<p>Well Tulane is private while Florida is public, so obviously it's going to cost more.</p>
<p>Rankings mean nothing. It wouldn't change my opinion or how great a time I'm having if it were #1 nor if it was #1,000. I hate how much people read into these things.
I know a lot of people get accepted to a lot better schools but there's a reason people choose Tulane over them (ibthemoney).</p>
<p>Amen, Ecliptica. The comparison to UF is especially silly. That's MY alma Mater, and two schools could not be more unlike. Virtually every basis for comparison shows distinct contrasts, yet people look at the ranking and see similarity.</p>
<p>Silly and misleading.</p>
<p>A Message from President Scott Cowen:</p>
<p>Good Morning:</p>
<p>The weather isn't the only thing hot in New Orleans this summer. Tulane University was named one of the 25 "Hottest Schools in America" this week by the 2008 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get into College" guide. Schools on the "Hottest" list offer top academic programs but also are generating extra buzz this year, according to the creators of the annual guide. You might remember we were also one of only nine schools named on the guide's hottest schools list in 2002.</p>
<p>Forbes magazine also ranked Tulane's A.B. Freeman School of Business 44th (28th among private universities) in its latest rankings, which were released this week. Tulane was ranked 51 in this same survey in 2005.</p>
<p>We were also informed this week that we will be included in the 2008 edition of the Princeton Review's "Best 366 Colleges" guidebook which Random House will publish August 21. This guide includes features on the nation's top schools, ranked in no particular order.</p>
<p>In addition we received notice this week that Tulane is ranked 50th among the best national universities by U.S. News and World Report, 48th in the magazine's "Great Schools/Great Prices" category and is also cited for its excellent service learning programs.</p>
<p>Our overall U.S. News and World Report ranking was 44th immediately prior to the storm. Normally, this change in ranking would be disappointing. Yet, it is remarkable and a credit to all of our hard work and the dedication of our students that, given the devastation of Katrina and U.S. News'
standardized,
inflexible methodology, Tulane continues to be ranked among the top national universities while also being recognized as one of the "Hottest Schools in America."</p>
<p>These and other rankings tell me that we are still receiving national recognition for achieving our goal of not only surviving Katrina but thriving in its aftermath. Indeed, since our post-Katrina Renewal Plan was adopted, the university's endowment reached $1 billion for the first time in its history, our freshmen class is expected to increase by a record 50 percent this year (the largest one-year increase in first-time freshmen in the history of Tulane) and we recently enrolled our largest medical school class ever.</p>
<p>Tulane's best days are still to come as the school moves closer to full recovery and achieving its potential as one of the most distinguished and distinctive educational and research institutions anywhere.</p>
<p>The regular Tulane Talk series will begin again next Friday. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the remaining days of summer.</p>
<p>Scott</p>
<p>Tulane Jeff:</p>
<p>When I took my S down this spring for a tour, we were told by the student guide that Tulane was hoping to get around 1400 freshman for this fall. The guide said that would be lower than her freshman class, which I seem to recall she said was about 1600. The guide also said Tulane wanted to keep the freshman class at 1400 'cause it was a more "manageable" number.</p>
<p>Did you get the 1400 for Fall 07? Did the numbers pre Katrina reach 1600? Is it true Tulane is going to keep the entering class to 1400 in the future?</p>
<p>Many thanks for your time in answering.</p>
<p>Being a rebound school isn't something spectacular. It's great that Tulane was able to rebound, but it doesn't speak to the quality of it's academics, or anything like that. That's like congradulating someone for standing up when some big bully pushed them down really hard. Of course they are going to stand up. They're on the ground. Sure, it'd admirable that the school didn't just fold, but not folding doesn't make it a good school (I'm not saying Tulane isn't a good school, I'm saying this ranking is stupid). </p>
