Tulane Personal Application

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
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<p>higherlead - You say that your opinion is that Tulane "is and was a much better school than its ranking would indicate". And yet, with rare exception, you seem to spend the preponderance of your posting time repeating a select few negative points.</p>

<p>Why don't you take some time to comment on some of the recent positives? The endowment milestone recently reached? The faculty and academic leadership individuals who have come to Tulane post-Katrina? ...</p>

<p>If anyone should have a chip on her shoulder re Tulane and President Cowen, I think I would qualify. My son is one of the Engineering orphans whose programs were eliminated and had to transfer. Yet even I see Tulane in a more positive light.</p>

<p>I fail to understand the point of coming on these boards, often frequented by students and parents interested in considering Tulane for their college experience. to (mostly) bash the school and its administration. Certainly they might want to hear the good, bad and the ugly. You are entitled to your opinion, of course. But, to me, there is a difference between expression of opinion and a vendetta.</p>

<p>Just my $.02.</p>

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<p>jmmom - fortunately you had the financial resources to transfer. For those attending on scholarship Tulane's actions could have been a financial disaster. At most good schools there is very little non-need based aid available to transfer students, and as anyone knows who has spent any amount of time on CC boards a schools definition of need and a families can vary greatly. Even when met if the need is filled primarily by loans it can be incredibly burdensome.</p>

<p>Dr Cowen clearly put the interests of the institution ahead of the interests of the students and their families with the Renewal Plan. At least that is the case if all the moves were necessitated by real financial exigency, and I suppose that is what he gets paid the big bucks to do. </p>

<p>I cannot help but think though that if you can grow the endowment by $100 million dollars through this and have demonstrated repeatedly that you feel no moral compunction to adhere to donor intent that there may have been alternative courses of action. We will of course never know because the Renewal Plan was put to the board on a take it or leave it basis.</p>

<p>In any event parents and students should know that if the going gets tough they are ballast. But lets not highjack this thread and turn it into a analysis of my mindset. If there is something good to say about Tulane's current situation here is your chance to say it.</p>

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<p> I have deleted a number of posts that are focused on other posters rather than the topic of the thread. Please keep all posts on topic and refrain from bickering and/or negative commentary regarding other posters. Thanks for your cooperation. - Mod JEM </p>

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<p>Well, bummer, JEM. I just stocked up on some more popcorn and was ready to sit back and watch the fun. Sounds like I missed it.</p>

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<p>Some financial information.</p>

<p>Cowen's discussion of the 2007 fiscal year (ends June 30) results are reported here: <a href="http://www2.tulane.edu/tulane_talk/tt_071907.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www2.tulane.edu/tulane_talk/tt_071907.cfm&lt;/a>. Some extracts relevant to prior posts (I encourage everyone to read the whole report, and I will duly note for the record that until the audited statements are available, these figures are subject to change...):</p>

<p>"Use of Recovery Proceeds: We have used recovery proceeds to reduce debt and to fund on-going operating deficits. This year we successfully restructured all of our outstanding debt (approximately $450 million), paid off the contractors who rebuilt our campuses, and reduced our long and short-term debt....</p>

<p>"FY 07 Estimated Financial Results: You may remember that we had projected an operating loss (i.e., operating revenues minus operating expenses) of $31 million for this year exclusive of any insurance, FEMA or other one-time recovery dollars. As of today, it appears that the operating loss will be in the $21 to $24 million range...." </p>

<p>Note, taking the difference between the number of first time freshman enrolled in Fall 2007 (1325) v. Fall 2006 (882) = 443 and if we assume, on average, the discount (scholarships) required to attract these additional students was $15,000 off the tuition, room & board price of $45,000, the incremental revenue generated by these students was (443 x $30,000 =) $13.3 million; said another way, the deficit without these additional students would probably have been in the $35 to $40 million range (assuming some variable costs for these students: some additional instructors of course, as well as food and utility costs; however many of the costs would be fixed - for example, the university incurs costs for dorms whether occupied or not. If someone has better figures, happy to recalculate...). One can do lots of sensitivities with other assumptions, but these seemed logical.</p>

<p>Deloitte & Touche's audited financial statements for the Fiscal Years (ending June 30) 2005-2006 (the Katrina year) are on the website here (again, please read through these): <a href="http://www.tulane.edu/%7Eacctoff/54_Financial%20Statement.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tulane.edu/~acctoff/54_Financial%20Statement.pdf&lt;/a> </p>

<p>Note: these are dated November 10, 2006; so we should be seeing the FY 2007 results in a month or so.</p>

<p>Some observations: </p>

<p>First, from pp 4, FY 2006 Net Assets (Total Assets, including endowments - Total Liabilities, including loans) decreased by $43 million. </p>

<p>Second, while the operating deficit in FY 2006 was either $104 million (unrestricted) or $82 million (restricted) (while I know my way around corporate statements, someone who knows Higher Ed accounting better than I do can perhaps explain the difference); the operating surplus was $43 million in 2005, the year immediately preceding Katrina.</p>

<p>Has Cowen made perfect decisions? There certainly is enough debate on this board to suggest not. </p>

<p>Is Tulane out of the woods? Not yet. </p>

<p>Does it still have work to do? Very definitely. </p>

<p>Is it likely to go bankrupt tomorrow? No.</p>

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<p>Sorry, too much travel this week...the para below in my prior post is wrong...I should have written that if the class entering in Fall 2006 (882 first timers) had been as large as that entering in Fall 2007 (1325) the deficit would probably have been in the range of $10-15 million, accounting for the scholarships and variable costs...take the projected defict of $21 to $24 million and subtract out the incremental revenue of $13.3 million adjusted for variable costs.</p>

127

<p>"• The university will focus its undergraduate, professional and doctoral programs and research in areas where it has attained, or has the potential to achieve, world-class excellence. It will suspend admission to those programs that do not meet these criteria." - Bold University Renwal Plan</p>

<p>The only Tulane department rank among the top research universities in the 2005 faculty scholarly productivity index was the French department. This based on a study published in the Chronical of Higher Education</p>

<p><a href="http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity/page.php?primary=10&bycat=Go&secondary=85%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity/page.php?primary=10&bycat=Go&secondary=85&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>So what PhD program did Dr Cowen cut? Yes and this in the only state in the union with a large indigenous French speaking population. Go figure. </p>

<p>Curiously LSU which a lot of Tulanians like to denigrate had three departments rank in the top ten in this measure of scholarly productivity while the niversity of Florida had 8 departments ranked in the top ten. We did however do as well as Georgetown which also only had one department ranked - Spanish.</p>

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<p>I think it makes perfect sense. Tulanians ain't local Frenchmen. And French Ph.Ds are a dime a dozen and that's about what new assistant profs get paid. Isn't that quite a feather ... to be ranked among the myriad of top French grad programs, that language on the road to joining Latin in the basement of the new dead languages center </p>

<p>It makes total sense.</p>

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<p>I suppose you are right Whistle Pig but how does it jive with the goal of focusing on those ares where we have attained or have the potential to attain world-class excellence?</p>

<p>I actually don't have a problem with cutting weak programs in non core academic areas, and by that I mean traditional academic areas as opposed to a lot of the fluff and blather that passes for academe today. The problem is I am questioning why we are dropping strong programs that have a reputation. </p>

<p>People across the country hear Louisiana and a few things come to mind besides katrina - music, jazz, food, oil, shipping, unique culture, cajuns, bayous, unique legal system etc. If those were the things folks already associate with the state then those are the things people would naturally think Tulane ought to be academically strong in.</p>

<p>BTW what is the going rate for new assistant professors for "The Transformation of Urban communties" and what is Tulane's track record that makes potential world class in the field whatever that is. That's where we are redirecting our scarce resources. As nearly as I can tell our track record in NOLA mainly involves bringing kids from out of state to town for four years only to have them leave on graduation.</p>

<p>"• Tulane will significantly increase its commitment to the growth and development of urban communities by creating The Partnership for the Transformation of Urban Communities."</p>

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<p>I'm no fan of the French but it is spoken in 68 countries worldwide and fluently by 128 million people and has one of the great literary histories of the world so it is a tad far from dead.</p>

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<p>Your points are taken well, and of course I was overstating the French issue. Wishful thinking perhaps? :confused:</p>

<p>And I could play devils advocate on the urban issue with a case study of 2 ... dd of friend who did her masters thesis on such at Syracuse and had a ton of job offers at big $$ and is living the good life having started at 105k in a city that most young people would die to get to.. Another just started as asst prof at 94K for 9 mos., and a guaranteed 2/11 for summer without teaching to do research and publishing. </p>

<p>But I don't disagree fully with you, that these are not the lone reasons for programs rising and falling. The bottom line seems to remain here though that while you choose to make a fair case for keeping Ph.D. French studies, I choose to concur that there is a simple way to make one for eliminating one more French Ph.D. program. Now, based on myargument, I could add to yours that what is the bottomline savings? Prbly not much in the big scheme. </p>

<p>I believe the real point is that while this type of stuff is very important to French profs and their fellow humanities folks, it means zilch in most schemes. Especially at a place like Tulane, imo. It's pure fluff.</p>

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<p>Sorry but whenever I hear phrases like "The Partnership for the Transformation of Urban Communities" I aways want to know who is transforming them, why they are doing it, what they are yransforming them from, and what they plan to transform them to? In this case none of that fluff was ever defined in the Renewal Plan which is one of the reasons why I find the entire document a giant unprofessional joke, though one with real reprecussions for students, faculty, and alumni.</p>

