Tulane Talk November 30, 2012
TULANE TALK
November 30, 2012
Good Morning:
The contributions of many people of diverse races, genders, ethnicities, sexual identities, physical abilities, religions and socioeconomic status have made Tulane University stronger and enhanced student learning. But I know we can do even better.
To achieve our fullest potential, the university appointed a task force of university faculty, students, staff and administrators to develop plans for creating a more inclusive and diverse campus community. This task force, co-chaired by Deborah Love, vice president of institutional equity, and Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, professor and chair of the Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, has worked since last October analyzing the challenges and opportunities of diversity, developing strategic imperatives, convening focus groups and conducting pilot studies with various university schools and departments. At the same time, the task force is coordinating its work with the broader strategic planning initiatives now underway across Tulane, thereby ensuring that strengthening our diversity efforts will be an integral part of our newly formulated strategic plan.
Now we need your help. Please join me, Provost Michael Bernstein and moderator Maureen Lichtveld at Tulane’s inaugural Town Hall Dialogue on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, from 4:30 – 6 p.m., Dec. 5 in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall, on the second floor of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life.
After a short presentation, participants in the town hall meeting will break into small groups to discuss ways to embed diversity and institutional excellence in their particular units. They will also discuss how to overcome longstanding barriers to diversity and inclusiveness.
Our goal is to increase the diversity of our students, faculty and staff because we know this will have a positive impact on our mission of discovery, learning and global engagement.
I know together we can find pathways to greater success when diversity and inclusiveness become institutional strengths. I look forward to seeing all of you on Dec. 5. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to http@tulane.edu.
Tulane Talk November 27, 2012
TULANE TALK
November 27, 2012
Good Afternoon:
Here’s some great news for Tulane University. We have just accepted an invitation to join the BIG EAST, one of the country’s leading collegiate athletics conferences, beginning in 2014.
With the largest footprint in all of college sports, the BIG EAST is an excellent fit for Tulane, whose students come from every state, especially the Northeast, where the conference is headquartered. But that is just one of the reasons the BIG EAST conference members voted unanimously to extend an invitation to Tulane.
Tulane’s appeal to the BIG EAST centered around our academic profile as a major research and highly selective university with membership in the Association of American Universities and our designation at the highest levels of research and civic engagement by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Also in our favor was our location in New Orleans, which provides a new market for the BIG EAST, and our track record as holder of more C-USA championships than any other school from 1997 to 2005.
The BIG EAST presidents were also impressed by our recovery after Hurricane Katrina and our renewed commitment to athletics that included the reinstatement of a full complement of Division I athletics programs; investment in new and renovated facilities, including Yulman Stadium; our efforts to enhance our coaching staffs, both in quality and in remuneration and our academic support systems for student-athletes. As part of the BIG EAST, Tulane joins several excellent universities, distinguished in their research, scholarship and teaching missions ó not to mention in athletics competition.
While accepting the invitation to join the BIG EAST made perfect sense, we did not make the decision to leave our current conference, Conference USA, easily. We have had some great friendships, great rivalries and great successes in Conference USA over the last 17 years.
Joining the BIG EAST, in which we will compete in all sports, means big things for Tulane, its student-athletes and Green Wave fans everywhere. BIG EAST membership will bring increased visibility and revenue from television rights, ticket sales and merchandise. Tulane student-athletes will also have the opportunity to play on a bigger stage against a very competitive field.
In the end, the decision came down to what was best for the university, our student-athletes and our fans. In the end, this was one Thanksgiving invitation we could not pass up.
Tulane Talk November 16, 2012
TULANE TALK
November 16, 2012
Good Morning:
This will be the last Tulane Talk before we celebrate Thanksgiving. This is a good time to reflect on the events of the past year and to give thanks for the many blessings we have received. As we do so, let’s remember that many of our friends and fellow citizens are still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. As a survivor of Katrina and a native of New Jersey, this tragedy has really hit home for me, as I know it has for so many of you.
Now is also a time to remember the children in our local foster care system, many of whom have been neglected or abused and have no one to give them gifts for the holidays. The Tulane University Staff Advisory Council is once again hosting its Annual Holiday Toy Drive for these youngsters. Please visit the http community service page to learn how you can contribute to this important cause. I am continually in awe of how the staff, students and faculty of Tulane University serve our community throughout the year — year after year.
It is one of the things for which I am most thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Tulane Talk November 09, 2012
TULANE TALK
November 9, 2012
Good Morning:
Now that the presidential election is over, most Americans would agree that the time is long overdue for our elected officials to come together in a true bipartisan spirit to address the pressing needs of our nation, beginning with the financial cliff our country faces.