<p>Anyways, considering Tulane DID almost colapse after Katrina, I don't think you can shake a stick too hard at Cowen. Yes, I disagree with a lot of the decisions he made, but the reality is that some programs had to be cut, sacrifices had to be made in order to keep the school going. I don't think he's a great leader, but he's not as bad as you're painting him to be.</p>
<p>And a lot of schools are underrated. US News uses really stupid criteria like endowment and alumni donations which have little to do with the quality of the school. And other criteria like selectivity are just a cycle. Being selective gets you a higher ranking, so more people apply, so you can be more selective, so you get a higher ranking / stay at the top. Rankings beget rankings.</p>
<p>Good question! There is a lot of talk of this in previous posts, which you may want to go back and check. Tulane's freshman goal for the class of 2011 was 1200, with a three year goal of 1400, which is the level we plan to stay at. This incoming class has roughly 1350 first time freshmen, so we more than met that goal, and nearly met our three year goal in one year. We will also welcome nearly 200 transfer students next week, our largest transfer class in the history of Tulane University. The total new student population at Tulane this fall will be roughly 1550 students, which we are very happy about. </p>
<p>We plan on keeping our numbers around 1400 first time freshmen for coming years.</p>
<p>
[quote]
wow florida moved up a bunch as i recall, same with syracuse and washington u in saint louis
[/quote]
</p>
<p>WashU did not move from last year. It is again tied at #12 with Cornell.</p>
<p>
[quote]
but theres no doubt thats the lowest tulane will get considering they were once ranked 11th in the country
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Another poster on here had it right. Tulane has been ranked as high as 34 and as low as...well, now I suppose. After the rebound, I think Tulane will be a solid school in the 40's but has a ways to go if it's to break the 30's.</p>
<p>Dr. Cowen presented his Bold Renewal Plan (BuRP) to the board of trustees on a take it or leave it unamended basis and if they elected to leave it he would leave basis. He was acting on his own precept that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste and he took advantage of the situation to do a number of things he had long wanted to do. They may or may not prove to be good moves. So far we have dropped in the rankings, lost tuition revenue, and dropped enrollment numbers. How much of that is due to Katrina and how much is due to BuRP is a matter of debate.</p>
<p>However just to keep tract here are the graduate PhD programs we deliberately chose to drop.</p>
<p>" Admissions to
the no longer supported programs will be suspended and current students allowed to
continue to graduation.<br>
PhD programs to which admissions are being suspended for the foreseeable future
are:<br>
• Social Sciences: Economics, International Development (combined into Public
Health and Tropical Medicine), Political Science, Psychology (5 tracks eliminated, 2
tracks remain), and Sociology.
• Humanities and Fine Arts: English; French.
• Sciences: Paleontology; Biochemistry, Human Genetics, Microbiology and
Immunology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Structural
and Cellular Biology (each is being combined into an Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences
program); Biostatistics, Epidemiology, International Health and Development, and
Parasitology (each is being combined into Public Health and Tropical Medicine); Cell
and Molecular Biology, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (combined into Biology);
and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (combined into Chemical Science and
Engineering).<br>
Engineering: Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering,
Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Social Work: Social Work.
Law: Law.
