Live Chat With Tulane University President Scott Cowen
November 3, 2008
President Cowen: Good evening. Welcome to our first live chat of the academic year. I always enjoy this opportunity to answer your questions online but I hope you will find time to visit our campus. There is always something exciting going on at Tulane and in New Orleans. You will find it a very worthwhile trip. So, let's begin. First question?
Jacob Harris: Dear President Cowen, how is Freshman Orientation handled? Are there specific days for the students to attend or is it all the first week of school?
President Cowen: We hold orientation sessions in June of every year and we strongly encourage our students to come to them. The schedule for these events is posted well in advance, as are all of the activities. In addition, we do additional orientation programs when you arrive on campus. We also have a special NOLA program that you could attend, which really introduces you to New Orleans as well as the university.
Ryan: How does one go about applying to be in a fraternity? Does it cost more to belong to these and can you apply as a freshman as some colleges allow?
President Cowen: Rush takes place during the second semester of your first year, and there may be some incremental costs that are assessed by the Greek system itself. These are usually fairly minimal.
Jonathan: Dr. Cowen, I recently received a letter saying my application decision had been deferred until the spring review period. My high school is on a trimester system as opposed to semesters, so my question is this: When should I submit my transcript?
President Cowen: Whenever you have new information that we have not received yet, whether it's your next transcript or test scores, go ahead and submit it to us as part of your file. If you want to reiterate your interest in Tulane, feel free to call your admission counselor here at the University.
Fernando Herrero: Hello Mr. Cowen. I would like to know which financial aids and/or scholarships I qualify for.
President Cowen: It is difficult to answer this question without knowing more information. Generally, we have three kinds of scholarships available. The first is a need-based scholarship. In order to qualify for that, you have to fill out the appropriate batch of forms and college-board profile form. We also have merit scholarships, which are awarded depending on the strength of your academic record. And finally, we do have civic engagement scholarships for students who have excelled in public service in high school and make a strong case that they are deserving of one of our public service scholarships. I should also mention we have athletic scholarships if you happen to be a student athlete, and scholarships if you are a member of one of the ROTC units.
Jonathan: What kind of part-time jobs do students at Tulane usually have? I would love to work for Habitat for Humanity to serve the people of New Orleans. Is HFH active on campus?
President Cowen: We're very involved for Habitat for Humanity, and our students have a wide range of part-time job opportunities both on-campus and in the community.
Jordan Rabin: What are the strengths of the Tulane Engineering program?
President Cowen: The programs we have in Engineering are all highly ranked in their respective field in the country. We also have at the university small class sizes, opportunities for research with faculty, and opportunities for practicum in the field of engineering. Thus far, we have three undergraduate majors in Engineering. These include Medical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Engineering Physics. We also have three-two programs in Engineering between Tulane and Vanderbilt University and Tulane and Johns Hopkins.
Rita: Can you transfer from another college to Tulane in the 2nd semester freshman year and have it not affect your courses?
President Cowen: You can transfer, but it depends on what courses you've had and how it would fit in with core curriculum here. You'll also be evaluated on your first semester college courses as part of the transfer evaluation process. Also, we review your high school performance.
Rachel: How do I apply for the dance program?
President Cowen: Students can participate in the dance program by selecting dance courses as part of their program of study as first-year students. There is no separate application for dance.
Jonathan: I would love to have an opportunity to meet with some professors at Tulane and experience a visit of the campus again. Are there any large-scale Campus Visit Weekends coming up in the near future?
President Cowen: Yes, there are many that we have throughout the year. They are posted on the Admissions website. The next one is this Saturday. Please contact your admission counselor to set up meetings with professors.
Bryan: Has Katrina affected the campus or any aspect of the school?
President Cowen: The University is fully recovered from Katrina. We did make some changes after the storm, but those are now fully integrated into our normal operations.
Jonathan: Does Tulane University offer courses in an Arabic major program?
President Cowen: Tulane offers Arabic language courses and there are courses distributed through different departments that focus on Middle Eastern culture and history. An Arabic major would have to be a self-designed major.
Josh: What has Tulane done in rebuilding after Katrina?
President Cowen: Whatever damages we had from Katrina have been fully mitigated. The campus is totally functional, looks beautiful, and you would never know anything happened to it if you came and visit.
