Tulane Talk January 06, 2006
TULANE TALK
January 6, 2006
Good Morning:
As we start the new year and the long-awaited Spring 2006 semester, I want to announce a number of senior level personnel changes that have occurred as the result of the new academic structure or voluntary resignations.
Teresa Soufas, dean of the Faculty of the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Teresa has served as dean for over eight years. As dean, she made many contributions to the Arts and Sciences and the university, including introducing freshmen writing seminars, overseeing an increase in the Arts and Sciences faculty and placing a greater emphasis on fundraising and building support among external constituents. Teresa will return to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese faculty this spring. James MacLaren, professor of physics and associate provost, will serve as acting dean of the Faculty of the Liberal Arts and Sciences until the end of this academic year. Effective July 2006, the new School of Liberal Arts will be created and a dean will be selected for that position later in the spring semester.
Ian Taylor, dean of the School of Medicine: Ian served as dean for over four years and was instrumental in developing a strategic plan for the school, managing the successful Liaison Committee on Medical Education re-accreditation of the school and increasing research funding and the size of the clinical enterprise. Paul Whelton, currently senior vice president for the health sciences, has been appointed dean of the School of Medicine in addition to his current position.
John Lawson, chief information officer: John served as chief information officer for more than three years, overseeing the relocation of the Information Technology department to 1555 Poydras, the development of a new student information system and the migration to a wireless campus. Paul Barron, Professor of Law will serve as chief information officer for the foreseeable future. As you may recall, Paul has served as interim Provost in the past and was enlisted as a senior officer-at-large at the time of the hurricane. Paul has been a faculty member at the university for over two decades.
Nicholas Altiero, dean of the School of Engineering: Nick will continue as dean of the School of Engineering through the end of this academic year. Thereafter, he will become the dean of the new School of Science and Engineering. We are delighted Nick has agreed to assume this new position because of his energy and willingness to grow and develop this new school. Nick has proven himself to be a very capable academic administrator in the last six years and we have every confidence about the future of the new school under his leadership.
Cynthia Lowenthal, dean of Newcomb College, George Bernstein, dean of Tulane College, and Michael Herman, dean of the Graduate School: Cynthia, George and Michael will return to their academic departments next fiscal year as a result of new academic structure. All three have served with distinction in their respective roles and I am most appreciative of their many contributions to the university.
Finally, Yvette Jones, senior vice president of external affairs, will also assume the title of chief operating officer. Shortly after the storm I appointed Yvette chief operating officer to oversee a number of key areas of the university, which allowed me to focus on the overall university strategy for survival, recovery and renewal and to assist in the recovery of New Orleans. Yvette has been extremely effective in this role and I want to formalize it for the future. In my absence, Yvette will have overall responsibility for the entire university.
In the next few years, I plan to spend the majority of my time overseeing the successful implementation of all aspects of the Renewal Plan, especially the creation of the new academic structure and the financial recovery of the university; the completion of the $700 million fund-raising campaign by June 30, 2008; and the stabilization and continued growth of the universityís academic quality and stature. I would also like to spend time actively participating in the overall recovery of New Orleans in areas consistent with our Renewal Plan and being a spokesperson for the renewal of the university and city around the country. The realignment of the organization will allow me the flexibility to ensure these objectives are accomplished.
We have been through a great deal in the last four months, which will forever change us personally and as a university. Yet, despite our challenges, I remain steadfast in my optimism and enthusiasm for the universityís future. All of the people I have noted in this e-mail have made many contributions to Tulane University and I am deeply indebted to all of them for their service and dedication. Likewise, I look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead to continue what was started years ago, building a distinctive and highly respected world-class university.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk December 22, 2005
TULANE TALK
December 22, 2005
Good Morning:
The link below will bring you to a special holiday card that looks forward to the New Year and a new season of hope and renewal for Tulane University. I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.tulane.edu/HolidayCard2005.html
Happy Holidays,
Tulane Talk December 16, 2005
TULANE TALK
December 16, 2005
It has now been one week since the Board of Administrators unanimously approved the historic plan to reinvent the university in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Not surprisingly, there have been questions about the plan, ranging from the timing of its announcement, to why it was needed at all, to clarification about its specifics.
