FLC Meeting Summaries
The meeting provided prospective members with an overview of the Tulane Family Leadership Council and its role in supporting the university and enhancing the student experience. Council leaders shared that members meet four times annually, including both virtual and in-person sessions, and have opportunities to engage directly with university leadership, including the president, provost, deans, and faculty. Speakers emphasized that the Council serves as an important source of parent feedback, helping shape initiatives related to student life, housing, dining, wellness, and academic support.
University leaders highlighted the significant impact of Family Leadership Council philanthropy, noting that member contributions support scholarships, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research, career development programs, tutoring services, success coaching, and other resources that benefit students throughout their Tulane experience. Council members also shared personal stories about their families' positive experiences at Tulane and described the Council as a unique opportunity to build relationships with other families, gain insight into university priorities, and help create opportunities for current and future students.
The discussion concluded with a Q&A focused on student success and engagement. Leaders encouraged families to help students connect through residence hall staff, TIDES courses, student organizations, and campus programming, while also emphasizing the value of academic support resources, faculty relationships, and success coaching. Participants were encouraged to consider joining the Council to deepen their connection to the university community and contribute to the continued success of Tulane students.
President Fitts opened the meeting with university updates, including key priorities related to Study Abroad and the Mussafer Initiative, followed by a Q&A. The Study Abroad segment featured presentations from Dean Mollye Demosthenidy, Associate Dean Casey Love, and a student panel highlighting Tulane’s #6 national ranking and program impact. Dean Demosthenidy then led an interactive session on the Mussafer Internship Initiative with the Mussafer Team and FLC Vice-Chair Lauren Zlotky, focusing on internships, mentorships, and career readiness. The meeting concluded with recognition of council members with graduating students.
The Fall Meeting was brought together for a morning focused on university updates, student wellness, and opportunities for engagement and philanthropy. The meeting centered on “Tulane’s bold strategic direction” and the shared commitment to “caring out loud for students.” Dr. Sarah Cunningham led a session introducing Tulane’s student wellness framework, focusing on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. To close the session, interactive small-group discussions were held amongst members exploring ways to strengthen student well‑being and shared ideas for collaborative action.
President Fitts opened the meeting with a university update followed by Q&A. Faculty members and a few of their students shared an informative panel on the unique opportunities offered “Only at Tulane, Only in New Orleans.” Dean Mollye Demosthenidy presented on careers and to conclude the meeting, we recognized families with 2025 graduates.
President Fitts opened the meeting with a university update followed by Q&A. Three faculty members and four students highlighted the unique experiential service-learning opportunities offered “Only at Tulane”, underscoring the need for endowments supporting Professorships and Undergraduate Scholarships. To conclude the meeting, Bill Marko discussed Tulane’s unprecedented endowment returns and illustrated the impactful value of investing in the university.
After Dean Demosthenidy’s first year with us, she shared an update on her vision for the undergraduate experience at Tulane.
President Fitts convened the final FLC meeting of the academic year, which began with an overview of the capital investments in on-campus housing, academic and research buildings on the Uptown campus, the transition to the Always the Audacious campaign. He discussed welcoming the incoming class of top-tier students while celebrating the remarkable achievements of our current students, including a record number of post-graduate fellowships for Tulane undergraduates, faculty research excellence and recognition of their accomplishments. Additionally, he delved in to the positive impacts of our successful athletics program on the university’s overall reputation and brand strength. He then highlighted upcoming key events such as the Book Fest and New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. He also provided an update on the vision for Downtown. The discussion centered on the ongoing efforts and future plans regarding the university's involvement and vision for Downtown development. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session, where members engaged in insightful dialogue and raised pertinent questions.
The meeting then transitioned to a discussion on the Wave of Support initiative, featuring Dr. Dusty Porter, Kelly Grant, Dr. Caesar Ross, and Tim Lempfert providing updates on the progress and impact of the program to date. Attendees had the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from students regarding the tangible effects of the initiative on campus life and student well-being.
The session continued with an address by Tulane Athletics Director, David Harris, who highlighted the pivotal role of a robust athletics program in shaping campus culture and fostering student and alumni engagement. Mr. Harris underscored the importance of athletics as a unifying force within the university community, emphasizing its ability to instill pride and camaraderie among students and alumni alike. The meeting concluded with recognition of 2024 graduates.
The fall meeting convened with a primary focus on campus capital projects, emphasizing the pivotal role of space in shaping the student experience. Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Dusty Porter, introduced the topic pointing out innovative design concepts and strategic allocation of resources to enhance campus facilities and highlighting the intersection of architecture, functionality, and student engagement. Attendees then embarked on guided tours of recently completed projects: River and Lake Residence Halls (Opened Fall 2023), Steve and Jann Paul Hall (Opening Spring 2024), and Freeman School of Business (Completed in 2018). From state-of-the-art labs to student housing and collaborative spaces, the tours showcased the tangible outcomes of collaborative efforts aimed at enriching the educational environment. The group reconvened to provide feedback on their students’ experiences of the transformative impact of thoughtful spatial planning on campus dynamics and Q & A with Vice President, Facilities, Campus Development & Real Estate, Randy Philipson.
