<p>I wanted to come over here and tell everyone affected how sorry I am for this decision by Tulane. I don't even know what to say. It's like a bad dream that keeps going on and on.</p>
<p>I haven't posted this but my S applied and was accepted EA to Tulane. The admissions office must be reeling. Try to get kids to consider Tulane with these kind of choices. It's too bad, we did not look at Tulane but my S was really considering Tulane as one of his top picks. </p>
<p>They are still offering his major Chem E but I am worried about the Engineering department and the University's future after this announcement. Can you make these type of cuts and expect any type of recruitment for next year's class.</p>
<p>jmmom, I am so sorry. You have been such a proponent for Tulane all these months. Your S has gone through so much this fall and to think that he probably will have to make yet another choice is beyond .... Oh my.</p>
<p>So sorry to everyone else affected, alongfortheride, what a nightmare.</p>
<p>There is a live chat at 6 eastern today. I hope enough people ask the question about what happens to those with DSA's and DHS's who must now go elsewhere that they MUST answer it somehow.</p>
<p>Jmmom, I am so sorry. I am so hopeful that part of Tulane's plan is to help these kids move on to other schools and to set up a grant program that will enable their scholarships to follow them If it really does affect "only" 400 kids, it seems that the financial support of those kids to whatever extent they were expecting it would be a drop in the huge bucket of monetary considerations right now.</p>
<p>That doesn't help with the dashed dreams insofar as Tulane itself and NOLA are concerned. I was just talking with my 8th grade history students yesterday, in a completely unrelated context, about how people don't choose the disasters that befall them but the ones who make something out of them are the ones we study. That doesn't stop us from longing to fix everything immediately, especially for these kids who have worked so hard and dreamed so big.</p>
<p>The interesting thing is that the Chemical and Bio Engineering majors currently are required to take courses in the engineering disciplines that are being cut as majors. I think they will have a hard time getting serious engineering profs to teach at a school with no terminal degrees offered in their disciplines. Can bio and chem be far behind?</p>
<p>Ironically (and poignantly) my daughter received her acceptance to Newcomb College on the same day it was announced that it is being abolished. Have they also done away with DHS, etc.? The applications are due next week; maybe they are now a waste of time.
I am so sorry for those of you have children going through this. It is indicative of the remnants of Katrina that are affecting our entire life now in Southeast Louisiana.</p>
<p>ctymom and jmmom - We have the same dilemma with the scholarships. Our family cannot afford to pay full boat elsewhere. I can't help but think of the other good scholarships S turned down to attend Tulane. </p>
<p>Along is right, the sad truth is that they needed to get our kids back there and get the tuition, so that is why they waited to announce until after it is too late to make other arrangements. The business school will never close; it is well supported by the university according to my S who worked there.</p>
<p>Kraemer - My thoughts are with you. Keep your chin up. I'm still hoping there is a silver lining in this. More information will be forthcoming over the next several days, I'm sure. </p>
<p>One thing they may be working on is an arrangement similar to the 3-2 plans between other colleges. Does anyone know if scholarships and other funding carry over in these cases?</p>
<p>I for one hope that the scholarship issue is discussed in the live chat. I know in the past it has been difficult to get your questions answered on the chat. I hope it focuses on the heart and core issues of the changes and is not just a pep rally chat.
Also what will happen to the those athletes who are on scholarship now that their sport has been axed. Is Ecliptica male or female. I also wonder how may students and parents are unaware of what is happening. Most probably don't check the Tulane site regularly now that things seemed on track.</p>
<p> Five undergraduate programsCivil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Exercise and Sport Scienceswill be eliminated at the end of the 20062007 academic year. The faculties of the School of Engineering and of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be divided into two new schools, the School of Science and Engineering and the School of Liberal Arts.</p>
<p>It looks like these five programs won't be eliminated for a year.</p>
<p>Most of the students they're cutting out here are the bright ones that got all of the scholarships. By not leaving us any alternate (similar) majors to choose, they can effectively get rid of us and stop paying our scholarships.</p>
<p>mom60 and ctymom~ I hope you'll be "there" at the chat with your scholarship qx. the more who ask it, maybe the more they'll have to address is. That is one way you could help, if possible.</p>
<p>I think Ecliptica is, in fact, a male (not sure).</p>
<p>For any parents and kids who don't regularly check the website, no matter. They have emailed the link. DS received it and found out late last night, even tho I was hoping to spare him til end of exams. I have to be proud of my son. He spent one "headline" moment in anger, but then moved on to start talking about options and choices. (all via email; I am hoping he did not spend a sleepless night and will be able to focus on the work at hand for the next few days).
