Tulane Talk February 14, 2003
TULANE TALK
February 14, 2003
Good Morning:
With the arrival of Valentine’s Day I wanted to remind you of some of the many ways members of the Tulane University community are putting their hearts into action.
On Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tulane faculty, students, staff and alumni will gather at Charles J. Colton Junior High to begin the preparatory work for a Tulane-led “paint rally” that will take place at the school on March 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is one of the numerous efforts Tulane volunteers make throughout the year to improve our schools. To join this endeavor visit http://www.som.tulane.edu/paintrally/
Students involved in the Service Learning Program at Tulane also continue to make tremendous contributions to the community. This year more than 850 Service Learning students have volunteered in local schools, health agencies and community organizations throughout New Orleans. One of the community partners of the Office of Service Learning, the Urban Conservancy, is also working with Tulane students and faculty to help New Orleans achieve economic development while maintaining its historic character.
In addition to these projects, Tulane biomedical engineering students in Professor David Rice’s design class continue to work with physically challenged residents to develop special chairs, lifts, feeders and even customized toys that bring greater independence and joy to the lives of many.
And finally, almost every day I get word of another Tulane alumnus who is being deployed for military service to the Middle East or other parts of the world. While there will always be debate regarding various aspects of our military policy, I don’t think anyone questions the dedication and bravery of these young men and women.
These are just a few instances in which members of the Tulane family touch the lives and hearts of others in such meaningful ways.
Have a special Valentine’s Day and a great weekend,
Tulane Talk February 07, 2003
TULANE TALK
February 7, 2003
Good Morning:
As promised, here is the presentation I made to the University Senate regarding the implementation of our strategic plan: http://www.tulane.edu/%7Estrplan/reports.shtml. As you will see, this presentation focuses on the more than 65 percent increase in total research and development funding Tulane University has received since 1998. This money supports research throughout the university with a particular focus on the sciences and engineering.
As part of this increase we have also realized significantly more funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, two organizations whose grant processes are among the most competitive in the U.S.
Part of our funding success is due to the partnerships we have forged between the Tulane University Health Sciences Center and the LSU Health Sciences Center. For many years we fought with LSU for research dollars as fiercely as we competed with them in athletics. In recent years, however, our co-operation has created the Louisiana Gene Therapy Consortium, the Neurobiotechnology Initiative and the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium of New Orleans. These new centers are taking innovative approaches to advance research in preventing, diagnosing and treating disease.
Tonight, I will gather with leaders from both universities to celebrate these partnerships and the journey which we have just begun. Through shared vision and expertise, these three partnerships will improve the lives of all of us and place New Orleans at the forefront of the exciting and promising field of biomedical research.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk February 03, 2003
TULANE TALK
February 3, 2003
Dear Colleagues:
This past Saturday, we witnessed the tragic loss of seven truly outstanding individuals who devoted their lives to the noble pursuit of knowledge. As members of the Tulane community, I know you join me in mourning their deaths and praying for their families, while acknowledging and standing in awe of their contributions to humanity.
Tulane University has had a long partnership with NASA and many Tulane experiments have been carried out aboard space shuttle flights. In these difficult times, we must have the strength and courage to move forward while always remembering the sacrifices others have made on our behalf.
Tulane Talk January 31, 2003
TULANE TALK
January 31, 2003
Good Morning:
I spent the early part of this week in New York visiting with Tulane University alumni and parents. One of the recurring themes I heard during our conversations was the increased level of visibility and respect Tulane has in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. One young alumnus told me the perception of the university has been completely reversed in the eyes of his friends. Tulane is now perceived as a serious academic institution where you can also have fun, as opposed to a place where you have fun and can also get a solid education. We have been trying hard for years to effect this image change. Perhaps it is now occurring.
On Monday, I am going to give the second of a series of on-going reports to the University Senate regarding the implementation of the university’s strategic plan. This report will focus on the topic of research. In preparing for the presentation, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the significant increases we are seeing in funded research. These increases are across all of our schools and colleges and are historical highs for the university. This is a real tribute to the efforts of our faculty and the quality of our research. Next week I will post these results on the web so you can see for yourself the progress we have made. More needs to be done, but the trajectory is extremely positive.
Today I will attend the annual staff appreciation luncheon at the Radisson Hotel. This is an event we started four years ago to recognize the outstanding work of our staff. It is truly one of the highlights of the year for me. I look forward to thanking our staff, personally, for their efforts on behalf of the university.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk January 24, 2003
TULANE TALK
January 24, 2003
Good Morning:
I had the honor this week of helping to select the winning design for an outdoor classroom dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The idea for the classroom, which will be located just off the Gibson Hall quad between the Richardson Building and Walter E. Blessey Hall, was conceived by Tulane students as a permanent and active memorial to those who lost their lives September 11, 2001.
