Tulane Talk November 03, 2006
TULANE TALK
November 3, 2006
Good Morning:
It is still very early in the recruiting season, but there are several positive signs as we begin the first steps in assembling a new class for fall 2007.
Inquiries from prospective students are coming in at a higher rate than ever before and actual applications are coming in at a rate that is on pace with pre-Katrina years. Indeed, in last weekís Wall Street Journal the president of a company that assists students in getting into the nationís most selective universities said she is telling her clients that Tulane is a “good bet” for them.
We welcome such endorsements and on November 12 we are looking forward to welcoming approximately 300 prospective students and their parents from across the country to a special on-campus open house. The event will include campus tours, a question and answer session and an address by me and Reed Kroloff, dean of our School of Architecture. This is the last in a series of such events we have had this semester.
To bolster our recruiting efforts, our admissions office redesigned its web site and produced two new DVDs and a brochure targeted directly to parent’s reservations about sending their students to Tulane. You can view the video at http://www.tulane.edu/~admiss/parents/video.html
We’ve also begun a series of Internet live chats through which prospective students and parents can ask me and other administrators any questions they have regarding Tulane. Weíll host the first fall chat this Sunday, November 5 at 7 p.m. To submit your own question visit http://www.tulane.edu/~admiss/livechat.html
In addition to our web presence, our admission counselors are also crisscrossing the country to visit prospective students face-to- face in their hometowns. Plus we are flying in more than 100 guidance counselors from high schools around the country. These counselors spend two days on campus with faculty and students and also tour the Lower 9th Ward. These counselors, who are influential in guiding students in their college choices, then become ambassadors who can offer the truth about Tulane and New Orleans.
It won’t happen overnight but I have every confidence that these efforts, combined with Tulaneís stellar academic reputation and the enduring charm of our city, will enable us to regain the title given us by the Kaplan/Newsweek College Guide before Katrina: “one of the countryís hottest schools.”
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 27, 2006
TULANE TALK
October 27, 2006
Good Morning:
I donít know about you, but traditions seem to mean a lot more to me now, and every time we celebrate an event that had to be postponed last year it feels like sweet victory.
That’s what has me so excited about this year’s Homecoming and Parent/Family Weekend, which will be held October 27-29. What a great time for students, parents, faculty, staff and fans to come together to celebrate those things we cherish most.
Homecoming activities actually began on Sunday evening with the Lighting of McAlister Auditorium ceremony and the presentation of the 2006 Homecoming Court. Throughout the week, the university has been abuzz with window-painting contests, sidewalk chalking, a fun run, free green and blue snoballs and numerous other activities. Today, parents are arriving to visit their sons or daughters on campus and to get a feel for the Tulane community and spirit.
Tomorrow, October 28, is game day, of course. Tulane will take on Army at 1 p.m. but the fun will begin at 11 a.m. with tailgating and music outside the Superdome. There will be special tents for alumni, including the Alumni 25 Year Silver Reunion Tent for the classes of 1980 and 1981. During the game, the 2006 Homecoming Court will be presented and the Tulane marching band will perform.
Tulane faculty and staff will be admitted free to the game. Just show your Tulane ID at the designated Tulane Faculty/Staff table inside Gate B, Plaza Level and you and your guest will be admitted free. To read more about all of this weekend’s activities please visit http://www.tulane.edu/homecoming06/
I hope to see all you at the game and pre-game festivities. Hereís to victory over Army and Katrina. Roll Wave!
Have a great Homecoming Weekend,
Tulane Talk October 20, 2006
TULANE TALK
October 20, 2006
Good Morning:
Since Katrina Tulane University students, faculty and staff have assumed a greater role as community leaders. This was evident in a number of high-profile ways this week.
