TULANE TALK

February 26, 2002

Good Morning:

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Jane Bickford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, will leave the university by the end of this calendar year. Several months ago Jane discussed with me the possibility of leaving Tulane. Jane expressed a desire to pursue a few of the professional options she has before her, including the possibility of completing her doctoral studies. In fairness to the university, she felt it would be best to leave this year because she was not prepared to make a long-term commitment to the university. I reluctantly concurred with her decision.

Since Jane joined Tulane in 1999, there have been many significant improvements in the university’s institutional advancement efforts. Total private giving has more than doubled in the last three years compared to the three years preceding her arrival; the Annual Fund is at an all-time high and there have been double-digit increases in donors in each of the past three years. Under Jane’s leadership, we also saw a marked improvement in alumni affairs, database management and the overall effectiveness of the development office. Her contributions have been varied and substantive. We all owe Jane our deepest gratitude for her efforts.

Knowing of Jane’s possible departure, we retained a fundraising consulting firm to make an assessment of our Institutional Advancement function and readiness to proceed to the next stages of the capital campaign. One of the key recommendations made by the consultants was to create a new Senior Vice President (SVP) for External Affairs position to oversee all aspects of Tulane’s external affairs. In light of Jane’s departure, I think this is a timely and appropriate recommendation. After consultation with the Board of Administrators, I have come to the conclusion that we have the ideal individual to assume this very critical function already at the university in the person of Yvette Jones. Therefore, effective July 1, 2002, Yvette Jones, currently SVP for Planning and Administration since July 1, 1998, will assume this new role. When Yvette assumes this new role, her current position will be eliminated.

As many of you know, Yvette has been with the university for more than 20 years in a number of significant roles. Yvette has a superb grasp of the university’s diverse constituencies and a deep understanding of its history and vision for the future. As a Tulane alumna and someone who already oversees many of the key functions to be assumed in the new position, she is well qualified to assume this new role. However, there are other important functions in Yvette’s current portfolio that will be transferred to other existing senior officers in the next few months. These include: Information Technology, Human Resources, Research Administration and Financial Planning and Analysis. We anticipate completing the transfer of these functions by the end of the fiscal year. All of the senior officers are committed to working with Yvette and Jane to effect this transition in an orderly and seamless manner. Of course, I will keep you posted as changes are made.

Later in the year, we will formally thank Jane Bickford for her many contributions. No doubt she will be missed but we are pleased for her as she pursues the next phase of her career. I also want to thank Yvette Jones for her willingness to assume this vital new position. Given the magnitude and significance of the capital campaign, her role will be absolutely essential to Tulane’s success.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me.

TULANE TALK

January 25, 2002

Good Morning:

Tulane students have been doing a lot of trash talking lately…and that’s a good thing. Tomorrow morning students will deliver 300 free garbage cans to residents who live on Broadway. Tulane’s Undergraduate Student Government purchased the cans to show our neighbors that they are serious about keeping the area around the university free of student-produced litter. Students will also distribute a map of the Broadway area that provides information about university resources available to the community, as well as sanitation and safety contact numbers. I applaud this effort on behalf of our students to address a serious and long-standing problem.

And while I’m applauding students, let me send out congratulations to Sarah Blascovich, a Tulane senior, who received the Martin Luther King Community Service Award at a special ceremony held in honor of Dr. King at Dillard University this week. Tulane students also helped plan the Beloved Community Children’s Fair held at the St. Jude Community Center as part of a week long celebration honoring the memory Dr. King.

I wanted to share these examples, just a few of many ongoing student-led efforts, as a reminder of the quality of our student body. It is easy to get caught up in administrative tasks and forget that the primary reason for Tulane’s existence is the education and growth of our students. Examples like the above let me know we are on the right track.

The rest of the week was devoted to budget meetings with each of the senior officers as part of the Decentralized Management Center (DMC) system we plan to launch on July 1. This system, which is a complex and dramatic change for the university, will result in a significant cultural and behavioral shift in how we continue to build this wonderful university. It may take a few years for us to iron out the kinks in the DMC model but, in the end, this approach will make us a better institution both academically and financially.

Finally, I had a very productive meeting with the Affirmative Action Committee of the University Senate this week in which we discussed our ongoing efforts to make the Tulane community more inclusive and welcoming to everyone. As you know, affirmative action is a much-discussed topic right now in higher education. No doubt the issue of affirmative action based admissions will ultimately wind up in the Supreme Court. In the meantime, though more needs to be done, we are continuing to make progress on diversity related issues here at Tulane. I plan to write more to you about this topic in upcoming issues of Inside Tulane.

Have a good weekend,

TULANE TALK

January 9, 2002

Good Afternoon:

I am writing you this special Tulane Talk to announce a number of senior level changes at the university that have been in the works for several months and are now finalized.

