tulane.edu/about/leadership-and-administration/board-tulane
The governing and policy-making authority for the University is vested in a group of trustees incorporated under the title of the Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund and commonly referred to as the Tulane Board.
The Board's authority regarding the University is derived from Act 43 of the Louisiana General Assembly (Legislature) of 1884, which was confirmed in a general election as an amendment to the state constitution. Act 43 of 1884 provides "That the Board of Administrators of the University of Louisiana shall hereafter consist of seventeen Administrators of The 'Tulane Educational Fund,' or such greater numbers as the Administrators shall, from time to time, determine by suitable provision in their bylaws, with power, perpetually, to fill any vacancy in their own number; with the addition of the Governor of the State, the Superintendent of Public Education, and the Mayor of the City of New Orleans as ex-officio members of said Board." In practice, the ex-officio members do not take part in the Board's activities. The act specified that this new Board should have "full direction, control and administration of the University...in all its departments." The name of the institution was then changed to the Tulane University of Louisiana.
Administrators elected after October 28, 2005 are elected for a term of three years, and except for the Administrators elected pursuant to Sections 3 and 4 of Article I of the bylaws, may be reelected to three additional three-year terms. Members who have served four terms to completion are eligible for re-election for one additional three-year term after two years, provided that no one may serve more than 15 years. The term of office of the Chair is automatically extended to coincide with this Administrator’s term as Chair. Administrators who attain the age of 75 retire and are appointed as Emeritus members of the Board.
Section 3 of Article I of the bylaws provides that one of the Administrators is chosen by the Board of Administrators from a list of three nominees submitted to the Board of Administrators by the Board of Directors of the Tulane Alumni Association. This Administrator serves for a term of three years and is not eligible for re-election. Section 4 of Article I of the bylaws provides that the individual who serves as President of the University serves as a member of the Board of Administrators during that individual’s term as President and has all the voting privileges of membership.
In addition to the Board of Administrators, in which all corporate powers of corporation are exclusively vested, there is also a Board of Administrators (Emeritus). The Board of Administrators (Emeritus) is composed of persons who have served as elected Administrators for four three-year terms or who have retired as elected Administrators upon attainment of age 75. Emeritus Administrators are eligible to serve on committees of the Board, to attend all meetings of the Board and committees to which they are assigned, participate in discussions and enjoy all other prerogatives of office of the Administrators; they have the right to vote and be counted in the determination of quorums at committee meetings, but not at meetings of the Board. Emeritus Administrators are not eligible to serve as chair of any standing committees. Under a resolution of the Administrators, faculty, students, staff and the Alumni Association may have appointed representatives who may attend meetings of the Board and have the privileges of the floor, but may not vote.
Under a resolution of the Administrators, "faculty, student, alumni or staff delegates to the Board may be invited to meetings of the Executive Committee of the Board when the Chairperson of the Board determines that the opinions of such delegates would be helpful in arriving at decisions on matters to be considered at such meetings."
Most official Board actions are taken at regular meetings. The duties of the Administrators, however, entail extensive work by committees, including:
- The Executive Committee, comprising the officers of the Board, the Chairs of standing committees, and not more than two at-large members, meeting in those months in which regular Board meetings are not held.
- Standing committees in the areas of academic affairs, audit, board governance, compensation and personnel, development, endowment management, finance, Health Sciences, intercollegiate athletics, physical plant and campus development, student affairs and ad hoc committee on honorary degrees.
president.tulane.edu/office/leadership
Chaired by the President, the Cabinet consists of the senior leadership of the university who advise the president on important matters pertaining to the management, operations and policies of Tulane University and the implementation of its strategic goals.
The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the University. Elected by the Board of Administrators, the President has general responsibility for the management of the University and exercises the authority, including all appointments within the University, as delegated by the Board. The President also makes recommendations to the Administrators on matters requiring Board action or approval. The President presides over the University Senate and confers academic degrees on candidates recommended by the faculties.
The Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer is responsible to the President for managing the university’s business, operating, and financial affairs. S/He provides oversight of all financial areas of the University. Together with other members of the President’s Cabinet, the Chief Operating Officer recommends to the President the proposed annual budget for presentation to and approval by the Board of Administrators. S/He has overall supervision of the Controller, Treasurer, Internal Audit, and the operations of the University’s physical plant, facilities management, campus development, public safety, emergency preparedness, insurance and risk management, dining, mail and contracted services, and workforce management.
The Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost is the chief academic officer of the University and is responsible to the President for the administration of the entire academic program of instruction and research. Working with deans and executive directors of academic centers and institutes, s/he oversees faculty affairs, student affairs, research initiatives and administration, libraries and museum collections, institutional research and the Center for Public Service. Academic initiatives are presented by the Provost to the Board of Administrators for approval.
The Senior Vice President for Advancement is responsible to the President for areas of fundraising, and alumni affairs. As chief development officer, s/he serves as the key liaison with the Board of Administrators on all University development.
The Senior Vice President and Dean, School of Medicine is responsible to the President for programs in medical education and medical research at the School of Medicine and the Tulane National Primate Research Center. S/He also manages the clinical enterprise with Tulane University Health Center and other research partnerships.
The Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Effectiveness is responsible to the President, and oversees university communications. S/he works closely with the Provost on innovative initiatives, particularly the use of digital technologies to enhance the classroom experience and online education.
The Senior Vice President, Secretary of the University, and Chief of Staff serves as senior staff to the University President, oversees the operation of the President’s Office and the President’s Cabinet, and implements presidential decisions. In addition, s/he is responsible to the President for government affairs and the Board of Administrators.