Jonathan: What sort of countries is Tulane active in regards to learning abroad programs?
President Cowen: We have a very robust International Studies program. We have 80 programs in 40 countries, 4 continents except Antarctica.
Melissa: Hi my name is Melissa Chambless and I was wondering if you could explain to me your nursing program. I'm aware that I would have to go through the pre-med track but would I go to a graduate nursing program at Tulane?
President Cowen: We have no nursing program at Tulane University, undergraduate or graduate. However, you could go to Tulane and take a major or minor that would prepare you to go onto Nursing after you graduate.
Ethan: What is required of students in regard to an evacuation plan?
President Cowen: We encourage every student who comes here to have a personal evacuation plan in the event that we have to leave the campus. However, as a last resort, the University does evacuate any students that are still on campus before a storm.
Elaine: Is there wireless internet on campus?
President Cowen: Yes.
Shelby: Are there curfews on campus that are required for the Dorms?
President Cowen: No.
Elaine: Is there a "typical" Tulane student, and if so, how would you characterize him/her?
President Cowen: There is no typical Tulane student, but there are some characteristics that are common in many of our students. For example, they are very well-prepared academically. They typically are among the very best students in the country. Our students also tend to be outgoing and very civic-minded. Finally, based on feedback we have gotten from our students, they tend to be very happy at Tulane University. They enjoy everything we have to offer.
AnnaB: Can you tell me more about the community service requirement? I'm very involved with community work through my church; would that count?
President Cowen: Public service is a part of the core curriculum at Tulane. In your first two years at the University you fulfill the requirement by taking service learning courses. In your last two years, you can fulfill that requirement in many ways. For example, you could take more service learning courses, write a thesis, internship, or some type of practicum.
Misanthrope: Are private rooms available for students in campus housing?
President Cowen: Yes, there are some that are available.
Elaine: What happens if I don’t know which specific school in Tulane I want to be in? Is it possible to transfer between schools?
President Cowen: It is no problem whatsoever if you don't know what major school you want to be in. You apply to Newcomb-Tulane College and through that college you have entry into any of the majors at the University.
Ray Noone: My daughter applied early action and her high school sent all of the required support information in mid-October yet your system still shows some things as missing. Is there another way I can confirm that you in fact have everything you need?
President Cowen: You should contact your admissions counselor at the university. They're currently experiencing a slight delay in processing due to overwhelming interesting in Tulane.
Wes: Hi President Cowen, what percentage of undergrads go to Tulane for business?
President Cowen: About 20 percent.
Jonathan: Does Tulane have a strong history delivering students into the Peace Corps? I have a strong interest in doing that someday.
President Cowen: We have a strong history department and a legacy of a lot of our graduates going into the Peace Corps.
Frankie: I've visited your campus, but was unable to take a formal tour. My parents are concerned about security. What measures are put into place in order to keep the students safe?
President Cowen: We have a number of measures in place, including police who patrol our campus on foot and in car and on bicycle every single day, 24 hours a day. They also patrol the area around the campus, covering about 1 mile. Very recently we have installed or are in the process of installing 25 cameras in the areas adjacent to the university. We believe our overall safety record compares very favorably to other major urban institutions.
Suzanne: How hard is it to have a double major, receiving two degrees in four or five years?
President Cowen: A lot of our students have double majors; about a third of them do. You just need to make sure of the appropriate planning for a dual degree options.
Rachel: If you could change one thing about Tulane, what would it be and why?
President Cowen: I wish we had an endowment of $40 billion to make sure that all students could come to the University for free. J
Wes: I'm interested in law so could you tell me a bit about the pre-professional tracks at Tulane? Is there anything a pre-professional student would have to do compared to the regular undergrad?
President Cowen: There is no formal pre-law program at the university. Many students major in areas such as Political Science, English and History. There is a student pre-law society and an advisor who focuses on students interested in professional school.
Wes: How involved are Tulane students with the New Orleans community?
President Cowen: Extremely involved. Many of our students fulfill their public service requirement by being involved in New Orleans. In addition to public service, they also volunteer many hours to the community's recovery.
Rachel: What is offered in terms of public transportation? How close are you located to the heart of New Orleans?
President Cowen: The campus is about 4 miles from the heart of New Orleans. And we have an excellent public transportation system. The most popular mode of transportation is the streetcar. We also have buses and campus shuttles.
