Jump to content

Tulane University: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
RobotG (talk | contribs)
86,515 edits
m Bot: Changing Category:Schools of Public Health per CFDS
Line 157: Line 157:
Tulane began to publicly respond to the arrival of [[Hurricane Katrina]] on [[August 27]], [[2005]], with an initial plan to close the university until [[September 1]]. The following day, that date was extended to "no earlier than" [[September 7]]. University officials led a rare evacuation of nearly 400 students (one report said that the number was closer to 700) to [[Jackson State University]], all of whom remained safe after the hurricane's passage and have returned to their homes if they are from outside the gulf coast region. This was the second time Tulane's evacuation plan had been used, the first being in September [[2004]] during [[Hurricane Ivan]]. In other recent hurricanes such as [[Hurricane Georges|Georges]] in 1998, Tulane simply used its larger dorms as shelters for students.
Tulane began to publicly respond to the arrival of [[Hurricane Katrina]] on [[August 27]], [[2005]], with an initial plan to close the university until [[September 1]]. The following day, that date was extended to "no earlier than" [[September 7]]. University officials led a rare evacuation of nearly 400 students (one report said that the number was closer to 700) to [[Jackson State University]], all of whom remained safe after the hurricane's passage and have returned to their homes if they are from outside the gulf coast region. This was the second time Tulane's evacuation plan had been used, the first being in September [[2004]] during [[Hurricane Ivan]]. In other recent hurricanes such as [[Hurricane Georges|Georges]] in 1998, Tulane simply used its larger dorms as shelters for students.


On [[August 30]], the university reported that "physical damage to the area, including Tulane's campuses, was extensive" and conditions in the city were continuing to deteriorate. Power was out, water levels were rising, all city roads were blocked, and the "vast majority of our workforce" had left the parish in response to the mayor's mandatory evacuation order. By [[September 1]] only a core group of public safety and facilities personnel remained on campus. Tulane president [[Scott Cowen]] and an "emergency team" relocated to [[Houston, Texas]] to coordinate planning for recovery. Tulane reported that security was being maintained on campus and that students' belongings were safe in the dormitories, which are intact.
On [[August 30]], the university reported that "physical damage to the area, including Tulane's campuses, was extensive" and conditions in the city were continuing to deteriorate. Power was out, water levels were rising, all city roads were blocked, and the "vast majority of our workforce" had left the parish in response to the mayor's mandatory evacuation order. By [[September 1]] only a core group of public safety and facilities personnel remained on campus. Tulane president [[Scott Cowen]] and an "emergency team" relocated to [[Houston, Texas]] to coordinate planning for recovery. Tulane reported that security was being maintained on campus and that students' belongings were safe in the unflooded areas of the dormitories.


After the storm, [[Tulane University Hospital & Clinic]] lost power and received some special needs patients from the [[Louisiana Superdome]]. Within five days the hospital had been completely evacuated via boats and helicopters. On [[February 14]], [[2006]] it was the first hospital to reopen in downtown New Orleans after the hurricane.
After the storm, [[Tulane University Hospital & Clinic]] lost power and received some special needs patients from the [[Louisiana Superdome]]. Within five days the hospital had been completely evacuated via boats and helicopters. On [[February 14]], [[2006]] it was the first hospital to reopen in downtown New Orleans after the hurricane.

Revision as of 20:51, 29 November 2006

Tulane University
Tulane University Shield
MottoNon Sibi Sed Suis
(Not for one's self, but for one's own)
TypePrivate University
Established1834
Endowment$811 million[1]
PresidentScott Cowen
Academic staff
2,511
Undergraduates6,533[2]
Postgraduates6,378[3]
Location
New Orleans
,
LA
,
USA
CampusUrban
Athletics6 Teams competing in 8 Varsity Sports
NicknameGreen Wave
AffiliationsAAU
C-USA (NCAA Division I)
Websitewww2.tulane.edu

Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as a public medical college in 1834, the school grew into a full university and eventually privatized under the endowments of Paul Tulane and Josephine Louise Newcomb in the late 19th century.

Tulane is a major American research university, historically considered among the nation's prestigious and most selective institutions of higher learning, and often labelled "The Harvard of the South" (as are several other schools of equivalent stature, including Vanderbilt University and Rice University). It is also considered by many to be among the group of schools termed the "Southern Ivies". Particularly noted are its programs in architecture, international development, philosophy, political economy, Latin American studies and economics, as well as its graduate schools of law, business and medicine, which each rank in the top tier of their respective rankings. For instance, the law school's Environmental law and Sports Law programs are among the best nationwide, and its Admiralty program is widely considered the best in the world.[4]

Campuses

Tulane's uptown campus, established in the 1890s, occupies over 110 acres (0.4 km²), facing St. Charles Avenue directly opposite Audubon Park. The rear of the uptown campus reaches South Claiborne Avenue, and it is divided by Freret Street. Loyola University New Orleans is directly adjacent to Tulane, on the downriver side. The uptown campus is known for its many large live oak trees and architecturally historic buildings.