The School of Architecture, in co-operation with Tulane student government, hosted the competition in which some 56 teams of students submitted design proposals. I can’t tell you how impressed I was by the creativity, professionalism and obvious care our students brought to bear on this project. The winning design and runner-ups will be revealed today at noon in the University Center. I urge you to stop by and review the design for what will become part of our university’s legacy.
As you are well aware, we are living in a time of heightened tension in our nation and the world. The ongoing war against terrorism, continuing troubles in the Middle East and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea are concerns to all of us. In any community of our size and diversity there will be considerable disagreement as to the best way to deal with these international crises.
It is important to remember that as a community of higher education, we should encourage and support active and informed debate on these and other issues and, most importantly, that such discourse respects the opinions and views of all.
The Association of American Universities recently issued a position statement on this very issue. You can view this statement, which I fully endorse, at http://www.aau.edu/resources/AAUState1.15.03.html.
By following the simple guidelines outlined here, we can assure that our differences in opinion, profound as they may be, will only make us more informed, reasoned and civil human beings. The issues raised in this statement have been a topic of conversation among several of the faculty and administrative groups I regularly meet with on campus and are a reminder of our responsibilities during these challenging times.
Finally, an op-ed piece I wrote on using race as a factor in the admissions process will be published in the next few days in The Times-Picayune. As you know, this is an issue that has been in the news quite a bit lately and will soon be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. Please try to catch the piece in The Times-Picayune or look for it next week on my web site at http://www2.tulane.edu/administration_president.cfm.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk January 17, 2003
TULANE TALK
January 17, 2003
Good Morning:
I’m pleased to report that David Halberstam, one of the nation’s most distinguished social and political commentators, has accepted the invitation to address our graduates at the 2003 Commencement, which will be held May 17 at 9:30 a.m. in the Louisiana Superdome.
During his brilliant career, Halberstam has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize and countless other honors. His last 13 books, with subjects ranging from the Vietnam War to Michael Jordan, have made The New York Times Best-Seller List. His latest national best seller is Firehouse, the story of Engine 40, Ladder 35 in Manhattan, which lost 12 of its 13 firefighters in the attacks on the World Trade Center.
His many other notable works include The Best and the Brightest, which traces the origins of the Vietnam War, The Powers That Be, which examines the power of the modern media, and The Reckoning, a study of Japan’s industrial challenge to Detroit. Halberstam also writes a weekly column on ESPN.com and is a frequent guest on programs such as Face the Nation and Nightline. I know he will be a particularly engaging and memorable commencement speaker. For an overview of all the activities planned for Commencement 2003 visit http://www.grads2003.tulane.edu/.
In addition to the excitement of securing our commencement speaker, I am looking forward to next week’s celebration of the life and dream of Martin Luther King Jr. I am pleased that once again, Tulane will join Dillard, Loyola and Xavier Universities in observing the 17th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week for Peace, January 20 – 24. Please try to make at least one of the week’s events, which address issues of vital importance to all of us. For a full list of events, please visit http://www.tulane.edu/%7Eoma/mlkweek.html.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk January 10, 2003
TULANE TALK
January 10, 2003
Good Morning:
As students returned to classes this week, a Tulane University tradition quietly began to fade away. For the first time Tulane students were able to register for classes completely on-line. With 80 percent of students choosing this route, the lines and paperwork of past registrations appear to be history.
I had the opportunity this week, along with Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Paul Whelton, to visit the Tulane National Primate Research Center in Covington and welcome a group of distinguished scientists who were participating in a site visit of the center. Their visit was part of the National Institutes of Health’s renewal of funding for the center.
For me the visit was a reminder of how the primate center is intricately linked to the mission and purpose of Tulane, especially as it relates to our research agenda. The center is truly a distinctive feature of our university. Its groundbreaking research into AIDS, infectious disease and gene therapy should fill us all with pride and hope.
Another source of pride is our 2002 ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl Champion Green Wave football team. The team will be honored for their remarkable season during halftime of the Jan. 11 Tulane-Southern Miss women’s basketball game in Fogleman Arena. Tip-off for the game is 2 p.m. Green Wave fans are invited to attend the celebration dressed in their finest Hawaiian apparel. I hope to see you all there.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk January 03, 2003
TULANE TALK
January 3, 2003
Good Morning:
The new year is already bringing about change. Pierre Buekens, formerly of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, officially assumed the position of dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine this week. Pierre replaces Ann C. Anderson, who has served as acting dean of our School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine since October 1999. I hope you will all join me in welcoming Pierre and his family to the Tulane community.