The General Counsel is responsible to the President for the administration of all legal affairs and institutional compliance with federal and state regulations. S/He oversees issues related to equal opportunity and privacy and contracting.
The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students is responsible to the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost for oversight of student resources and support services, housing and residence life, campus recreation, student health and wellness, campus life, including fraternity and sorority programs, student programming, and multicultural life.
The Vice President for Enrollment Management is responsible to the President and senior vice president for academic affairs and provost for oversight of the complete admission process for full-time undergraduates. S/He is also manages the university registrar and financial aid.
The Chief Investment Officer is responsible to the President for managing all aspects of the University’s endowment and related assets.
The Director of Athletics is responsible to the President for oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Coaches and trainers prepare student athletes for competition in NCAA Division 1 programs. In addition to on-field play, s/he manages sport facilities, media relations, ticket operations, and develops fundraising opportunities to support capital improvements and student athletic scholarships.
The University Senate is the principal agency through which members of the faculty influence policies and operation of the University as a whole. Voting membership in the Senate consists of the following:
Ex-Officio Senators - The President of the University, who is ex-officio Chair of the Senate; the Vice Chair and the Secretary (elected by the Senate from its faculty membership); theExecutive Vice President for University Relations and Development; the Senior VicePresident for Academic Affairs and Provost; the Senior Vice President and Dean, School ofMedicine; the Senior Vice President for Operations and Chief Financial Officer; the Deans of each academic constituency; and the President of the Associated Student Body.
Elected Faculty Senators - From one to seven Senators from each academic constituency, depending upon the size of its full-time faculty. Senators are apportioned as follows:
fewer than 6 full-time faculty - one Senator
6 to 49 - two Senators
50 to 99 - three Senators
100 to 149 - four Senators
150 to 199 - five Senators
200 to 299 - six Senators
at least 300 - seven Senators
Elected Student Senators - Two students, elected from the student body of the undergraduate constituencies and two students, elected from the student body of the other academic constituencies.
Senators at Large - Eight members, elected annually by the Senate, from a slate of full-time faculty members (ordinarily Chairs of Senate Committees) submitted by the Committee onCommittees.
Staff Senators - Three staff senators, consisting of the Chair of the Staff Advisory Council and two others elected by the Staff Advisory Council.
The Senate Constitution states its powers and jurisdiction as follows:
The Senate may make recommendations on all matters of general University concern.
While the Senate recognizes the autonomy of the academic constituencies of the University in matters of their special concern, it reserves the right to review any actions of those academic constituencies which affect the University as a whole.
New academic policies of general University concern, or changes in current academic policies of general University concern, shall be submitted to the Senate for its consideration.
The Senate may request necessary budget information in order to implement its jurisdictional responsibilities.
The Senate maintains a communication link with the Board of Administrators in the form of three Faculty Representatives to the Board, elected by the Senate to staggered three-year terms. These representatives attend the regular quarterly meetings of the Board of Administrators and have privileges of the floor, but not of voting.
The Senate functions largely through standing and ad hoc committees, which recommend action, and in some matters, are empowered to act for the Senate. The standing committees are: Academic Freedom and Responsibility of Students; Assessment; Athletics; Budget Review; Committees; Educational Policy; Equal Opportunity and Institutional Equity; Faculty and Staff Benefits; Faculty Tenure, Freedom & Responsibility; Honors; Information Technology; Libraries; Physical Facilities; Research; Social Issues; Student Affairs.
The Senate's regular meetings are ordinarily scheduled on the first Monday of each month during the academic year except January.
The President regularly receives the advice of four standing groups:
The President's Council was created in 1976. The members of the Council serve at the invitation of the President. They are chosen on the basis of their distinguished personal achievements and their awareness of the needs of private higher education, and Tulane University in particular, in its pursuit of excellence. The Council provides the President with advice and support in achieving the goals of the University.
The Administrative Council is chaired by the President and is made up of key academic and administrative leaders who serve in an advisory capacity to the President and the Cabinet. The Council provides a forum for the exchange of information among the university’s senior leadership on important institutional issues, policies and strategies. http://tulane.edu/about/leadership-and-administration/administrative-co…
The President's Faculty Advisory Committee advises the President on matters of university policy, particularly when subjects of great urgency or delicacy require immediate consultation. The Committee consists of six faculty members, no more than two from a single academic constituency. Each year, two faculty senators are nominated by the elected faculty senators for election by the full Senate to serve for three-year terms. The Vice Chair and the Secretary of the Senate serve as ex-officio members. The Committee elects its Chair annually. It is also responsible for resolving jurisdictional disputes involving other Senate Committees.
The Parents Council, founded in 1980, consists of a select group of parents who have a child currently enrolled in the University. The Council gives the President advice and support on a wide range of subjects, including admissions, financial aid, student life and fundraising.
tulane.edu/about/leadership-and-administration/deans
The dean conducts the affairs of the college or school in accord with the general policies the University. The dean leads the development of the school’s programs and is the representative of its faculty to the administration and of the administration to the faculty.
Because schools differ in size, objectives, and methods, there are differences in their forms and procedures pertaining to faculty organization. Each school, in addition to its advisory board, has its own constitution and/or set of rules regarding faculty meetings, curriculum, committees and their functions, teaching loads, academic honors and ceremonies, and other matters. There also are variations in policies regarding consultant services and other outside professional activity, since the nature of such work and its relation to the individual's primary faculty responsibilities differ considerably. Questions in these areas should be addressed to the appropriate dean, department head or chair, or other designated officer.