Interdisciplinary Programs: Water Resources Planning Management. "</p>
<p>I am not sure how you can expect to be ranked among the top national research universities when you don't have PhD programs in English, French, Economics, Political Science, and psychology and Dr. Cowen didn't choose to explain.</p>
<p>Here is what we replaced them with, a bunch of vague, political correct institutes that mainly promise transformation without mentioning how where or why.</p>
<p>"12/22/2005
THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF URBAN COMMUNITIES </p>
<p>Following Hurricane Katrina, Tulane entered into a unique partnership with Dillard and Xavier universities, and neighboring Loyola University, to provide classroom and administrative space in spring 2006 while the heavily damaged campuses of the two Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) were being repaired. </p>
<p>Looking forward, Tulane, Dillard and Xavier will transform that partnership into a model of academic collaboration between a major research university and two strong HBCUs. This model should strengthen the institutions individually and collectively, accelerate Tulane’s ongoing diversity efforts and provide a model for others interested in closing the racial divide. </p>
<p>A new interdisciplinary organization, the Partnership for the Transformation of Urban Communities, will offer Tulane significant opportunities to enhance its reputation as an institution devoted to studying and improving human life as well as to enhance its commitment to New Orleans and the Gulf South Region. The partnership will be focused on building healthy and sustainable communities locally, regionally and throughout the world as our planet faces an increasingly urban future. It will sponsor educational programs, generate research initiatives and produce activities of national and international relevance, many of which will emanate from the Hurricane Katrina experience. </p>
<p>The new entity will draw upon the expertise of the university’s entire faculty, especially those in Social Work, Architecture, the Murphy Institute and the Social Sciences Division of the School of Liberal Arts. It will also collaborate with the new Center for Public Service (see above). The partnership will also eventually develop two new national institutes: the Institute for the Study of Race and Poverty and the Institute for the Transformation of Pre-K–12 Education. </p>
<p>Tulane has already begun to encourage and seek partnerships with national
agencies, granting agencies and foundations. Other partnerships and collaborations will emerge from our consortium with Dillard, Xavier and Loyola universities. Still others may emerge with other universities and institutions that seek greater understanding of the consequences of Katrina and the associated social problems it has highlighted. </p>
<p>An interim director will be appointed by the provost to coordinate a faculty task force that will begin work in January 2006 to develop a plan to realize the vision of this partnership. </p>
<p>The partnership will provide many opportunities, including: initiating programs to help rebuild the New Orleans community; producing expanded research, outreach and policy recommendations throughout the university; expanding programs in areas such as social justice, environmental issues, emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery; facilitating new interdisciplinary collaborations that might include areas such as Leadership in Nonprofit and Non-Governmental Organizations that brings together researchers in business, social work, architecture and the social sciences. </p>
<p>The new Institute for the Study of Race and Poverty will be charged with an
agenda that spans research, education, policy and advocacy. Its main focus will be creating greater understanding of race-based poverty and changing policies and practices that negatively impact people of color and the disadvantaged. The center will provide educational programs in conjunction with all of Tulane’s schools and will help to create places for people to live that promote access to opportunity and maintain regional stability. It will work closely with the members of the Tulane/Loyola/Xavier/Dillard consortium and will collaborate with advocacy groups and community organizations, 13 national, state and local government officials, and faith-based, philanthropic, and business leaders.</p>
<p>The new Institute for the Transformation of Pre-K-12 Education will combine
research on educational practices and policy with grassroots advocacy at the community level to foster positive change in urban public school systems. Its main focus will be creating greater understanding of the role of public education in a democracy and of the need for more effective and equitable public school opportunities for all children. The Center will pay particular attention to the social, economic and legal policies that impinge
upon education in American cities and will offer practical advice to policymakers and citizens on how to make municipalities, school systems, administrators, and students accountable for success or failure. The center will work with all of Tulane’s schools and with the members of the Tulane/Loyola/Xavier/Dillard consortium to develop programs that assess and contribute to the transformation of public school practices in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the U.S. as a whole."</p>
<p>Now I am as in favor of racial justice, strong urban communities, and good schools as the next guy but I am also cynical enough to believe that we cut meat and programs that NOLA really needs like civil engineers and water resources to replace them with things that are a collection of buzzwords designed to elicit grants. One might ask where is the meat and it may be that when folks fill out the peer reviews they are asking the same thing thus explaining our drop in the rankings.</p>