This virtual meeting focused on meeting the Dean of Newcomb-Tulane College, Mollye Demosthenidy. Dean Demosthenidy highlighted some of the initiatives she is most excited to pursue in her new role. Topics of discussion included: how NTC makes the undergraduate experience at Tulane unique, enrichment opportunities, support provided by NTC to all students, and what to look forward to in the upcoming weeks for NTC.
This in-person meeting focused on the unique connection of Tulane to its location in New Orleans and how New Orleans culture defines the school and the student experience. The meeting featured panelists such as Denise Frazier from the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South, who facilitated discussion with numerous faculty members who gave mini-lectures on their work which all relates heavily to New Orleans, from culture to architecture to environment. Finally, Eddy Cruz from Career Services joined the meeting to review career support available to graduating students and encouraged our members to become more involved in career efforts. To learn more about any of the specific talks from the meeting, contact the following: Denise Frazier (dfrazier@tulane.edu) , Richard Campanella (rcampane@tulane.edu) , Rob Lalka (rlalka@tulane.edu) , Ehab Meselhe (emeselhe@tulane.edu) , and Eddy Cruz (ecruz@tulane.edu) .
This virtual meeting focused on Student Wellness, a topic that has continued to be top of mind for the FLC. The meeting featured a feedback session with Keeling and Associates, the consulting firm contracted by Student Affairs in the Spring of ’22. Dusty Porter, Vice President for Student Affairs, led the meeting and presented key findings from Keeling and Associates’ report. The meeting also featured a discussion regarding changes made in Campus Health as a result of Keeling and Associates’ report. Contact Dusty Porter for more information by email at jporter6@tulane.edu.
This meeting focused on Wave of Support, Tulane’s exciting new initiative which connects and amplifies existing mental health support programs while establishing new relationships between faculty advocates, peer mentors, and academic advisors. The main speaker at this meeting was Kelly Grant, a senior associate dean in Newcomb-Tulane College and a professor of practice of management communication at the A.B. Freeman School of Business. For more information, you can contact Kelly Grant at kgrant@tulane.edu.
This virtual meeting occurred during Tulane’s annual Sex Week and addressed the topic of sex and assault on campus and the recent climate survey. The programming featured a video of a Tulane mother talking about her child’s experience with sexual assault on campus. Attendees discussed sexual assault on campus, and were provided with resources for victim support and sexual assault prevention. For more information, contact Julia Broussard, Interim Assistant Provost for Title IX, at jbrouss@tulane.edu.
This in-person meeting focused on environmental concerns, specifically regarding water, and how Tulane is addressing the climate crisis. Speakers included John Sabo of the Bywater Institute, Rebecca Snedeker from the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South, and an assortment of Tulane professor panelists, all of whom study the environment in fields ranging from Law, to Architecture, to Ecology and Evolutionary biology. Small group discussion following the panel focused on the importance of sharing the meeting’s information with students because they are excited about this topic. Discussion groups also proposed that Tulane both creates an interdisciplinary Minor in Water and requires each student to take one class in related to water in their field. If you are interested in learning more, contact John Sabo, Director of the Bywater Institute, by email at jsabo1@tulane.edu.
This virtual meeting centered on COVID-19, specifically addressing university protocols for COVID-19 and scheduling considering the pandemic. The meeting addressed testing, vaccine requirements, temporary classrooms, as well as the more abstract topics of what it means to be “on-ground” during a pandemic, and the responsibilities of students and the university’s administration. There was also discussion about student services for health and wellness as well as job preparation and searches. President Fitts and Deans Skinner and Woodley were all featured speakers in the meeting. Contact Erica Woodley ewoodley@tulane.edu for more information.
This meeting featured a conversation on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Carolyn Barber-Pierre, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of the Carolyn Barber-Pierre Center for Intercultural Life, Paula Booke, Director of the Center for Academic Equity, and Kelly Grant, Senior Associate Dean of Retention and Strategic Initiatives, were all speakers. After providing an update of the university generally, President Fitts fostered a discussion with the speakers about diversity and inclusion at Tulane, and the changes each of the speakers have seen in Tulane during their time at work. In the Q&A, they also discussed specific programs, opportunities, etc. that Tulane has available for students holding marginalized identities on campus. Visit https://intercultural.tulane.edu/ for more information.
This online meeting addressed Tulane’s response to COVID-19 and how students can navigate the unique challenges inherent to entering the job market during a pandemic. The meeting featured a Q&A with President Fitts moderated by Ginny Wise, Senior VP for Advancement, with Dr. Dusty Porter and Dean Lee Skinner in attendance to supplement President Fitts’s answers. Ginny Wise and Eddy Cruz also spoke on Career Services and the interdisciplinary approach to support students. Eddy concluded by talking about how FLC members could get involved with career services, and the benefits of encouraging their students to use career services, as well as internships as a whole in the long run. Contact Dusty Porter for more information by email at jporter6@tulane.edu.