<p>Oh, please, can you send me a list of your successful marketing campaigns? I'm sure you're understating your vast experience in the field. I'll include you on the bidder's list next time I'm ready to launch a new initiative.</p>
<p>But let's not stop there. Because of your obvious experience as a senior executive making strategic decisions, particularly in crisis situations, I'll be happy to refer you to the next headhunter who calls looking for a C-suite candidate.</p>
<p>I think I am going to buy some popcorn and take a front row seat here :) What's a c-suite candidate???</p>
<p>CT201Dad you seem to take this a little personal.</p>
<p>There is a thread somewhere here on CC not unser Tulane that discusses best schools in the South. I was struck by the fact that Tulane wasn't mentioned until something like post 15. Rhodesn and Sewanee came up well before Tulane was mentioned along with all the usual suspects Duke, Vandy, Wake etc. Even Furman came up before Tulane (not implying Furman is a not a good school only that it is not a household name in most of the USA). That tells me that whatever the message is we are trying to sell it is not playing in the marketplace. </p>
<p>Dr Cowen did not suddenly arrive in his position when the last dark cloud of katrina rumbled out of NOLA. Some men like Truman may rise to the occassion in crisis belying all indications of mediocrity. Dr Cowen may have
been one of those in the days and weeks following katrina or not. Whatever his strengths or weaknesses he is not the fellow to lead us now. His plan isn't selling now and won't sell in the future, and that is a bad thing for a good school. </p>
<p>It is not enough to differentiate yourself - Pan Am, TWA, and Delorean Motor Company all did that. You need to differentiate yourself in a way that folks want to buy what you are selling at a price higher than it costs you to deliver it. Dr Cowen presented the Renewal Plan to the Board with an ultimatum to accept it in whole or he would leave. This was done in one of Tulanes darkest hours and is what he considers leadership. It was certainly a sign that he considered his plan the only feasible plan, and that either speaks to his confidence or lack of imagination or possibly both. In any event having early on commited so much to this course of action one has to wonder how tenaciously he and his supporters would cling to it in the light of changing circumstances. Human nature is what it is. Nobody likes to sdmit they made a mistake and say bow to the Newcomb alumnae - just a for instance.</p>
<p>Right now we need leadership that is flexible, imaginative, and can pull all segments of the Tulane community together. University governance in general is in crisis and needs an overhaul as events at Harvard, Duke, Princeton, Tulane, Dartmouth and other schools illustrate.</p>
<p>HL, it is difficult for me to see why/how you can do two things here:</p>
<p>The first is to mention anyone else's taking anything personally when you have a tendency to name-call over ideas and opinions (I've been on the receiving end of that, so I know it to be true.), but that's hardly important.</p>
<p>The more important, second thing is that you are bemoaning P. Cowen's marketing skills while you denigrate the school and what it is doing in a public forum. This at the same time you consistently claim to be a supporter and have a beloved son there. While I don't claim you do not have a son there--how indeed would I know?--this seems really destructive to me. It's been going on for a tiringly long time here now, and I still don't see the sense in your negativity--even less so now than earlier.</p>
<p>ctymomteacher, it is difficult for me to see why/how you can do two things here:</p>
<p>The first is read my posts when they annoy you so much. They have my name on them and you can save yourself a lot of aggravation by skipping over them.</p>
<p>The second and more important is how you you can uncritically approach any institution you allege to love. We are heading into an election season here in the USA where politicians of every political strip will argue every aspect of American policy, governance, and leadership. Does that mean these men and women do not love their country? I think not.</p>
<p>Settle yourself in some time for chat wiith fans of any sports team colege or pro and listen to the arguements and criticisms of coaching decisions, play calling, management, the relative abilities of players etc. Do you think these folks argue because they don't like their team or because they love their team and want it to be the best.</p>
<p>Anybody who reads all my posts will find strong opinions and at least a smattering of hard facts they might not otherwise be familiar with along with a lot of bad typing and worse spelling. In the case of Tulane they will also get a balanced view of both the good and the not so good.</p>
<p>Up at Dartmouth right now the administration and its supporters and a large chunk of the alumni are going at it tooth and nail over policies and direction. You can follow a little of it on the CC thread "Dartmouth Sticks it to Alumni. Alumni Sue." in the Parents Cafe forum. There have been strong opinions fervently held and expressed by all sides most all of them highly critical of the other sides motives and competence. Yet looking at it from the outside without a dog specifically in the fight I don't think anyone would argue that either side hates the school.</p>
<p>Elections, sports teams, your spelling and keyboarding problems, Dartmouth--none are relevant to anything I said. Your claim of balance is, but I still don't think you've said anything that answers my point. And "if you don't like it, don't read it" is hardly an answer to the point that you are doing more to harm the school's "marketing" here at CC than anyone. </p>
<p>(And your mocking tone is just mean-spirited, but exactly what I have come to expect, so it doesn't have any of the sting you likely intend.)</p>
<p>HL: you can rant on and on about your disagreements with Dr. Cowen's plan for Tulane, but isn't it clear that no one else here who knows the school well agrees with you? Don't you think it's time to find a new fixation? It might be in the "nick" of time.</p>
<p>Higherlead, let me be a little more straightforward, so you don't miss my point yet again: I'm interested in your credentials in a couple of areas you have opined on that I do know something about / have experience in. I'm always interested in learning more and constantly seek out the leading lights in my profession, many of whom I have met and learned from personally.</p>