The necessity for and timing of the Renewal Plan were most perplexing to Tulanians around the country who do not have first-hand knowledge or an understanding of what New Orleans, its people and institutions, including Tulane, have been through in the last three months as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
To give you a clearer understanding and context in which these decisions were made, I refer you to a letter recently sent to Congress on behalf of virtually all of the leading higher educations associations in America:
http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2005/gkatrinaletter121405.html
In addition, I also suggest you read the e-mail I sent to all of our students this week regarding the Renewal Plan http://renewal.tulane.edu/students_undergraduate_cowen2.shtml
These two messages may provide a richer perspective on the university’s situation.
What differentiates Tulaneís actions from other institutions in the region is that Tulane decided to take a visionary, focused and expansive approach to reinvention to meet the dual objectives of maintaining our commitment to academic excellence, which has been the universityís focus for 172 years, and resolving our financial challenges.
We rejected the notion of only cutting costs across the board to survive. The reality of the current situation in New Orleans and the realization that change was inevitable required us to make quick, informed and difficult decisions. I assure you that these decisions were motivated only by the realities of our situation and not by other factors.
I realize our decisions have caused pain, anger and frustration for the people most affected by the changes. I truly sympathize and regret this. I just hope, over time, all Tulanians will come to accept and understand that this action was absolutely necessary for the university to survive and thrive in the future and continue to serve as a source of hope and renewal for our community.
Tulane Talk December 08, 2005
TULANE TALK
December 8, 2005
To the Tulane Community:
A little over three months ago Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in the history of the U.S., caused unbelievable destruction to our beloved city, its people and institutions, including Tulane University. However, Katrina did not destroy us because of the courage and sheer determination of so many who would not accept defeat no matter what obstacles or challenges stood in the way.
Tulane University will open its doors on January 17 to approximately 86 percent of the students who were here pre-Katrina, a figure no one thought conceivable three months ago. This speaks volumes about the quality and commitment of our students, faculty and staff. I am so proud and honored to be associated with each and every one of you.
But for Tulane University, survival and recovery are not enough. We aspire to so much more for ourselves and for our city, region and country. It took Tulane 172 years to become one of the most respected and highly regarded universities in the nation. I am here today to tell you, the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Tulane, that regardless of what challenges we face we have no intention of letting this disaster destroy our legacy and dream of world-class academic excellence.
Tulane stands shoulder to shoulder with other New Orleanians in its commitment and determination to rebuild our city, block by block. I make this pledge on behalf of Tulane University, the premier academic university in the region, New Orleansí largest employer and one of the largest economic engines in the state.
The road back will not be an easy one for any of us. Like many other institutions, Tulane University realized substantial financial losses from the hurricane. But even as we undertook the daunting and expensive task of cleaning up and repairing the damage to our campuses, we were committed to retaining, to the greatest degree possible, the core that makes Tulane greatóits people. We did this by quickly establishing communications following the storm, taking care of our studentsí academic needs, and maintaining the payroll for the majority of our full-time faculty and staff throughout the fall semester while we were closed.
But such commitment comes with a price and, for Tulane, that price is significant. Today, the Board of Administrators approved a bold and courageous plan for the university that ensures our continued academic excellence and financial recovery. More information about the plan is available at http.tulane.edu
Our plan represents the most significant reinvention of an American university in more than a century. It required us to make difficult decisions about programs and people, which we attempted to do strategically and with sensitivity to those whose positions were eliminated. It is a plan borne out of a disaster but it reflects a university willing to change, to overcome adversity, to take control of its destiny and to face the future with determination and confidence. It reflects a university that loves New Orleans and understands its leadership role in rebuilding the city as its largest employer. As Tulane excels, so will New Orleans. As New Orleans shines again, Tulane will bask in that light.