Jacob Harris: Can you describe the kind of career fairs Tulane runs? What type of companies attend? A wide range or not?
President Cowen: Tulane runs career fairs that have over 100 companies from all over the country attend the career fair. The companies and organizations range anywhere from businesses and non-profits, to the CIA. The university also brings employers daily onto campus to meet with students. Go to the website hiretulanegrads.com for a listing of all companies.
Elaine: I live in NYC and was wondering if you could describe New Orleans a bit. How would you characterize the city? What type of people live there?
President Cowen: New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in the United States. It is the only city that I know of that can lay claim to its own music, architecture, food, and language. If you ever wanted to study outside of the United States but couldn't do it, you'd want to come to New Orleans.
Jordan Rabin: Does Tulane have honors housing?
President Cowen: Yes. There is a residence hall for honors students. It offers programs and activities geared toward that population.
Elaine: How exactly does the advising system work at Tulane, and do you find that students are generally happy with it?
President Cowen: Students are assigned an advisor before summer orientations based upon their interests. That advisor works with the student over the summer to help them schedule classes for the academic year, and meets with them for problems from academics to choice of restaurants for first dates. Many students are happy with the advising services they receive.
Rachel: How are you working to develop your athletic programs?
President Cowen: After Katrina, we suspended participation in 8 intercollegiate athletic programs. We are now in the process of bringing those programs back. In addition, we have a large set of club sports and intramural programs available for all our students.
Fernando Herrero: How do I know who my admission counselor is in order to get in touch with him?
President Cowen: Go to the Admission website at admission.tulane.edu and then go to the section Meet Your Counselor. You can search by state.
McBama: What's political life like on campus? How active are students, clubs and so on in politics?
President Cowen: We have a very robust series of student organizations in the political arena. Recently, Mike Huckabee and Harold Ford came to campus to debate. We had Barack Obama speaking on campus last spring, as well as Ralph Nader. Many students will be watching the election and discussing it in class tomorrow.
Jake: What kind of relationship exists between the University and the city?
President Cowen: We have an excellent relationship with the city. Tulane University is the largest employer in Orleans Parish. Many of our faculty are closely involved in activities in the city.
Josh: How active is the Student Government?
President Cowen: We have a very involved and engaged student population in student government, both at the undergraduate level and the graduate level, as well as government in each of the schools.
Suzanne: All schools have certain "traditions"...what are the biggest at Tulane?
President Cowen: Red beans and rice on Monday, gumbo on Friday, attending Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the Voodoo Fest.
Lin: My son has done many extracurricular activities. Would those help him to get scholarships, and how?
President Cowen: It might help him to get a public service scholarship. You have to specifically apply for that scholarship. You can find out about it online at our admissions website.
Rachel: How large is the campus?
President Cowen: The Uptown campus, where our undergraduates are, is 114 acres.
Rachel: If I applied early action through the personal application, am I automatically considered for scholarships and the honors program?
President Cowen: Yes.
Sax: I'm in a local band, as well as my school band. What are the opportunities for musicians (not in a music program) at Tulane?
President Cowen: We have a lot of our students who are involved in student-run and managed jazz bands, vocal groups and rock bands. This is a great city to be involved in music.
Ethan: Has the financial crisis in the U.S. had an impact on student loans this year? Do you anticipate an impact for the 2009 school year?
President Cowen: At this time, Tulane has not witnessed families or students having problems accessing education due to downturn in the economy. We continue to monitor this very closely. The one concern we do have is in regard to non-federal, private loan products because the credit criteria is becoming much more stringent. This is the same nationwide. We strongly encourage students and families to explore all of the opportunities available through federal aid resources and loan programs before choosing a non-federal private loan.
Deirdre Clark: How is Tulane's applicant field looking so far this year?
President Cowen: Superb. Last fall, we had 35,000 applications for 1,400 positions. And as of today, we're about 11 percent higher than we were last year same time.
Tulane: Dr. Cowen, we're almost out of time for tonight's chat. Is there anything you'd like to add, before we have to close?
President Cowen: I would just like to thank everybody for joining us this evening. I look forward to being with you online in the spring. In the meantime, have Happy Holidays and if you have not visited our campus yet, please come and see us personally. I also want to thank LiveWorld for hosting this chat and being such a good friend of Tulane University.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.