An early 20th century view of Tulane's Gibson Hall. It faces St. Charles Avenue and is the entry landmark to the uptown campus.
An early 21st century view from a similar vantage point. Note the major growth of the live oak trees since the previous picture.

Other locations include:

Academic Administration and Organization

Academic Divisions

Tulane is organized into 10 schools centered around liberal arts, sciences and certain professions:

All undergraduate students are enrolled in the Newcomb-Tulane College. The graduate programs are governed by individual schools. Tulane also offers continuing education courses and associate's degrees through its School of Continuing Studies with continuing education.

A view of the dowtown Tulane University Health Sciences Center.
Academic Division Dean
A.B. Freeman School of Business Angelo S. DeNisi
Newcomb-Tulane College James MacLaren
School of Architecture Reed Kroloff
School of Law Lawrence Ponoroff
School of Liberal Arts George L. Bernstein
School of Medicine Paul K. Whelton
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Pierre Buekens
School of Science and Engineering Nicholas J. Altiero
School of Social Work Ronald E. Marks
School of Continuing Studies Richard A. Marksbury




List of University Presidents

There have been fourteen presidents of Tulane since the establishment of the Tulane Education Fund in 1884.

President Years
William Preston Johnson 1884-1899
William Oscar Rogers 1899-1900 (acting)
Edwin Anderson Alderman 1900-1904
Edwin Boone Craighead 1904-1912
Robert Sharp 1912-1913 (acting)
1913-1918
Albert Bledsoe Dinwiddie 1918-1935
Douglas Smith Anderson 1935-1936 (acting)
Robert Leonval Menuet 1936-1937 (acting)
Rufus Carrollton Harris 1937-1960
Maxwell Edward Laphan 1960 (acting)
Herbert Eugene Longenecker 1960-1975
Francis Sheldon Hackney 1975-1980
Eamon Michael Kelly 1980-1981 (acting)
1981-1998
Scott S. Cowen 1998-Present

Statistics

The following statistics reflect some of the changes at Tulane between 1998 and 2006:

  • Undergraduate applications received annually more than doubled, growing from 7,780 to 17,548. Most recently, in fall 2006, the university received a record 21,000 undergraduate applications.
  • The average SAT scores for incoming students rose from 1278 to 1347.
  • Application acceptances lowered from 79% of applicants to 44%. In 2006, the acceptance rate was even lower, at 33%.[5]
  • Funding for research and development nearly doubled, from $68 million to $130 million.
  • The National Institutes of Health funding ranking rose from 96 to 78.

In 2003, Tulane's graduation rate for student-athletes was 79%, ranking 14th among Division I athletic programs.

Tulane is one of North America's top research universities; its status confirmed by it being one of 60 elected members of the Association of American Universities. Tulane also is designated as a Carnegie research university/very high research activity, the highest classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Tulane was ranked 44th in the nation among "National Universities" by US News & World Report in 2007, although the ranking has been skewed due to Tulane's inability to complete the survey in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and US News' subsequent use of 2006's survey information.[6]

In the US News and World Reports Best Grad Schools Guide, published in April 2006, the Tulane School of Medicine ranked No. 50 among the nation's top research schools; the School of Law ranked No. 43, with a ranking of No. 7 for its environmental law program; and the A.B. Freeman School of Business ranked No. 49.

History

The University dates from 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana. With the addition of a law department, it became The University of Louisiana in 1847, a public university. 1851, saw the establishment of an Academic Department, the forerunner of the College of Arts and Sciences.

It closed for three years during the Civil War; after reopening, it went through a period of financial challenges. Paul Tulane donated extensive real estate within New Orleans for the support of education; this donation led to the establishment of a Tulane Educational Fund (TEF), whose board of administrators sought to support the University of Louisiana instead of establishing a new university. In response, through the influence of former Civil War general Randall Lee Gibson, the Louisiana state legislature transferred control of the University of Louisiana to the administrators of the TEF in 1884. This act created the Tulane University of Louisiana.

In 1885, a Graduate Division started, the predecessor to the Graduate School. One year later, gifts from Josephine Louise Newcomb totalling over $3.6 million led to the establishment of H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College within Tulane University. Newcomb was the first coordinate college for women in the United States.

In 1894 a College of Technology formed, the forerunner to the College of Engineering. In the same year the university moved to its present-day uptown campus on St. Charles Avenue, five miles by streetcar from downtown.

An Architecture Department originated within the College of Technology in 1907. One year later, Schools of Dentistry and Pharmacy appeared, both temporarily: Dentistry ended in 1928, and Pharmacy six years later.