The word ìlightî reminds me of an e-mail I sent on August 30 as the floodwaters rose in the city and I and a handful of my staff awaited rescue from the Reily Center. Although we are three months and a lifetime removed from those dark days, I think the sentiment expressed in that note is still applicable.
ìIt is difficult to describe what this situation feels like for those involved,î I wrote. ìIt is surreal and unfathomable; yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our focus is on the light and not the darkness.î
That light is, and always will remain, our focus.
Tulane Talk December 02, 2005
TULANE TALK
December 2, 2005
Good Morning:
Tulane students, 86 percent of whom have already registered for the upcoming spring semester (down just slightly from our normal return rate of 90 percent for registration at this time last year), aren’t the only ones who are coming back to New Orleans next month.
World-renowned trumpeter and New Orleans native Wynton Marsalis will appear on Tulaneís campus on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 16, to help celebrate the reopening of Tulane, Xavier, Dillard and Loyola universities. Another New Orleans native, ABC and NPR political and news analyst Cokie Roberts, will also speak at Tulane in April.
Wynton and Cokie are the first in an ongoing series of high-powered speakers who will appear at Tulane, Xavier, Dillard or Loyola universities in the coming months. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford will join this series on March 16. As additional speakers confirm their appearances, I will let you know. These appearances are made possible through the efforts of the Aspen Institute and its president Walter Isaacson, a member of the Board of Tulane.
This speakerís series is just one of the many indications that New Orleansí universities will be the most exciting places in the country in 2006 as students, faculty, staff and a host of nationally known leaders do their part to help rebuild one of the world’s greatest cities.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk November 18, 2005
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,
Tulane Talk November 11, 2005
TULANE TALK
November 11, 2005
Good Morning:
In last week’s Tulane Talk I mentioned that the Board of Administrators and the university’s senior administrative leadership were having extensive conversations about the university’s future in light of Hurricane Katrina. These conversations have either already included or will include a number of external advisors from such institutions as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, Rice and Princeton. In addition, I have consulted on a regular basis with members of the President’s Faculty Advisory Committee, an elected body of the University Senate.
All of these groups are providing wise counsel about how Tulane University should chart its future. In thinking about the future we are guided by the desire to maintain the university’s exceptional academic quality and to continue as a major research and graduate-level university focused on areas where we have demonstrated or are on the cusp of demonstrating world-class excellence.
We will continue to be a university committed to academic excellence while also ensuring the university’s long-term financial viability. These dual commitments will require us to make some difficult decisions in the months ahead, but the result will be a stronger, vibrant and more focused university prepared for the extraordinary challenges of the 21st century.
The discussions thus far give me confidence that Tulane University will increasingly be defined in the future by its:
- World-class excellence in education and research
- A distinct relationship with the culturally rich and diverse city of New Orleans, home to one of the world’s great waterways and a gateway to the Americas
- Historical strengths and the ability to learn and recover from the worst natural disaster in the history of the U.S. in ways that will ultimately benefit the Tulane community, the city of New Orleans and other communities in the U.S. and around the world
The center of the renewed Tulane should be an exceptional undergraduate program dedicated to the development of students both as scholars and socially responsible citizens. This center should be strengthened and surrounded by a limited number of graduate, professional and research programs, which demonstrate the defining characteristics mentioned above.
We also have an unusual opportunity to shape many of our programs by the university’s direct experience with such a large-scale natural disaster.
This experience should provide faculty, staff and students with unique research, learning and community service opportunities that will have a lasting and profound impact on them, New Orleans, the region and communities around the world.
In the coming weeks the Board and I will continue to address our renewal strategy drawing on our external advisors and the President’s Faculty Advisory Committee. I will keep you posted of our progress. In the meantime, please http this link to read an article on Tulane’s recovery that ran on the front page of Monday’s Times-Picayune.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk November 04, 2005
TULANE TALK
November 4, 2005
Good Morning:
Last Saturday in New York I addressed several hundred Tulanians about what the university has been through and will go through in the months ahead as a result of Hurricane Katrina. You can listen to this presentation and view accompanying video at http://arco.vo.llnwd.net/o2/cust5/tulane_live_10_29_05/
This story has three chapters: Survival, Recovery and Renewal.
