TULANE TALK

November 18, 2005

Good Morning:

I was surprised when I looked at the calendar this morning and realized Thanksgiving is less than a week away. It is hard to believe that so much has happened in our lives since Katrina. They have all changed in ways we never thought imaginable.

I know that these are anxious and tiring times for all of us as we grapple with the many professional and personal challenges brought on by Katrina. I know that in addition to the personal hardships many of you are facing, there is the added burden of uncertainty regarding the new Tulane and New Orleans that will emerge after the devastation of Katrina. We will continue to address each challenge with the courage and determination necessary to secure our future. I have no doubt that we will be successful in this effort.

In normal times, I would take as much time as possible to personally meet and communicate with all of you to discuss the issues we face. However, just as your lives have changed, so has mine. These days, I am singularly focused on the rebuilding of Tulane and New Orleans. As I mentioned in last week’s Tulane Talk, the Board and I are consulting regularly with internal and external advisors, including the President’s Faculty Advisory Committee, as we plan for the future.

Time and circumstances, as well as the enormity and complexity of the issues we face, make personal meetings and normal processes impossible at the moment, but our re-opening is not that distant. As soon as it is practical after you all return to campus in January, I will be able to meet with you face-to-face and explain the steps we have taken to secure the future of our wonderful university.

In the meantime, I hope that wherever this message finds you this holiday season you will be able to take a moment to reflect and, despite it all, still find many things for which to be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving,