Influential Tulane Alums Turned Off

[timlan2057]

I was talking to a friend of mine in the grocery store recently.

She is a Newcomb graduate and was a Tulane cheerleader back in the late sixties. He is a Tulane med school grad. If I named names, some of you would know them, I'm sure.

We never had common ground regarding Tulane until my daughter started attending. I was a bit surprised when she matter-of-factly told me: "We support LSU." In fact, they were on their way to a baseball game at Alex Box.

I didn't ask specifically, but knew enough of her feelings to know that the whole Newcomb college thing played a significant part in their feelings.

I don't totally agree with their stance: to me, the funds Sophie Newcomb dedicated were more than used for the proper purpose.

On the other hand: Newcomb was just a name. I wonder at the reason that Tulane, led by Cowen, had to file a lawsuit that was only guaranteed to piss a lot of people off royally--influential Tulane alums like the ones mentioned.

I spent 20 years in managing automobile dealerships. A dealer I worked for said: "Remember, the customer is not always right. But the customer is always ... the customer." I am not qualified to judge all the legal nuances of the Newcomb dispute.

All I know is, filing a lawsuit is certainly guaranteed to engender ill feelings among tons of stalwart Tulane alumni. In fairness to Cowen, there may have been legitimate reasons to sue. I don't know. I'm not "Cowen-bashing."

But on the surface--with my friends as examples--in my opinion, this administration seems to have a knack for royally pissing off not just peripherals, but some of the most influential and stalwart alumni Tulane has.

It's one thing if a peripheral and a nut badmouths you--but what does it do for Tulane's rep when folks like the above cease their support of Tulane academics and athletics? You know they talk about it. They are prominent community leaders here in central Louisiana.

I don't agree with the reasons they did what they did. I am not totally condemning Gibson Hall.

But bottom line: under this administration, the coffers are drying up.

How many more specific examples like my friends are out there?

[HoustonWave]

I was talking to a friend of mine in the grocery store recently.

She is a Newcomb graduate and was a Tulane cheerleader back in the late sixties. He is a Tulane med school grad. If I named names, some of you would know them, I'm sure.

We never had common ground regarding Tulane until my daughter started attending. I was a bit surprised when she matter-of-factly told me: "We support LSU." In fact, they were on their way to a baseball game at Alex Box.

I didn't ask specifically, but knew enough of her feelings to know that the whole Newcomb college thing played a significant part in their feelings.

I don't totally agree with their stance: to me, the funds Sophie Newcomb dedicated were more than used for the proper purpose.

On the other hand: Newcomb was just a name. I wonder at the reason that Tulane, led by Cowen, had to file a lawsuit that was only guaranteed to piss a lot of people off royally--influential Tulane alums like the ones mentioned.

I spent 20 years in managing automobile dealerships. A dealer I worked for said: "Remember, the customer is not always right. But the customer is always ... the customer." I am not qualified to judge all the legal nuances of the Newcomb dispute.

All I know is, filing a lawsuit is certainly guaranteed to engender ill feelings among tons of stalwart Tulane alumni. In fairness to Cowen, there may have been legitimate reasons to sue. I don't know. I'm not "Cowen-bashing."

But on the surface--with my friends as examples--in my opinion, this administration seems to have a knack for royally pissing off not just peripherals, but some of the most influential and stalwart alumni Tulane has.

It's one thing if a peripheral and a nut badmouths you--but what does it do for Tulane's rep when folks like the above cease their support of Tulane academics and athletics? You know they talk about it. They are prominent community leaders here in central Louisiana.

I don't agree with the reasons they did what they did. I am not totally condemning Gibson Hall.

But bottom line: under this administration, the coffers are drying up.

How many more specific examples like my friends are out there?