<p>Higher Lead: </p>
<p>I really doubt that Cowen had ulterior motives and wanted to cut so many programs. What you aren't taking into account is that Tulane almost went under financially with this storm. Many of their professors, for example med professors, were snatched away by other schools. A lot of students (grad and undergrad - especially (or perhaps, primarily) first year ones) didn't come back. Much of the med school's research was destroyed in the storm. Cut's HAD to be made. Cost-benefit analysis HAD to be made. </p>
<p>Sure, you make a valid point when you ask how tuland can be taken as a serious research university when it cuts so many programs, but how can it be taken as a serious research university if it goes bankrupt and collapses?</p>
<p>I disagree with a lot of things. I think everything possible should have been done to save engineering, as it was truly one of Tulane's strong suits, and I don't think everything possible was done. The Newcomb / Tulane colleges for men and women absolutely should not have been abolished, this was a true gem (and rare one at that) of Tulane. Especially considering it got them sued. I don't think that the school should have been split into the school of engineering and science and the school of liberal arts, because it goes against my personal fundamental philosphy of education. I dont' think the school of social work should have been cut because it was again one of the strong suits of Tulane. I think these changes could have been avoided, and I am quite bothered that they were made. But a lot of the choices, like the cutting of at least programs, faculty, and activities had to be made. There was little choice. Perhaps a better route would have been to suspend certain programs rather than abolish them (this pertains mostly to the elimination of the Necomb / Tulane colleges for women and men, as I believe most programs that were cut are in fact suspended rather than abolished). </p>
<p>But you are really hatin on Cowen far too much. I don't think he had personal, ulterior, sinister, or otherwise inappropriate motives, and did what he could to save the school. I think he made some bad choices and that his leadership ain't that great. But it isn't terrible, either.</p>
<p>If it was so broke how does it manage to have a billion dollar endowment and to grow that endowment even while it was cutting programs? If it was so broke where did the money come from to fund the Partnership for the Transformation of Urban Communities, or the new Cowen Institute, or a charter school?</p>
<p>Yes the medical enterprise had and has major problems and yes cuts had to be made there. However many of the moves he made were revenue neutral and in a few cases cuts were even made to profitable programs. There is no question that he took advantage of the situation to get rid of people and programs he didn't like and to start ones he had wanted to start for some time. If decisions were made on a purely financial basis the atheletic programs would have been cut, though I am glad they weren't. Enough of Tulane's history has been tossed already.</p>
<p>"There is no question that he took advantage of the situation to get rid of people and programs he didn't like and to start ones he had wanted to start for some time"</p>
<p>How on earth would you know that? Did he announce before Katrina that he wanted to eliminate newcomb and engineering? Was there a memo I missed?</p>
<p>When so many of the moves were revenue neutral and so many of the new initiatives cost money it is a little disingenuous to try and argue there wasn't an agenda apart from "saving the school".</p>
<p>If anything the storm was a bit of a stroke of luck for him as it allowed the opportunity to divert attention away from his divise and lackluster performance before the storm. Dr Cowen is an avid self-promoter but there has always been a lot more sizzle than steak.</p>
<p>since when was tulane cutting its law program, higherlead. i never heard of any talk about that. i would like to get a source for that. you're reaching jayhawk levels now.</p>
<p>Read the BuRB. What I put in that post is a direct cut and paste from Renewal Plan as posted on the Tulane website.</p>
<p>I velieve that was a post JD graduate program they were cutting, however they have also cut the size of the incoming 1L class. That may not be such a bad thing.</p>
<p>Here is the link if you need it. Click on Renewal Plan and the lafthand side of the page for the .pdf.</p>
<p><a href="http://renewal.tulane.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://renewal.tulane.edu/</a></p>
<p>Objective overview of New Orleans from MSNBC, population down 40%, crime "rampant," massive corruption continues, and larger areas of city now under sea level, but there are those who hope:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20411899/%5B/url%5D">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20411899/</a></p>
<p>Geez, I guess I'll have to let my son know immediately that his subjective experience of the city is all wrong--terribly, terribly in error. How awful for him and his friends who have all been so happy there. But I'm glad you could set them straight before it's too late and they could start blindly enjoying yet another year!</p>
<p>lol, ctymom</p>
<p>There's always been crime in New Orleans (Tulane's campus is quite safe), areas have been under sea level for years, there's always been corruption (like in most major cities), etc. I'm not sure what your point is!!</p>