate student body; enhancing the compensation, retention, and size of our faculty and staff; increasing research funding; increasing giving to Tulane and improving the university’s overall financial standing.

You’ll be glad to know that in each of these areas Tulane has experienced substantial improvement. Please take a few moments to review my board presentation at http://www.tulane.edu/%7Estrplan/accomplishments.shtml. This “scorecard” is still a work in progress that will be revised over time, but it is an initial attempt to establish some concrete expectations for the future. I hope you are pleased and proud of all the changes underway at Tulane.

Have a great weekend,