I'm afraid there are too many like your friends. I think your drawing some very accurate conclusions from the symptoms you are seeing among Tulane alums. The coffers are drying up, and that, among other Cowen foibles, is harming our academic standing. There are serious problems at Tulane--and there is a growing awareness of this outside the Tulane community. My firm, for one, has removed Tulane as a "preferred campus" for hiring. Cowen's latest faux pas, Tulane Empower, will do nothing to change the academic downtrend. And as far as athletics, well if a university's athletic program is its "front porch" (as TCU's administration likes to point out), then we don't have a front porch, because it has rotted off from administrative neglect. Many Tulane alums are simply moving on, and providing support to other universities, typically the schools their children attend, or schools that they have had a connection with since childhood. With Tulane as a subject, one could write a very interesting book detailing the demise of a major university.

[JTLiuzza]

My firm, for one, has removed Tulane as a "preferred campus" for hiring.

That's sobering. Do you know what triggered it? Was it the drop out of US News top 50?

That's the kind of thing that ought to get alums, students, and parents who are forking out plenty money for a Tulane degree for their children up in arms. It stands to reason that your firm is not the only one. Too bad that info is not available.

[Bigschtick]

I do not think anyone here is any less influential than the couple you refer to who likely have spent little, if any time, on the athletic forums. I have supported the school, both the general fund and TAF since I graduated in 1968. No matter how pissed we might be with the admin, I thinks its nonsense that" he now routes for LSU". That said, Tulane is highly competent at being incompetent! We really do have a bunch of morons and imbeciles in charge of this university.

[sader24]

If major Tulane alums are turned off how do you think non-Tulane alums who grew up die-hard Tulane fans feel? You know how demoralizing and frustrating it is to root for a school you didn't graduate from that refuses to help themselves while the school you did graduate from wins 2 national championships in a decade, unfortunately I can't whole heartedly root for LSU because I was brainwashed as a child. The sad thing is that what's left of the Tulane fanbase is mostly in their 50's through 70's. I'm 28 and I know 1 other Tulane fan from New Orleans who still goes to games in between 20 and 35. Meanwhile my other 200 or so friends are all LSU fans. I often wonder why I care more than the people who actually run Tulane. I don't blame anyone who has decided to support LSU, how long are we supposed to waste our time and our lives being miserable and watching bad teams while the powers that be could care less. Life is too short to watch this B.S. for any longer than you have to. I look back at how many great football weekends at LSU I missed because I drove home to watch Tulane battle Army and lose or get blown out by Houston or get destroyed by Memphis and I think how stupid I must have been to support a school that was so moronically run and had little or no desire to compete. They haven't just cost Tulane fans, watching those 1973 tapes with 87,000 people in Tulane Stadium for that game you begin to realize just how much they've cost the city as well. It's very disheartening.

[NOLABigSteve]

Sader, I couldn't agree more. 99% of my friends are LSU fans, and I get so damn jealous of what they get to experience week in and week out. My loyalty to Tulane is questioned constantly.

I was the baby with a Tulane shirt on, and I too was brainwashed as a kid. I love the Green Wave. I would choose a Tulane game over any other school any given day.

It's just really a shame that us Tulane fans never get to experience the true college game day atmosphere from tailgating to a jam-packed stadium of fans screaming their heads off, because the people in charge who can change things, refuse and don't want to.

[IM42lane]

There has been nothing but regression at Tulane recently, and not just in athletics. The cutting/diminishing of Newcomb College and Tulane Engineering that Cowen has caused are two of the recent non-athletic area downgrades that our fearful leader has been responsible for. I wonder if there will be other areas on the chopping block list that will be cut or lessened. Cowen is no longer the influential fundraiser that he was in the past. Maybe that will cause a movement to retire this guy earlier than he was planning on.

[HoustonWave]

My firm, for one, has removed Tulane as a "preferred campus" for hiring.

That's sobering. Do you know what triggered it? Was it the drop out of US News top 50?

That's the kind of thing that ought to get alums, students, and parents who are forking out plenty money for a Tulane degree for their children up in arms. It stands to reason that your firm is not the only one. Too bad that info is not available.