On Monday, Tulane architecture students unveiled the first of four homes they are designing and building for low-to-moderate income residents in post-Katrina New Orleans. You can read more about this inspiring story at http://tinyurl.com/y83boh
On Tuesday, I was in Chicago for the “Campus Compact Visioning Summit,” where Tulane was honored with several national awards. We were one of only three universities in the nation to win the President’s Higher Education Community Service Award For Excellence in Hurricane Relief Service, one of 10 finalists for the President’s Higher Education Community Service Award For Excellence in General Community Service and we were designated as a Program with Distinction for General Community Service.
At the same summit, Sonia Schwartz, the chair of the Community Action Council of University Students (CACTUS) received the Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Award. Sonia was honored for organizing more than 2,000 Tulane students, as well as more than 800 volunteers from other universities around the country, to work during their winter and spring breaks with New Orleans neighborhood associations to repopulate and rebuild the city.
We also learned this week that Sharon Courtney, our assistant vice president for Government Affairs, was named as a Role Model by the Young Leadership Council. Sharon was designated for this honor for her instrumental role in helping secure funds to advance higher education in the New Orleans area post-Katrina.
And finally, we learned that Yvette Jones, chief operating officer and senior vice president for external affairs and Karen DeSalvo, associate professor and chief of general internal medicine and geriatrics, were selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as “Women of the Year.” Both were chosen for their critical role in the continued recovery of Tulane and the health care industry of New Orleans.
While extremely worthy of individual praise, the Tulanians honored this week are really representatives of the whole Tulane community that, day after day, is a major force in the recovery of our city. Please join me in congratulating our colleagues and the many unsung heroes of our recovery.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 13, 2006
TULANE TALK
October 13, 2006
Good Morning:
In this space and in many other forums I have often expressed my gratitude to the staff of Tulane University. Over the last year they have made our survival, recovery and renewal possible.
Now I have the opportunity to express this gratitude in a more concrete way. But I need your help. Please visit the link below and nominate an outstanding staff member whose commitment has advanced the mission of Tulane through increased productivity, cost savings, humanitarianism or enhanced objectives.
Up to 10 staff members, selected from your nominations by a committee representing a cross section of the University community, will receive a cash prize of $1000 and a special plaque commemorating their dedication and excellence. In addition, Marjorie and I will have the honor of hosting a dinner for the Staff Excellence Award recipients at our home.
Please visit http://www.tulane.edu/%7Ehr/staffexcellence.shtml for more information and submit your nomination today. I know you will have plenty of qualified nominees from which to choose. I look forward to awarding the winners.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 06, 2006
TULANE TALK
October 6, 2006
Good Morning:
I am pleased to announce that Stephen H. Weiss has joined the Board of Tulane University. Mr. Weiss is a managing director and senior portfolio manager of the investment firm of Neuberger Berman, LLC, a Lehman Brothers Company.
Mr. Weiss’s leadership, investment expertise and devotion to Tulane as a parent of an undergraduate student, are just a few of the many attributes he brings to our board. To read more about our newest board member visit http://www2.tulane.edu/article_news_details.cfm?ArticleID=6848
I have been traveling the country and giving an update on the university and its post-Katrina recovery to various alumni groups. This presentation includes a lot of startling before-and-after Katrina photos and facts. You can view the presentation at http://www2.tulane.edu/tulane_talk/alumni_fall2006.pdf
Recently, our Interim Provost Paul Barron and our Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Paul Whelton presented an update on the university and our continued renewal process to the Board of Tulane. You can view these at: http://www2.tulane.edu/tulane_talk/bog_boa_sept2006.pdf and http://www2.tulane.edu/tulane_talk/renewalplan_fall2006.pdf
I believe our presentations will provide you with a thorough understanding of the current state of the university, the many accomplishments we have made thus far and the challenges and opportunities we still face. One such opportunity is the search for a permanent provost to replace Lester Lefton who left in July to become president of Kent State University.
Anthropology Professor Robert Hill is chairing the provost search committee. This committee is comprised of faculty, administrators, students, staff and board members. But we need your help as well.