This is the goal of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), whose fourth annual political summit, “Beyond the Ballot: A Government in Transition,” will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Lavin-Bernick Center. Anyone can attend this important summit by http online.
Founded in 2007 by former Senate majority leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center promotes cooperation in Congress by presenting lawmakers with solutions to problems in health care, energy, national security, transportation and the economy that are true to both Republican and Democratic ideals.
The summit will feature panel discussions with current and former elected officials, national political strategists and prominent journalists including Trent Lott, former U.S. Senate majority leader; Dan Glickman, former secretary of agriculture under President Clinton; Whit Ayres, Republican pollster and strategist; Maria Cardona, CNN contributor and Democratic strategist; Margaret Hoover, Fox News contributor and author; Melissa Harris-Perry, Tulane professor and MSNBC host and many, many more.
The Bipartisan Policy Center has my vote. I hope to see you there.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk November 02, 2012
TULANE TALK
November 2, 2012
Good Morning:
I am hoping to see many of you this morning at the Town Hall Meeting I will host from 10:30 to 11:30 in Dixon Hall. I have already received many questions from you via email and look forward to more from this morning’s audience. We will be http from the meeting and, if you can’t attend in person, we will also be http blogging and accepting questions online.
But answering questions is just one part of my plans for this weekend. I am also looking forward to a lot of Homecoming fun, and I hope you are, too. Tonight is the http Hullabaloo Auction and Party, the http-Alumni Reunion Party and, beginning at 7 p.m. on the LBC quad, a pep rally, fireworks show and concert by the Rebirth Brass Band that is free and open to all Green Wave fans.
Homecoming fun continues tomorrow with tailgating for the big game against Rice beginning at 11 a.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Ryan Griffin and the Green Wave had a record-breaking performance in last week’s victory against UAB, and we are hoping for more of the same on Saturday.
The weather is perfect for a great Homecoming. If you need any product suggestions on getting your hair dyed the perfect shade of green, let me know. Also, if you are a tweeter or use Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #wave2012 this weekend for all your Homecoming messages and photos. Let’s make our Homecoming trend on social media!
Tweets, Instagram, hashtags and green hair. I am ready to see the Wave roll.
Have a great Homecoming Weekend,
Tulane Talk October 26, 2012
TULANE TALK
October 26, 2012
Good Morning:
It’s time to come home. Tulane alumni and parents of current Tulane students from around the country and world will return to campus next week for reunions, football, fireworks, special speakers, art exhibitions, brunches, the Rebirth Brass Band and so much more.
At the top of the list of the must-do Homecoming events is the annual Helluva Hullabaloo Auction and Party, which benefits Tulane’s student-athletes. Last year, this event raised $600,000 and produced a lifetime of good memories. The success of the auction is due largely to the efforts of board member and Tulane alumnus Jill Glazer, who has transformed the http Hullabaloo Auction into one of the city’s premier fundraisers. Her dedication is remarkable, invaluable and greatly appreciated, especially by our student-athletes.
This year’s auction items include weeklong getaways to vacation homes in France and England, lunch with Blythe Danner, tickets to Saturday Night Live, Ellen, a Live with Jimmy Kimmel VIP experience that includes green room passes, VIP passes to TODAY‘s summer concert series, one-of-a-kind dining experiences such as dinner for 20 in one of Galatoire’s private rooms, autographed sports memorabilia including a football signed by Jimmy Graham, a Manchester United VIP experience, passes to the owner’s suite for the Saints vs. Atlanta game and Super Bowl XLVII tickets. You can start http online now. Make sure you see the statement, “The proceeds for this item benefit Tulane University,” on the bottom right hand side of the bid page before you make your bid.
There are so many good things to say about the auction, I really need an advertising executive to assist me and I know just the person. Check this out:
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 19, 2012
TULANE TALK
October 19, 2012
Good Morning:
“What is the financial state of the university?” “What are the academic priorities and goals for the upcoming year?” “What is Tulane doing to recruit more minority students?” “When will the new stadium be built?”
I am looking forward to answering these and many other wide-ranging questions on all things Tulane at the upcoming Town Hall Meeting on Nov. 2 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Dixon Hall. Gabe Feldman, director of the Tulane Sports Law Program, will moderate the meeting.
While I think I can anticipate some of the issues that might be raised at the meeting, I really need your help. Please email me any questions you would like answered, and I will address them along with the questions from the audience. We will also be live blogging from the http.
