August 21, 2023
Dear Tulane Community:
It may still feel like the middle of summer, but the fall semester has begun!
Classes start today for thousands of Tulane students. Our campus walkways will be crowded at regular intervals with new first-years learning their way around and returning students excitedly greeting old friends. After the relative quiet of the summer months, the rhythm and pulse of university life will pick back up seemingly without missing a beat.
In classrooms across our campuses, our award-winning, internationally renowned faculty are beginning a new semester of teaching and mentoring the next generation of scholars. Meanwhile, our dedicated, talented staff are working to support Tulane’s unparalleled learning experience in ways too numerous to mention.
I’ve heard a lot of advice — sometimes conflicting — over the course of many years as a president, a dean, a professor, and a student. I think it’s safe to say that there is one piece of advice whose value is universally acknowledged by those with experience in higher education. As our students begin the fall semester, I’d like to share it, in the form of four simple words:
Always read the syllabus.
Here’s to a great fall semester, and a great year ahead!
P.S. If you’re on the uptown campus today, come by the entrance to River and Lake Halls at 11:45 a.m. to chat with me and enjoy a cool treat at our first “MikeDrop” of the year!