Please submit names for consideration to Robert Hill at http@tulane.edu A description of the position and requirements can be found at http://www.tulane.edu/provostsearch/
We are excited about this search and have already received interest from many highly qualified candidates from around the nation. With your help, we hope to name a new provost by the first of the year.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 29, 2006
TULANE TALK
September 29, 2006
Good Morning:
Thereís no place like home.
This Saturday, for the first time since Dec. 4, 2004, our Green Wave football team will play on their home field. This game, against the SMU Mustangs, marks the return of college football to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
This event has garnered the attention of quite a few media outlets, including ìThe Best Damn Sports Show Period,î which has been broadcasting from campus for the last three days. Like this weekís Monday Night Football game, the Green Waveís return to the Dome will help renew the purpose for which the Superdome was originally built, while paying tribute to the role it played during our darkest hour.
We will have a special pre-game ceremony to honor Tulaneís medical heroes: the doctors who stayed behind during Katrina to care for and evacuate patients. We will also honor the Tulane doctors who, after our hospital had been knocked out by the storm, established a clinic on the street to treat first responders and what remained of the cityís population. We will also honor our heroes from the student-run Tulane Emergency Services who transported patients and medical supplies in the aftermath of Katrina.
In addition the game will feature the debut of our marching band and the return of Tulane tailgating beginning at 2:30 p.m. For ticket and tailgate information call (504) 861-WAVE or visit http.TulaneGreenWave.com.
When we played SMU last year one of our students was photographed in the stands holding a sign that read ìTulane Lives.î You can view this photo at http://www.tulane.edu/tulanevssmu/smuvtulane1.jpg. Saturday will be another moment for us to make this statement loud and clear.
Roll Wave,
Tulane Talk September 22, 2006
TULANE TALK
September 22, 2006
Good Morning:
Tulane University continues to be in the national spotlight. The enormously popular Best Damn Sports Show Period, featuring hosts Chris Rose, former Lakersí great John Salley and former Carolina Panthers star Rodney Peete, will broadcast from Gibson Quad Sept. 27, 28 and 29 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
The producers are encouraging the Tulane and New Orleans community to attend all tapings. No tickets are required. Just arrive at 4 p.m. on the taping days. Students and fans wearing Tulane gear will be spotlighted for TV coverage.
The show is taping from campus as a lead up to the Green Waveís Sept. 30 home opener against SMU. The game will mark the return of college football to the Superdome for the first time since Katrina.
Guests for the show will include Tulane head football coach Chris Scelfo, former Rams star running back Marshall Faulk, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Saints running back Deuce McAllister, former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown and more. Cowboy Mouth will perform on Wednesday and Robert Randolph and Friends will perform on Thursday. There will be beignet eating contests, giveaways and other special events. The showís hosts will take pictures and sign autographs with fans at the end of each show.
Besides being a lot of fun this, like last weekís premiere of ìAll the King’s Men,î is an important opportunity to broadcast great images of our university and city to the nation, as well as highlight the challenges that lay ahead. Hope to see you at the show.
Also, you might enjoy this short http. It features some of the excitement of last weekís premiere as well as some comments from the stars regarding Tulane and New Orleans.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 15, 2006
TULANE TALK
September 15, 2006
Good Morning:
Last December, as we were preparing to re-open after Hurricane Katrina I told students that Tulane University would be the most exciting place in the country for them to live and learn.
At the time I wasnít thinking that excitement would include Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Patricia Clarkson visiting us for the world premiere of All the Kingís Men Sept. 16 at McAlister Auditorium.
As you may know, part of the film was shot in New Orleans and, like everyone who visits our city, the filmmakers were captured by its charm and hospitality. Valerie Van Galder, president of Marketing for Columbia Pictures, told us, ìWe wanted to give something back to the community that was so gracious to us during the filming of the movie. All of the stars were eager to come back to this beautiful city.î
And we, likewise, are eager to have them. Columbia allotted approximately 600 premiere tickets to Tulane students through our Political Science and Theatre Departments. They are also encouraging the Tulane community and public, even those who don’t have tickets to the premiere itself, to come see the celebrities as they make their way up the red carpet along McAlister Drive starting at 4:30 p.m. the day of the premiere.