First, Tony Cummings, Dean of Tulane College, will step down at the end of this fiscal year. Tony has had an enormous impact on undergraduate education during his 10 years as dean. His many accomplishments include restoring the original name and identity of “Tulane College,” planning, overseeing and raising funds for the renovation of Robert C. Cudd Hall and establishing a co-curricula programs office that gives students incredible internship, research and study/travel opportunities. On behalf of the entire Tulane community I want to thank Tony for his innovative leadership. Luckily, after a much-deserved sabbatical next year, Tony will rejoin us as a member of the Faculty of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

After much discussion with key constituencies of Tulane College, Provost Lefton recommended to me that T.R. Kidder, associate professor of anthropology, serve as interim dean of Tulane College for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2002. T.R. received his B.A. in anthropology from Tulane in 1982 and his master’s and Ph.D. from Harvard in 1987 and 1988. He returned to Tulane in 1989 as an assistant professor of anthropology and director of our Center for Archaeology. A widely published and respected scholar, T.R. has a great rapport with students from a vast range of majors, many of whom flock to the multidisciplinary course he teaches on the Mississippi River. T.R. has also worked closely with students involved in Tulane’s living/learning project, a program that allows students from different majors but with similar interests to form specialized academic communities.

As you all know, Cynthia Lowenthal has served as interim dean of Newcomb College since the departure of Valerie Greenberg in December 2000. Her performance in this capacity has been so outstanding that she has now been appointed permanent dean, effective immediately. Cynthia earned her B.A. in English in 1974 and her master’s in 1976 from the University of Arkansas. She earned her Ph.D. from Brandeis University in 1987. When Cynthia came to Tulane after graduation she immediately became immersed in Newcomb life, becoming a Newcomb Fellow, a Newcomb faculty advisor and a member of the Committee on Newcomb College. She also distinguished herself as one of our most popular and effective faculty members, receiving several teaching honors including the Inspirational Undergraduate Teacher Award, the Sheldon Hackney Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Randolph C. Read Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Pew Master Teacher Award. Cynthia’s appointment comes with the enthusiastic support of all of Newcomb College.

And finally, I am pleased to announce that Michael Herman, professor of chemistry, has been appointed the dean of Tulane’s Graduate School. Michael’s appointment restores the dean’s position to the Graduate School for the first time in a decade and signals a major step in our commitment to begin the long process of revamping and revitalizing graduate studies at Tulane. Michael earned his B.A. in biochemistry at Canisius College in Buffalo in 1975 and his Ph.D in theoretical chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1980. Since Michael’s arrival at Tulane as an assistant professor of chemistry in 1981, he has established himself as a distinguished researcher, faculty member and administrator, rising through the academic ranks to eventually serve as the department’s acting chair. Michael brings to his new position experience, enthusiasm and a vision of what the graduate experience can and should be at Tulane. Michael’s appointment comes after a thorough internal search that yielded many qualified candidates. The Provost and I were impressed with the number and caliber of those who sought this vital and challenging position.

I want to especially thank Professor Harvey Bricker for chairing the search committee that brought us such a distinguished pool of candidates. It is testimony to the quality of our faculty that there were so many qualified candidates. I also want to thank Provost Lefton for his guiding hand in bringing these searches to a successful conclusion.

Please join me in congratulating all of our new appointees and in bidding Dean Cummings a fond farewell and our most sincere thanks for a job well done.

TULANE TALK

December 14, 2001

Good Morning:

This was the week we announced the first year winners of the new Tulane Excellence Awards Program which recognizes members of the Tulane staff for outstanding performance. Winners received a cash prize and will be guests at a dinner hosted by Marjorie and me. This program was one of the proposals of our Strategic Plan and, judging from the number of nominations we received, has proven to be very popular.

Notifying the winners in person was one of my most enjoyable experiences as president. I felt like Ed McMahon handing out sweepstakes checks! The recipients, who work at our uptown, downtown and northshore campuses, represent a cross section of Tulane at its best. It was a delight to spend some time with people whose dedication is so crucial to the success of Tulane. I’m looking forward to our dinner together. You can see the names and photos of the happy winners at http://www2.tulane.edu/excellence_awards.cfm.

On Monday Provost Lester Lefton, University College Dean Rick Marksbury and other top Tulane administrators traveled to Biloxi where they were enthusiastically welcomed by city officials and chamber of commerce members. As you may know, University College is planning to open a campus branch in Biloxi, most probably in the Edgewater Mall. This branch will bring the Tulane educational experience to thousands of our neighbors along the Gulf Coast. If the enthusiasm of Monday’s reception is any indication, this should be the start of a long and mutually rewarding relationship.

I also had an opportunity to meet with members of the Social Work, Arts and Sciences and Medical School faculties this week, as well as to review some proposals regarding the planned University Center and Howard-Tilton Memorial Library renovations/expansions.

On Wednesday I flew out for a special overseas trip I planned 10 years ago. I will tell you a little bit about that at a later date.

Have a good weekend,