TULANE TALK

October 17, 2003

Good Morning:

In recent weeks I have met with several university groups to discuss the report of the President’s Special Task Force on Diversity. If you have not already done so, I urge you to read the summary of the Diversity Task Force’s report at http://www2.tulane.edu/diversity_survey.cfm.

I hope by the end of this semester the report will have been thoroughly vetted by the Tulane community and we can move ahead in taking the next steps suggested in the report. Concurrent with this discussion, I have also begun a dialogue with members of the President’s Cabinet about the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the college admissions process in the University of Michigan case. I would also like this to be a topic of discussion on campus this year.

I am also pleased to report that Tulane has entered into a conversation regarding a possible joint venture with New Orleans Public Schools and Lusher Alternative Elementary. This conversation may lead to the creation of a new high school based on the successful Lusher model. We are in the very preliminary stages of this dialogue but it is obviously an exciting prospect that could reap vast benefits to both our university and our community.

Have a great weekend,