The Survival chapter really started after the storm and lasted about three weeks. It involved rebuilding the university piece by piece from the immediate devastation of the hurricane. It was an arduous challenge but, as a result of a lot of hard work from many unsung heroes, we survived.
The Recovery chapter is under way as we restore Tulane and its campuses and provide the necessary assistance to help our displaced faculty, staff and students. As part of this recovery, we are partnering with our colleagues at Dillard and Xavier to assist them in their efforts to reopen in January. Our recovery culminates with our reopening on January 17 for the spring semester.
The final chapter in this journey is Renewal. Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history and its impact will be long-lasting, resulting in people and institutions changing in ways unimaginable and probably impossible before the hurricane.
Out of every disaster comes an unprecedented opportunity for institutions like Tulane to rethink the future. Retaining and even enhancing our status among the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions and remaining financially stable in the wake of Hurricane Katrina will require historic change and vision. I am extremely optimistic that the Tulane of the future, which will begin in January, will be positioned to be as academically strong as ever and even more distinctive.
The Renewal chapter started some time ago but has intensified since the hurricane because of the extraordinary impact it has had on the people and institutions of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. Tulane’s Board of Administrators has been intimately involved in these discussions and it has been the major topic of conversation in its meetings for the last two months, including a two-day board meeting in New York last week. This meeting involved an extraordinarily thoughtful and expansive dialogue that will continue in the weeks ahead. It generated enthusiasm and great interest among board members.
As this discussion proceeds, I will share with you the broad framework of our Renewal strategy that will redefine Tulane University for the 21st century as a model institution of higher education.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk August 26, 2005
TULANE TALK
August 26, 2005
Good Morning:
Today, we begin a new semester of Tulane Talk. I place a high value on Tulane Talk because it gives me an opportunity to communicate directly with you on matters of both university-wide and individual interest.
So I will begin by telling you a little about my summer. In addition to my presidential duties, I spent the summer doing a lot of reading (e.g. Bayou Farewell, Freakanomics, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig and What’s the Matter with Kansas), writing (e.g. speeches, columns/op-eds and book chapters), and relaxing with Margie, Gibson and our children who came to visit at one time or another. The highlight of the summer was the birth of our newest grandchild, and first grandson, Toby, on August 23. The summer was great but it is nothing compared to the hope and excitement I feel, based on the faith I have in all of you, for the new academic year.
Beginning next week, I will make the rounds of all the schools and colleges as well as meet with representatives from all the universityís key constituencies to review FY ë05 accomplishments and discuss the priorities for FY ë06. We will focus on at least six areas this year: (1) academic initiatives, including enhancing the quality and impact of the collegiate experience and increasing the size of the faculty in selected areas; (2) implementing the recommendation of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity and Equity; (3) achieving our capital campaign goals; (4) executing our ambitious capital improvement and expansion program; (5) continuing to improve the positioning of athletics within the university; and (6) continuing to partner with others in ways that strengthen our community. During our meetings, we can discuss at length each of these topics. As always, I look forward to your feedback and comments.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk August 11, 2005
TULANE TALK
August 11, 2005
Good Morning:
I hope you are enjoying your summer. I have some wonderful news to share. During the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, Tulane University raised a record $95.4 million in new pledges and gifts. For the first time in the university’s history the market value of our endowment exceeds $800 million. This record-breaking effort is in response to “Promise and Distinction: The Campaign for Tulane University.”
The campaign has attracted increases in donations from all segments of our giving pool, to whom we are indebted. But I am perhaps most pleased by the response from Tulane staff and faculty, whose level of giving has increased 62 percent from last year. This is so critical, because we have to believe and invest in ourselves before we can ask others to do the same.
I shared this sentiment in a press release we recently issued on the status of the campaign. Please read that release by visiting http://www2.tulane.edu/article_news_details.cfm?ArticleID=5897
And thank you again for all you are doing to help Tulane realize its “Promise and Distinction.”