<p>So, please do share with us your experience and expertise in executive decision making at the enterprise / organization level and in crisis situations in particular, as well as in marketing. Your answer might help some of us take you a little more seriously. </p>
<p>Or you can duck a third time and I'll let it go...I know you're a skilled enough debater to know a non-response or deflection is better than stating something that hurts your credibility. </p>
<p>Ball's in your court.</p>
<p>Jym626 - C-suite is shorthand for senior executives with C for Chief in their title - Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), etc...</p>
<p>OK- Thanks CT2010dad. Wasnt sure about that one. Now I shall take my seat back on the sidelines again and watch the battle. Any chance the conversation will get back to the personal app???</p>
<p>CT2010Dad I thought I already told you I am a puddinghead. If you want to list your credentials or your clients go for it. I am certain they are impressive.</p>
<p>Perhaps we should follow jym626's advice and get back to discussing the OP before somebody does or says something that unleashes a tempest they didn't anticipate.</p>
<p>I do regret that the OP's intent seems to have become so lost here, but that has happened countless times when HL has stepped in. It's been so pointless so many times. This is just another such time.</p>
<p>BTW jym626, it isn't true that the free personal app is new since Katrina. My son received the same invitation before Katrina, and it's largely the reason he applied. He's so glad he did. Before he got the invitation for that app, he hadn't really looked at the school. That's what caused him to discover the CogSci major at Tulane, which is the first of the three majors he started at there. I doubt he could be doing all he's doing at Tulane anywhere else.</p>
<p>I am not sure where the idea is that the free personal app is new (post-Katrina)-- my older s got one in the 2003-2004 academic year</p>
<p>So did mine. Some here seemed to be basing opinions on the idea that it was a post-Katrina technique. Sorry if I had you confused with those who did. I suppose it was because of your most recent question. I hadn't kept track of who already knew what. My apologies.</p>
<p>I thought we were going to get back to answering the original post not wander off on a discussion of when Tulane started offering free applications? If I recall there were only two questions in that original post.</p>
<p>Is anyone else sending in the free application?<br>
What do you think of Tulane?</p>
<p>Just clarifying some confusion/misunderstanding, that was followed by some polite discourse. Nice change.</p>
<p>jym626 -</p>
<p>Are you you sending in the free online app?
Do you have an opinion about Tulane?</p>
<p>hl,
Thanks for asking.
1) I am persuing this thread for my s, who is vacillating between using the personal app and the common app.</p>
<p>2) I will be able to answer this after we return form our visit next weekend.</p>
<p>Now, how about you?? Are you you sending in the free online app?
Do you have an opinion about Tulane?</p>
<p>oh... by the way, if you have answered your own questions earlier in the thread, feel free to disregard-- no need to repeat yourself :)</p>
<p>Thank you for asking jym626. No I am not sending in the free app. My undergraduate days are far behind me and yes I do have an opinion about Tulane. I will refer you to post 58 which was my first post on this particular thread where I said, "Tulane's reputation was more than modest pre-katrina. It is and was a much better school than its ranking would indicate."</p>
<p>I went on to present my opinion of why I thought the school was dropping in the rankings and of course a number of well qualified individuals disagreed with my analysis and at least one of them, a very rare poster to these boards seemly subtly indicated that they knew details about myself and my family that I have never revealed on these boards. I am not sure what the purpose of that was or how they came across that information, or why they should have been so interested, or why they would not have just come out and said it, but they must have had their reasons. But lets not divert the subject. A few facts.</p>
<p>Tulane University is a private co-educational school in New orleans that suffered according to its administration $450 million in damages from Katrina, fired the greatest number of tenured professors in US history, borrowed $100 million to cover post Katrina expenses, but still had sufficient resources to spend $373,000 on lobbyists, and to increase its endowment by just about the $100 million it borrowed. </p>
<p>The school is currently running an operating deficit of around $50 million a year, and has been steadily dropping in the rankings for a decade. This year it hit a new low of 50 in the US News and World report rankings. </p>
<p>It is being sued for violation of donor intent by the heirs of J L Newcomb supported by alumnae of the school named after J L Newcomb's daughter Sophie. J L Newcomb was in inflation adjusted dollars the largest single donor to the university in its history. </p>
<p>In a seperate and unrelated suit the heirs of A. Baldwin Wood the inventor of the Wood Screw Pump are also suing the university for failure to carry out the terms of a donation. The Wood Screw pumps, nearly 100 years old and still in use are the very pumps that drained the city after Katrina. Prof. Wood was a Tulane engineering professor, and one of the most famous civil engineers of the 20th centery.</p>
<p>The university has been censured by the AAUP for failing to follow its own rules with regard to firing tenured faculty, and has dropped its School of Engineering and numerous PhD programs.</p>
<p>The President of Tulane has a Bold Renewal Plan which in his words, "represents the most significant reinvention of an American university in more than a century."</p>
<p>Opinions differ about the efficacy of that plan, and opinions expressed on this board may not be a representative sampling of the wider Tulane community of students, alumni, faculty, employees, and administrators.</p>
<p>Yes, I have read the previous posts, and followed the opinions of the posters, HL. And I know you, like me, are a parent, not an applicant. Happy to repeat your question back to you as an opportunity for you to restate your opinion.</p>