The Town Hall Meeting is something I look forward to each year and is one of the many activities and surprises we have planned for the 2012 Family and Homecoming Weekend, Nov. 1-4. For a list of all the Homecoming reunions, exhibitions, concerts, special events and more, visit the http website.
Among the many Homecoming activities, our game against Rice is central to this year’s celebration. Which reminds me of how proud I am of our football team — not only for its victory on Saturday but for the maturity and character our players have displayed throughout this season, which has been fraught with more adversity and tragedy than anyone could have imagined.
Their will and determination are an inspiration to us all. Let’s bring home another victory tomorrow against the University of Texas-El Paso.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 12, 2012
TULANE TALK
October 12, 2012
Good Morning:
Here’s some exciting news. Glenn Darden, president and CEO of the exploration and production company Quicksilver Resources Inc., and Tim Francis, an attorney who has advised people ranging from Stevie Wonder to U.S. senators, have joined the board of Tulane, the university’s main governing body.
Glenn is a 1979 graduate of Tulane’s College of Arts and Sciences, and a former member of our sailing team. He is chair of Tulane’s President’s Council and a past member of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council and the Associates Board of Directors. He was inducted into the Paul Tulane Society in 2008.
Tim, an attorney and counsel with Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert LLC, is a 1984 graduate of Tulane’s School of Law where he was the president of his law school class. His wife, Ashley, earned her MBA from Tulane in 2001. His father, Norman Francis, president of Xavier University, received an honorary degree from Tulane in 1980 and his brother, David, played baseball for the Green Wave and received his BSM and MBA from Tulane in 1981 and 1983, respectively.
These two men have deep ties and lifelong commitments to Tulane. They represent the best of our university as leaders in their professions and communities. I know they will also bring the best vision, dedication and leadership to our board.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 05, 2012
TULANE TALK
October 5, 2012
Good Morning:
I am writing this from Central America where I have been traveling this week visiting Tulane students, alumni and friends.
I began my travels in Panama where Tulane has a large and influential alumni base, especially in the areas of business and law. Accompanied by David Meyer, dean of Tulane’s School of Law, and Ira Solomon, dean of the A. B. Freeman School of Business, I met with Tulanians who are playing instrumental roles in Panama’s growth and economic development. These alumni also share our vision to increase Tulane’s presence in Central America, and we have discussed and agreed upon a few initiatives that will accomplish this goal in the future.
Next I went to neighboring Costa Rica to visit the Center for Political and Administrative Investigation and Training. Known by its Spanish acronym CIAPA, the center is a high-level research institution that has partnered with Tulane to find solutions to Central America’s economic, political and social challenges.
For more than a decade, Tulane students have been studying at CIAPA. It was inspiring to visit with the newest CIAPA students and find out all they are learning and how they are carrying out Tulane’s mission to bring about positive change and empower others to build a better world.
The deep cultural, historical and economic ties between New Orleans and Central America have helped shape us as a city and university. This kinship and the large number of Tulanians in the region offer vast opportunities for increased partnerships that will enhance Tulane’s global reach, international flavor and rich educational experience.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 28, 2012
TULANE TALK
September 28, 2012
Good Morning:
The upcoming election on Nov. 6 is of critical importance to the future of our country. Nowhere is this truer than in New Orleans where, on the same day we vote for president, we will also elect a new school board. The new board will select a superintendent of education and continue the transformation of public education in New Orleans.
Before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was home to an over-centralized, under-performing public school system and bureaucracy that was one of the country’s worst and was hindering our children from realizing their potential.
While much work remains, the progress in transforming public education in the city since the storm is undeniable. Test scores are rising, the dropout rate is decreasing, the number of schools rated academically unacceptable is plummeting and, most importantly, hope and dreams are once again part of the curriculum in New Orleans’ schools.
I urge you to play an active role in this renaissance of New Orleans public education. A great way to start is by meeting the Orleans Parish School Board candidates face-to-face at a forum that I will moderate from 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 2 at First Baptist Church, 5290 Canal Blvd. Here we will learn about each candidate’s platform, vision and philosophy. This knowledge is key to the future of our school system, which can be no stronger than those who lead it.
If you think this might not be worth your time, just remember that all the problems New Orleans faces — crime, poverty, blighted neighborhoods and poor health outcomes — can be traced back to our education system. If we continue to successfully rebuild that system, all of these problems will slowly dissipate, and New Orleans and its children will face a future filled with hope.
Have a great weekend,