Besides an opportunity to see some of the worldís most famous stars and host the premiere of one of the major movie productions of the year, this event is evidence that New Orleans has reclaimed its title as ëHollywood South.í More and more film projects are being attracted by the historic setting our city has to offer as well as its compelling stories. This premiere will shine the spotlight, in a very positive way, on the continued recovery of our city and university.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 08, 2006
TULANE TALK
September 8, 2006
Good morning:
As you read this I am at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. hearing the great news that Tulane Universityís Community Health Center at Covenant House will receive a $5 million grant from the State of Qatar.
The Community Health Center was founded last September when Tulane physician Anjali Niyogi set up a card table in the street to serve Hurricane Katrinaís first responders. Since then the center has established itself at the Covenant House, 611 N. Rampart Street, and served more than 7,800 patients with free adult primary care, mental health counseling, geriatric care and health education. Spanish translation services are also available.
Karen DeSalvo, executive director of the Community Health Center, who is also here for the announcement, will be using this Qatar grant to triple capacity at the center by adding six examination rooms and funding the purchase of a mobile medical unit to serve neighborhoods most damaged by Katrina. Money from the grant will also fund salaries for physicians, nurses and other support staff and purchase equipment and supplies. Most of all, this grant will allow Tulane to continue to be a leader in the recovery of our city.
The Tulane grant announced today is part of the final disbursement of a $100 million pledge Qatar made to victims of Hurricane Katrina last September. In that first round of gifts Tulane received a $10 million grant from the People of Qatar via the Qatar Katrina Fund that we are using to provide scholarships for students who suffered losses from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
We are indebted to the State of Qatar and its people for their continued support of our university and community. We are also indebted to our Tulane doctors who sacrificed so much before, during and after the storm to keep their patients safe. They are true heroes.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 01, 2006
TULANE TALK
September 1, 2006
Good morning:
On Wednesday, with classes starting on all of our campuses, we officially began another academic year. It gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone back for what promises to be a very productive year.
As of today, our total student enrollment is more than 10,000, which is about 80 percent of our final fall 2004 number, the last pre-Katrina data available. While this number is smaller than in years past, it is encouraging that so many of the highest achieving students from around the country and the world still covet the opportunity to attend Tulane University. We currently have 5,322 full-time undergraduates registered. That represents 86.5 percent of the final count for that same group in fall 2004. Our School of Medicine is fully subscribed and several of our other professional schools also had strong showings.
Even though the size of our entering undergraduate class is smaller than the 1,400 goal we established last December, the quality of the class is outstanding. The average SAT scores of incoming students this year is 285 points above the national average and a significant portion of the first year students graduated in the top 10 percent of their class. But just as important as academic achievement is the character of the students we are attracting. Any student coming to Tulane now is not here simply to get a degree and have a good time. They have answered their generationís call to help restore one of the nationís most unique cities and cultures.
I am also pleased to report that our total external research funding for the year was $134 million, only $3 million less than the total for the year before. This achievement is a tribute to the quality and dedication of our faculty, who did a remarkable job this past year under impossible conditions. It also demonstrates our continued strength as a major research university.
Finally, we had the second strongest fund-raising year in our history, despite the fact that our funding-raising ability was severely compromised for almost half of the year due to Katrina. Our fund-raising success is a tribute to the incredible generosity of our alumni and friends who continue to support us during this challenging and historic time. In many ways our recovery is ahead of schedule, but much more needs to be done before we can secure the future. I have no doubt that the Tulane family – faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends – will continue to do what it takes for us to realize a promising future despite the hurricane tragedy.
Have a great Labor Day,