Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

Mirroring the proactive strategies of Tulane University, the School of
Architecture has consistently sought to increase the presence of women
and minorities among the faculty and student body. This is in response to
changes in the profession and society-at-large; it is also necessary given
the significant number of women students and the real and projected
increase in minorities among the student body. Since the last accreditation
report hires have included five women and the faculty is supplemented by
two visiting positions being filled by women (projected 2007-08). Women on
the faculty play an active part in mentoring all students, and Tulane has
distinguished itself by recruiting and hiring one of the only four women
Deans of Architecture Schools in the country in 1993, thus setting an
excellent example for the women it trains.
However, the need to have women and minorities proceed through the
ranks of reappointment, promotion, and tenure is of particular concern to
the current administration.
We are specifically working to increase the presence of African-American
students in our population. Through Tulane’s Minority Scholarships and
City Scholarships Programs, we have made some strides in this regard and
are seeking to further our recruitment efforts in this regard. Given our
placement in unique New Orleans, we hope to increase this aspect of our
diversity. However, it is an increasingly smaller cohort of Tulane students
who come from the New Orleans region and Louisiana.
Yet not only is it necessary to recruit minorities; retention and progression
through the program is of equal significance. In this respect, the School of
Architecture at Tulane excels. The vast majority of our minority students
who matriculate complete their studies in the expected amount of time.
Those that do not, nonetheless, do complete the program within a
reasonable time frame. Numbers pertaining to retention and time-tograduation
rates are commensurate with non-minority students.
Thankfully, we have a strong tradition of students of Hispanic origin. In
addition, we have notable academic ties to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean
Islands, Mexico, and Central and South America. We enjoy the presence of
many different nationalities through this connection. There are also several
students from European and Asian countries; we currently have students
from Switzerland, Romania, Taiwan, India, and China. The Masters of
Architecture II Program is significant for its diverse student population;
enrolled students in the past several years have come from Romania,
China, Germany, Costa Rica, India, China, Taiwan, Argentina, and
Ecuador, among other nations.