In 1914, Tulane established a College of Commerce, the first business school in the South.

1925 saw the formal establishment of the Graduate School. Two years later, the University set up a School of Social Work.

University College dates from 1942. The School of Architecture grew out of Engineering in 1950.

The School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine dates from 1967 and is the oldest school of its kind in the country. Also, Tulane's School of Tropical Medicine is the only of its kind in the country. In the Fall of 2006, the School of Public Health began admitting undergraduate students.

The student-run radio station of the university, WTUL-FM, began broadcasting on campus in 1971.

During the 1980's, Tulane made the fateful decision not to place a portion of its endowment into the stock market due to the market's volatile nature at the time. This has lead to Tulane having to dip into its endowment on a regular basis.

In 1998, the student body of Tulane University voted by referendum to split the Associate Student Body (ASB) Senate into two separate houses, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA). Previous to the split, only one Executive Cabinet was elected and all student government meetings consisted of both undergraduate and graduate students. Now, each house has its own Executive Cabinet and Senate elected by its own students. USG and GAPSA meet separately to issues pertaining to their respective constituencies. However, the Office of the Associated Student Body President remained - the ASB President is a representative of every student on all of Tulane's campuses. This person is still elected by the entire student body of Tulane, both undergraduate and graduate students. USG and GAPSA come together twice as semester to meet as the ASB Senate, where issues pertaining to the entire Tulane student body are discussed. The meetings of the ASB Senate are presided over by the ASB President.

The Jambalaya, Tulane's yearbook, published annually since 1897, published its last edition (Volume 99) in 1995, due to funding and management problems. In the Fall of 2003, the "Jambalaya" was reestablished as a student club, and in the Spring of 2004, the Centennial Edition of the Jambalaya was published. The staff now continues to publish a "Jambalaya" annually.

In 2001 the Tulane Center for Gene Therapy started as the first major center in the U.S. to focus on research using adult stem cells.

In July 2004, Tulane received two $30 million donations to its endowment, the largest individual or combined gifts in the university's history. The donations came from Jim Clark, a member of the university's Board and founder of Netscape, and David Filo, a graduate of its School of Engineering and co-founder of Yahoo!. The gifts had particular significance, since Tulane had had one of the lowest endowments ($722 million as of June 2004) among the 62 members of the Association of American Universities. In the months following Hurricane Katrina, restrictions were removed from these gifts to ensure the continued financial health of the university.

Effects of Hurricane Katrina

As a result of the storm and its effects in New Orleans, Tulane University saw its second closing—-the first being during the Civil War.

Tulane began to publicly respond to the arrival of Hurricane Katrina on August 27, 2005, with an initial plan to close the university until September 1. The following day, that date was extended to "no earlier than" September 7. University officials led a rare evacuation of nearly 400 students (one report said that the number was closer to 700) to Jackson State University, all of whom remained safe after the hurricane's passage and have returned to their homes if they are from outside the gulf coast region. This was the second time Tulane's evacuation plan had been used, the first being in September 2004 during Hurricane Ivan. In other recent hurricanes such as Georges in 1998, Tulane simply used its larger dorms as shelters for students.

On August 30, the university reported that "physical damage to the area, including Tulane's campuses, was extensive" and conditions in the city were continuing to deteriorate. Power was out, water levels were rising, all city roads were blocked, and the "vast majority of our workforce" had left the parish in response to the mayor's mandatory evacuation order. By September 1 only a core group of public safety and facilities personnel remained on campus. Tulane president Scott Cowen and an "emergency team" relocated to Houston, Texas to coordinate planning for recovery. Tulane reported that security was being maintained on campus and that students' belongings were safe in the unflooded areas of the dormitories.

After the storm, Tulane University Hospital & Clinic lost power and received some special needs patients from the Louisiana Superdome. Within five days the hospital had been completely evacuated via boats and helicopters. On February 14, 2006 it was the first hospital to reopen in downtown New Orleans after the hurricane.

On September 2, President Cowen announced that the University would cancel classes for the fall semester.

The American Council on Education and the Association of American Universities urged their member institutions to help displaced students from Tulane and the area's other universities. Dozens of universities made provisions to allow Tulane students (and students from other affected colleges) to enroll as "provisional students" for the fall semester. When the university reopened in the spring, Tulane transfered credits earned by students elsewhere. To further help students graduate on schedule, Tulane offered two academic semesters between January and June 2006. A regular spring term began January 17, with a seven-week "Lagniappe Semester" which ran from May 15 through the end of June.