Yes, dstart. Anyone who can complete his degree by May '07 is "fine." Except who knows what other shoe might drop? How quickly faculty move on, etc.?</p>
<p>Just a suggestion: If, as appears, the axe will not fall until the end of next year, is there not the chance that Tulane can do something vis-a-vis scheduling that would allow for all of the 2, 3 and 4th year students to complete their major requirements before the end of 2007? Is this not something to push for?</p>
<p>And couldn't the scholarship people AT LEAST stay and take as many courses as possible on their scholarships as long as those courses are there? That's what I would do. I'd take advantage of the free short semester and as much of the scholarship money as possible even if I eventually had to transfer.</p>
<p>The problem with the short semester is that you can only take three courses, or a certain number of credits, not enough to equal a full semester. </p>
<p>I plan to be at the "live chat" tonight, though I've never done one before. Is it like AIM?</p>
<p>Our thinking may change a million times, but certainly going there for Spring/Lagniappe accomplishes a few things: see what it really feels like there (University and NOLA); explore possibilities of alternate major (for the freshmen and maybe early year upperclassmen), time to think/plan for transfer if that's the eventual route; time to see what support/facilitating there will be for the transfer process; time to complete transfer apps more thoughtfully than rushing now (most "normal" transfer deadlines seem to be 3/1 or 3/15); and, of course, take advantage of the DSA/DHS etc. for a while.</p>
<p>personal note: spoke with DS a moment ago as he was running an idea by me for a take-home final essay. He is able to focus on his exams, and he is able to talk about future options without "losing it" (altho most of his thoughts are "I don't know"). Thank god for small favors.</p>
<p>ctymom, staying and taking classes on scholarship would be sound business - if the credits transfer. If they don't meet requirements at the new school, it's money wasted.</p>
<p>ABET accreditation has pretty strict requirements for schools concerning courses covered, etc. I'm not sure how much could be fudged in getting these kids out at an accelerated pace. Besides that, the faculty that my son went there to study with will likely not be there. Not to be pessimistic, but they've been cut loose - if not officially until 2007. If they lost their house in the storm, best to leave now. If they didn't, it's worth a lot more now, and its equally as advantageous to bow out. If I were in their shoes, I would accept the first attractive offer and leave.</p>
<p>I'm just disappointed. My son accepted his scholarship terms and has met them. Tulane told him that if he met the requirements, he would graduate with a Tulane degree. He's done everything required of him. Tulane, however, doesn't seem to think it owes him anything in return.</p>
<p>I'm also puzzled. The largest gift in Tulane's history went to the College of Engineering. Maybe the US News and World Report doesn't rank the college as high as architecture or business, but it's still nationally ranked. I'm also disappointed that the first degree granting institution for women in the United States will no longer exist under the new plan. So much for 170 years of history and tradition.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, academic scholarships in those programs will be honored.
[/quote]
Thanks for that link, Blizzard, where I found the above quote. I take this to mean that (1) they'll keep any academic (not athletic?) scholarships they may have and (2) assuming they stay at Tulane. For the Engineering kids we're talking about here, that doesn't seem to be an option.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Our thinking may change a million times, but certainly going there for Spring/Lagniappe accomplishes a few things
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And, even if it didn't accomplish those things, what choice do you have? It is clear that none of the comparable schools to Tulane are going to accept Tulane transfers until next fall. So the choice is really pretty cut and dried: go back to Tulane for the spring or don't go at all.</p>
<p>Each family will have to view that decision on their own, dependent in part on how much new money they have to give to Tulane. For example, a student receiving a hefty merit tuition discount has less at risk than a student paying full sticker. On the other hand, the merit aid students are in a dicier position trying to transfer.</p>
<p>I would hope that in light of the announcement that some schools would again reach out to help these students and possibly allow a fast track transfer for the spring. I don't think it is reasonable of Tulane to expect these kids to come back for the spring and then have to transfer elsewhere. I think Tulane should be working hard to come up with some alternative arrangements for these students. The students have stood by Tulane through all of this and Tulane should go all out in helping them out.
Jmmom-your son sounds like a very strong young man. I think that boys might do better in this than the girls.
My D just called and she is in her dorm room. It looks good except for dust and a few broken window panes. She said they had to climb over lots of things to reach her dorm and room. She is in Warren Hall. They have not seen any other students yet. Since her dorm was a mixed class dorm I don't think many students had moved in yet.
Jmmom- What about getting on the phone today and calling some of the schools he was accepted to last spring and see if any of them could reinstate his admission. With my D's school that is what they did and they honored the merit scholarship that she was offered on admission. I would think that many of those engineering professors will leave as soon as they find another position leaving what is left a weaker program.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I would hope that in light of the announcement that some schools would again reach out to help these students and possibly allow a fast track transfer for the spring.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The other schools' hands are tied regarding spring. They all made agreements to not poach students until the regular transfer process next fall.</p>
<p>Here's the kicker. Nearly one third of Tulane's best students receive merit aid discounts averaging $18,000 per year. So, it's not just finding another school, but putting together a package that works financially. Not a problem if you are paying full-fare at Tulane; just pay full-fare somewhere else. Not necessarily a problem if you have need-based discounts at Tulane as that same need would be calculated elsewhere (although not all schools accept need-aid transfers). Big problem if you need the merit-aid discounts to make the dollars work.</p>