TULANE TALK

September 9, 2011

Good Morning:

Over the Labor Day weekend, among the dozens of emails I received from Tulane’s weather service and from senior administrators regarding university operations was one from Earl Retif, our vice president for enrollment management.

As Earl sat in his office during the rainy weekend crunching numbers, he saw something interesting. He determined that Tulane is on track to have its highest student enrollment in the school’s 177-year history. He saw, too, that we would have a higher undergraduate retention rate (the number of students who return each year) than at any time in memory. I am very proud of the enrollment numbers, but his comment about retention really caught my interest.

Historically, our undergraduate retention rates, and thus our graduation rates, have been lower than we wanted for our students, given the quality of the student body. These rates have been a chronic problem for decades, but as a result of the hard work of many people the retention rates have dramatically improved since 2007 and are now at all-time highs, suggesting that graduation rates will increase, too.

Undergraduate retention and graduation rates are not just data points for people in higher education. Those of you who are familiar with U.S. News & World Report know that retention and graduation rates are two of the measures the magazine uses each year to determine its annual college rankings. These two categories account for more than a quarter of each school’s score, so our performance in these areas has hurt us, especially since U.S. News began to give more weight to these variables in the last decade.

Many of you know my views on rankings — there are too many, they are too methodologically flawed and they consider too many variables irrelevant to student learning. But I know a lot of people consult them, particularly those from U.S. News, which will publish its latest undergraduate rankings next week.

The good news for Tulane is that the numbers are moving in the right direction. Most recently the average retention rate has been 90 percent, but I know we can do even better. In fact, we’ve made improving our undergraduate retention and graduation rates one of our highest institutional priorities. The goal by 2014 is to have at least 95 percent of entering freshmen return for their sophomore year and have 85 percent of them graduate.

To that end we are working to provide our first- and second-year students with more opportunities to evaluate how they’re coping with college. We also are enhancing the campus resources available to assist them with the transition to university life. I will keep you posted on our progress.

Have a great weekend,

TULANE TALK

August 26, 2011

Good Morning:

Smiles, sweat, tears and cardboard boxes – lots of cardboard boxes. That is what’s in store for us tomorrow as the Class of 2015-16 moves onto campus. What an exciting time for the Tulane and New Orleans communities.

Once again, our incoming class is among the most academically qualified, service-oriented and community-engaged group of students entering college this year. At the Convocation, which takes place tomorrow in McAlister Auditorium following Move-In Day activities, I will share with our newest Tulanians thoughts on what it means to be part of the Tulane community.

It is fitting that the first day of class for our new students, Monday, August 29, falls on the sixth anniversary of Katrina, a storm from which many in our community are still recovering. It is fitting because these students will follow their predecessors in helping to bring about the continued renaissance of post-Katrina New Orleans.

In keeping with this tradition, one of the first collective acts by our new class will be their participation in Outreach Tulane, an annual day of service that puts 1,000 Tulane students, alumni, faculty and staff to work in schools and other non-profit organizations throughout New Orleans. You can join in this effort by visiting http.tulane.edu.

I could not be more excited about our new class, the new academic year and the opportunity to communicate with you again through Tulane Talk.

Have a great weekend,

TULANE TALK

May 20, 2011

Good Morning:

We have certainly ended this academic year and semester on a high note with an unforgettable http and with all indicators, including our new incoming class, pointing to a bright future. This will be the last regular Tulane Talk until the fall, when I will share with you next year’s goals and how we did in meeting this year’s goals.

I will also keep in touch periodically over the summer, as news and events warrant. Thank you for another great year. Day in and day out you continue to amaze me with your dedication, commitment and efforts on behalf of Tulane and New Orleans.

Have a great weekend and summer,

TULANE TALK

May 6, 2011

Good Morning:

I am fond of saying that Tulane University faculty members are among the world’s greatest.

This week I received more validation of that claim when John Perdew, professor of physics in the School of Science and Engineering, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Election to the Academy is one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. New members are elected to the Academy for life by current members, adding the prestige of peer recognition to this singular honor.

Established by an Act of Congress signed by Abraham Lincoln at the height of the Civil War, the National Academy of Sciences advises the White House, Congress and government agencies on scientific matters, such as climate change, that are critical to policy decisions.

With nearly 70,000 citations in scientific journals referring to his research, John is also among the world’s most-cited physicists. Such citations are another widely used measure of the global impact of a scientist’s work.

You can rub elbows with John and other current and future world-famous stars at http 2011 this Thursday, May 12. See you there.

Have a great weekend,