Tulane School of Medicine relocated its students and essential teaching staff to Houston, Texas, and continued its fall semester at Baylor College of Medicine. This was aided in part by the support of Michael DeBakey, pioneering heart surgeon, graduate of Tulane School of Medicine and chancellor emeritus at Baylor College of Medicine. Students taking the basic science medical courses used the facilities at Baylor, while 3rd and 4th year students did clinical rotations in several of the nearby teaching hospitals located in Houston, Galveston, and Temple. Tulane attempted to keep the medical students together, and discouraged transfer, except in the most extenuating of circumstances. Students were able to request transfers, but many medical schools supported Tulane's attempts to retain their student body and thus their school, although some students were successful in their appeals to transfer. The School of Medicine's stay in Texas ('Tulane West' or 'Tulane at Baylor') ended, with the students and faculty returning to New Orleans in July 2006.

2005-06 Renewal Plan

Facing a budget shortfall, the Board of Administrators announced a "Renewal Plan" on December 8, 2005 to reduce its annual operating budget and create a "student-centric" campus. At the end of January 2006, the administration reported an estimated $90 to $125 million shortfall for the 2005-06 year. Tulane laid off about 2,000 part-time employees in September and October 2005, 243 non-teaching personnel in November 2005, 230 faculty members in December 2005, and another 200 employees in January 2006.

Under the Renewal Plan, Tulane eliminated six undergraduate and graduate programs in the Engineering School: mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, environmental engineering, and computer science, and also a bachelor's degree in exercise science. The university cut 27 of its 45 doctoral programs and suspended eight NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic programs.

For spring 2006 the administration reported that "85 percent of all students" returned. By keeping the school smaller, officials said they will not have to lower admission standards.

The university Renewal Plan created a single undergraduate Newcomb-Tulane College in July 2006, discontinuing Tulane's liberal arts and sciences coordinate college system, comprised of Tulane College (for men) and the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College (for women). On March 16, 2006, the board announced establishment of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute as an academic center "to enhance women's education at the university."

Critics of the Renewal Plan charge the school administration of using Katrina as the excuse to push an agenda that would otherwise have been difficult to accomplish. [1] In response to cutting several engineering degree programs, students, faculty, and alumni started the Save Tulane Engineering campaign to reinstate the five engineering majors and the separate school. The "American Association of University Professors" expressed concern at the lack of meaningful faculty involvement in crafting the Renewal Plan, as did many students. [2]

Athletics

Main article: Tulane Green Wave

Tulane is a member of Conference USA in athletics and fields NCAA Division I teams in several sports.

Tulane University's Football Team went 12-0 in 1998 culminating in a 41-27 victory over BYU in the Liberty Bowl. They finished the season ranked #5 in the country, by far their best performance to date. They were led by senior quarterback Shaun King who ended up leading the entire NCAA in passer rating that season. Although they have developed into a virtual top flight quarterback factory, churning out such pros as Shaun King, Patrick Ramsey, and J.P. Losman, they have been unable to match 1998's success in recent years.

Notable alumni and faculty

Notable alumni include

Dr. Michael White's Jazz Band plays at Convocation.


See also List of Tulane University people

Alma maters

  • In Sex and the City, Mr. Big's ex-wife, Natasha, attended Tulane University as an undergraduate student.
  • In Gilmore Girls, Rory's high school classmate Louise attended Tulane for part of her freshman year before dropping out to stay in Florida for spring break.
  • Dr. Burke of Grey's Anatomy attended Tulane University.
  • John Grisham's 1992 suspence/thriller Pelican Brief involves a fictional second year law student (Darby Shaw) and her professor (Thomas Callahan) as characters. The film was adapted for a 1993 film version also filmed on Tulane's uptown campus.
  • In the movie rendition of Runaway Jury, Nick Easter is asked what school he attends as a part time student. He is asked, "Tulane? City College (Loyola)?" To which he answers, "Currently nowhere."
  • Tulane's academic quad substituted for Harvard University's campus in Christopher Reeve's last film The Brooke Ellison Story.
  • Tulane University held the world premiere of the movie "All the King's Men" on September 16, 2006. The principal cast includes: Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson and Mark Ruffalo, among many others.[3]
  • Colie Edison on The Real World: Denver attended Tulane University.

International profile

Tulane has signed an educational affiliation agreement with International University in Geneva

References

  1. ^ "Tulane University: At a Glance". 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-19. {{cite web}}: Text "publisher: usnews.com" ignored (help)
  2. ^ "2006 Fall Official Enrollment". 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-09. {{cite web}}: Text "publisher: tulane.edu" ignored (help)
  3. ^ "2006 Fall Official Enrollment". 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-09. {{cite web}}: Text "publisher: tulane.edu" ignored (help)
  4. ^ Environmental Law Schools
  5. ^ "Freshmen Still Up to Tulane Standards". 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-01. {{cite web}}: Text "publisher: thehullabaloo.com" ignored (help)
  6. ^ "America's Best Colleges 2007". 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-01. {{cite web}}: Text "publisher: USNews.com" ignored (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tulane_University&oldid=90985211"