Falling out of the Top 50 doesn't help, but there are many factors that go into what campuses are "preferred". Certainly performance of those we hire matters a lot. And I know here in Houston, the Tulane grads have not been particularly strong, the same is true of Texas grads. The UH, Baylor and aTm grads seem to be more in tune to the real world, and have performed better. I think Tulane is just losing more and more relevance in general. The Tulane Empower's emphasis on community involvement and help will do nothing to change this trend. I can assure anyone, that we will not be looking for grads that swung hammers and read to elementary school children. Given Cowen's age, I think he is stuck in the utopian ideas of the 60's. Whether it's athletics or academics, Tulane just doesn't seem to be able to keep up with modern times. The school is continually trying to establish its own way forward, rather than excelling at the way forward established by most other universities, including prestigious private schools. As a result of all this, relevance, on all fronts, continues to decline. You can only be an outcast for so long before everyone just simply ignores you--including alums.

[JTLiuzza]

My firm, for one, has removed Tulane as a "preferred campus" for hiring.

That's sobering. Do you know what triggered it? Was it the drop out of US News top 50?

That's the kind of thing that ought to get alums, students, and parents who are forking out plenty money for a Tulane degree for their children up in arms. It stands to reason that your firm is not the only one. Too bad that info is not available.

Falling out of the Top 50 doesn't help, but there are many factors that go into what campuses are "preferred". Certainly performance of those we hire matters a lot. And I know here in Houston, the Tulane grads have not been particularly strong, the same is true of Texas grads. The UH, Baylor and aTm grads seem to be more in tune to the real world, and have performed better. I think Tulane is just losing more and more relevance in general. The Tulane Empower's emphasis on community involvement and help will do nothing to change this trend. I can assure anyone, that we will not be looking for grads that swung hammers and read to elementary school children. Given Cowen's age, I think he is stuck in the utopian ideas of the 60's. Whether it's athletics or academics, Tulane just doesn't seem to be able to keep up with modern times. The school is continually trying to establish its own way forward, rather than excelling at the way forward established by most other universities, including prestigious private schools. As a result of all this, relevance, on all fronts, continues to decline. You can only be an outcast for so long before everyone just simply ignores you--including alums.

Sobering indeed. And it just further proves that all this is not just about a football team. There's much more on the line. Thanks for the post.

[St. Amant Wave]

Sader24, just think about us old guys who have been Green Wave fans since the 60's. To see Tulane go from a prominent player in D-1 athletics to the poor excuse of a football program in the last 25-30 years is disheartening! Gosh! the teams we used to play! the Stanfords, the Air Force, Georgia Tech, and many others! Now we play the ULM'S, the SLU and the UTEP and other directional schools! Just go back and check out our schedules in the 70's and 80's! This is pathetic! Until we can somehow clean house and get an athletic friendly university president and BOA, I'm afraid we are just spinning our wheels! I'm about ready to give up on the whole damn thing!

[IM42lane]

You have lost it, Scotty Cowen. People are looking at you and Dickson and Toledo in the same way that they look at the Three Stooges. The only question is who among you plays the roles of Moe, Larry, and Curly ? JUST LEAVE NOW!!

Falling out of the Top 50 doesn't help, but there are many factors that go into what campuses are "preferred". Certainly performance of those we hire matters a lot. And I know here in Houston, the Tulane grads have not been particularly strong, the same is true of Texas grads. The UH, Baylor and aTm grads seem to be more in tune to the real world, and have performed better. I think Tulane is just losing more and more relevance in general. The Tulane Empower's emphasis on community involvement and help will do nothing to change this trend. I can assure anyone, that we will not be looking for grads that swung hammers and read to elementary school children. Given Cowen's age, I think he is stuck in the utopian ideas of the 60's. Whether it's athletics or academics, Tulane just doesn't seem to be able to keep up with modern times. The school is continually trying to establish its own way forward, rather than excelling at the way forward established by most other universities, including prestigious private schools. As a result of all this, relevance, on all fronts, continues to decline. You can only be an outcast for so long before everyone just simply ignores you--including alums.

Sobering indeed. And it just further proves that all this is not just about a football team. There's much more on the line. Thanks for the post.