TULANE TALK

March 30, 2001

Good Morning:

I started this week off in Dallas and Houston meeting with alumni. I also had an opportunity to speak at an Admissions event in Houston. Next year’s undergraduate class is stacking up to be a great one for us. We have quite a few Texas Tulanians and look for more in the future with a large number of our incoming students hailing from the Lone Star State.

Yesterday we got word of U.S. News and World Report’s 2002 graduate school rankings. Our law school and school of business continue to rate among the best in the nation according to the survey. Tulane’s Law School was ranked 40th, up from the 43rd spot it held last year and Tulane’s Environmental Law program was ranked 6th in the nation, down from the 5th position it held last year. Tulane’s business school also remained among the top tier schools even though it dropped some slots. Other Tulane programs and schools may be ranked but these are all the rankings that were made available to us as of yesterday.

Like most college presidents, I have very mixed feelings regarding this popular survey. I think the rankings can serve a useful purpose in helping parents and students begin to focus their search for the right school. However, I think far too much emphasis is placed by parents and students (and administrators) on the numerical standing of various schools. The ranking criteria is often unrelated to what students learn while in school or how they do in their professional careers.

Moreover, wild fluctuations in rankings from year to year cast a shadow on the “science” of the survey. At any rate, I’m glad that in this and other surveys we continue to be counted among the best universities in the country. I believe if we continue to follow the course we have charted, through implementation of our strategic plan, the rankings will take care of themselves.

Today, I plan to say a few words at the memorial service for Cherice Cochrane, who passed away last week. Cherice’s level of community and campus service was truly phenomenal. She will be sadly missed. I hope my words can be of some comfort to her family and many friends.

TULANE TALK

March 19, 2001

Good Morning:

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Lester A. Lefton, currently Dean of the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Psychology at The George Washington University, will be joining us as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, effective July 1.

As the http release indicates Lester brings a wealth of senior academic experience and a proven track record of accomplishments to his new position.

Prior to his appointment as a Dean at The George Washington University in 1997, Lester was a faculty member and senior academic administrator at the University of South Carolina (USC) for 25 years. While at USC he served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and prior to that as Chair of the College’s Department of Psychology. In all of his administrative positions he has amassed an impressive record of accomplishments in the high priority academic areas specified in Tulane’s strategic plan. He brings to Tulane the values, quality of thinking and doing, and human touch needed in the Provost’s role.

In our discussions during the interview process, Lester and I agreed that there were a number of key priorities requiring his immediate attention in the next few years. These included :

• a continuation of efforts to enhance the quality and rigor of the undergraduate experience,
• a renewal of energy and resources to reinvigorate and significantly strengthen the Graduate School and its programs, as well as the university’s research infrastructure and programs, in close partnership with all segments of the university community,
• a commitment to continue our strong focus on implementing the compensation, diversity and development parts of the “People” section of the strategic plan
• a focus on strengthening the university’s financial base

In addition to the items above, Lester, in partnership with the university’s other senior officers, will participate in the implementation of all aspects of our plan, as appropriate.

I am very pleased that this search has come to a successful completion. I want to thank all of you who participated in the process. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Graeme Forbes, Chair of the Provost Search Committee, and all those who served on the Committee for a job well done.

I hope you will all join me in welcoming Lester and his wife, Linda, when they join us this July.

TULANE TALK

March 9, 2001

Good Morning:

This was the week of champions. At the Health Sciences Center we celebrated the opening of the new Center for Gene Therapy which will conduct research into finding treatment for a host of genetic disorders. Congratulations to all our colleagues associated with the Center.

Meanwhile our women’s basketball team won its third straight C-USA tournament championship and an automatic invitation to the NCAA tournament. And how about our baseball team’s impressive victory over No. 2 ranked LSU on Wednesday night?

Earlier this week I attended the Conference USA Board of Directors meeting in Louisville. The Board is comprised of the university presidents of member institutions and focuses on major strategic and policy issues facing the conference. The remainder of the week was devoted to interviewing finalists for the open senior positions at the university. I expect some of these to come to closure in the next 30 to 60 days.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to walk around the uptown campus lately I encourage you to do so. The azaleas are in full bloom and they look wonderful!

TULANE TALK

February 23, 2001

Good Morning:

Here’s some good news. Our engineering school has received a $4.4 million bequest from the estate of Catherine G. Spaar of Texas to support scholarships and infrastructure needs. Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, an assistant professor in our chemistry department, was awarded a $40,000 Sloan Research Fellowship to continue her research on proteins. This prestigious grant is awarded to “the very best young faculty members” in chemistry and other sciences.

I was able to share this and many other exciting things taking place on campus with alumni and potential supporters while in Cleveland earlier this week. On Wednesday I returned to campus and, among various appointments, had a chance to have lunch with Tulane alum, Jerry Springer. In case you are wondering, Jerry is friendly, smart, charming and self-effacing. However, I did have to admit to him that I have never seen his show!

Yesterday I gathered with members of the President’s Cabinet to review our progress on achieving the goals set forth in our strategic plan. In particular we focused on what is working and not working as we implement the plan.

I hope you all enjoy the Mardi Gras break. Margie and I are going to miss it because we are going on a development trip to Puerto Rico and Miami starting on Sunday. I will tell you about it in next week’s Tulane Talk. We do, however, plan to attend a few carnival events, including some parades, before we leave.