I want to personally thank Ann for her leadership of the school during an extraordinarily challenging period. Through her efforts the school joined the U.S. government as a partner in safeguarding Americans from the threat of bioterrorist attacks. Tulane is now one of only 15 schools throughout the country that will receive federal funding to ensure that the country’s health care providers are trained to respond to terrorist acts.
Another major focus of Ann’s tenure was the use of distance learning in public health education and the establishment of a program in which students can fulfill all the requirements of a degree in occupational health and safety without ever stepping foot in a traditional classroom. Ann also strengthened the financial standing of the school and ensured that it continued to be a leader in health education. In addition, she just recently shepherded the school through the reaccreditation process. We are all grateful to Ann for her stewardship and pleased that she will continue to serve Tulane as senior associate dean.
The subject of health reminds me of our new health care plan, an issue that I know continues to be of interest to everyone at Tulane. I have recently formed a Health Plan Oversight Committee comprised of: Alan Miller, associate senior vice president for health sciences and committee chair; Yvette Jones, senior vice president for external affairs and former administrator for the Tulane Preferred Health Plan; Anne Banos, chief of staff and vice president; Professor Linda Carroll, chair of University Senate Benefits Committee; and Associate Professor Blackwell Evans, former medical director of Tulane Preferred Health Plan.
This committee will closely monitor the implementation of the new plan, quickly address any issues that may arise and begin to think about what changes, if any, may have to be made in subsequent years to ensure access to high quality medical care at the lowest possible prices for all of our employees. I have every assurance that this committee will perform its duties with the utmost diligence.
Finally, I hope that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season. The new year promises to be another exciting and productive one for Tulane. I, for one, can’t wait to get started!
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk December 18, 2002
TULANE TALK
December 18, 2002
Good Morning:
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of spending the morning with some of Tulane University’s best: the winners of this year’s Staff Excellence Awards. These ten outstanding employees were selected by their peers and supervisors for their extraordinary service to the university. This is the second year of the Staff Excellence Awards, a program that is an integral part of our strategic plan’s “People” section.
Each of this year’s winners received a $1000 check, a plaque recognizing their achievement and an invitation to a special dinner in their honor hosted by Marjorie and me.
It was truly an honor to meet some of the many great employees who help Tulane continue to attain new levels of excellence. The work they, as well as their colleagues, do every day on our behalf is what makes this university so special.
This year’s winners represent a cross section of Tulane at its best. Visit http://www2.tulane.edu/excellence_awards.cfm to learn their names and a little bit about each of this year’s winners. Congratulations to them all!
Tulane Talk December 13, 2002
TULANE TALK
December 13, 2002
Good Morning:
I recently presented the University Senate, Tulane University’s internal governing body, a progress report on our Strategic Plan, the blueprint we developed in 1999 to ensure the university’s continued growth and development during the next decade. This presentation focused on the “People” section, the first and most important initiative of our strategic plan. I am providing a link to the presentation for you at: http://www.tulane.edu/~strplan/updatedec02/sld001.htm. As I give additional progress reports to the Senate, I will furnish you the information as well.
While I am on the subject of “People,” let me address the new health care plan, an issue that has been on the minds of all of us lately. The rising cost of health care is a challenge for individuals and institutions across the nation. Virtually every organization is experiencing annual significant increases in health care costs and Tulane is no exception. This trend is what caused us to rebid our health care coverage. After reviewing proposals from across the country, the administration, in partnership with the University Senate, which includes representatives from faculty, staff and students, chose the plan we believe provides all of us with the best choice of coverage at the most affordable rates given all of the options available to us.
For some Tulane employees their coverage rates have remained the same. However, others have experienced significant increases that will strain their budgets. Even though many of you have seen your rates increase, the rates of the United Healthcare plans are much lower than the rates employees would have had to pay had Tulane accepted any other option, including the existing Tulane Preferred Health Plan. Most importantly, most of the doctors from the Tulane University Medical Group are also providers under the United plan.
I have heard from many of you on this subject. Let me assure you that providing affordable and quality health care for all our employees was the only consideration throughout a process in which the university had to select the best plan out of a number of unattractive options. We will continue to closely monitor health care options throughout the country in our continued mission to provide the best and most affordable coverage for our employees.
Have a good weekend,