<p>Probably I just lack the vision thing. I can see what the school lost but I don't see what it gained. Aside from the cuts in the medical enterprise which were necessary in my opinion nothing else the Renewal Plan did saved us money, improved our reputation, or met any of the local needs we are best equiped to fulfill. It did alienate a lot of alumni and and it did commit us to effect an undefined transformation of some (or all? or this?) urban community. How that makes us a stronger more attractive university I don't know and haven't been told.</p>

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<p>Yes, you have, at least in a little part, HL. You just don't listen. Part of the community outreach plan is to help local schools and the local students around Tulane. One of the things my son--who is NOT required to do community service under his entrance catalogue--has done and is doing is teaching and coaching at the school for science and math associated with Tulane. This wouldn't have happened before the storm and the plans for helping that resulted. </p>

<p>Yes, it's one small thing, but you keep saying you don't know of anything good that's come out of all these plans and renewals. I've told you more than once now and you ignore such things and denigrate those of us who appreciate them. This is why I don't think you have the best interest of the Tulane community at heart.</p>

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<p>Tulane had one of the oldest and largest sttudent community service programs before katrina. In fact Tulanians have bee doing what your son is doing for the last 40 years.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.tulane.edu/%7Ecactus/history.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tulane.edu/~cactus/history.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>These sorts of program are good things in and if themselves but what a major research university does best and what most benefits the communities around them is the generation of new knowledge. Teaching middle school kds math is a wonderful thing but nobody needs to pay Tulane thousands of dollars a semester in order to volunteer in the schools.</p>

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<p>Higherlead says: "These sorts of program are good things in and if themselves but what a major research university does best and what most benefits the communities around them is the generation of new knowledge. Teaching middle school kds math is a wonderful thing but nobody needs to pay Tulane thousands of dollars a semester in order to volunteer in the schools."</p>

<p>I have a son at Tulane so I'm not unbiased. Even so, I agree with this particular statement from Higherlead.</p>

<p>BUT. Tulane is in a unique situation of being able to "generate new knowledge" about "benefitting the community around them". That's the crux of the special opportunities available at Tulane at this point. A lot of smart and creative people challenged to solve some cutting-edge problems of contemporary life in America.</p>

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<p>So which are the programs/departments that are currently at risk for being eliminated. I know what happened to the engineering program. What other depts or majors are in jeopardy?</p>

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<p>So far as we know the cuts are over. Besides the engineering school and a general organizational reshuffling the cuts were to graduate doctoral programs. They are outlined in the Renewal Plan. The overall undergrad enrollment was also scaled back to a goal of 1400 per class from 1600+ per class and represents roughly the number of engineering studens in the cut programs.</p>

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<p>jym626 - I haven't heard of any other departments potentially on the chopping block, and TU has added some new majors this past year, including in Social Work, Engineering Physics, Environmental Science and I believe one other, but I can't recall, though I'm sure someone else can. (Note, just saw that HL was making a similar post while I was writing mine...sorry for the duplicate)</p>

<p>As to French, I can see both sides of the argument, but for a counter, I'll weigh in against keeping a French PhD program. For reference, I speak fluent French, have lived 5 years in francophone countries and did my grad degree in France. While I think everyone ought to speak at least one foreign language, and will concede that kids ought to be exposed in college (and I'm a big believer in study abroad), I'll maintain that the best way to learn to speak and write French is a summer at the Alliance Francaise, in Paris (other countries don't have anything quite the same, but you could spend the summer learning a language in country at a Uni). Advised dd to do the AF thing (saving those precious credit hours for something else), which she did this past summer...and of course she's now talking about China next summer (sigh..)</p>

<p>And, I will grant the savings might not be great on the decision to eliminate the French PhD program: 11 faculty (per Chronicle link) x say $100k per, fully loaded with benefits, retirement, etc would be in the order of $1 million; if I'm off on what a French faculty member costs by half, then it's $2 million - not a large percentage of the first post-Katrina year operating loss, but not insignificant either.</p>

<p>On the other hand, on that Chronicle site ranking TU as number 6, it is not really clear to me what criteria that got it there...reading the methodology, the only thing that seems logical would be that it met the minimum number of faculty and it must have received some grants to get some points on the scholarly productivity index - it certainly didn't come from the number of books published (1) nor from scholarly articles (0) nor citations of TU profs (0). So what were these folks doing? Doesn't appear they were generating a lot of new knowledge... Were any of them nationally recognized scholars? (I admit I don't know - seeking knowledge here...)</p>

<p>OK, maybe the arguments aren't strong for dissolving the program, but could also argue they aren't necessarily great for keeping it either. Anyway, I'll drop this line and raise another issue:</p>

<p>Prior posts have mentioned all the programs that were dropped. We know from the audited figures that operating loss in the Katrina fiscal year was on between $80 and $100 million, dropping to $21 - $24 million last year (unaudited), for a swing of $60 to $80 million as a result of the decisions that were made. </p>

<p>So, what alternative decisions could have resulted in a similar swing in operational performance?</p>