A Return to Post-Katrina New Orleans

Mardi Gras (Image courtesy: Flickr)

A happy Fat Tuesday to my readers.

It’s fitting that today is Mardi Gras; I have New Orleans on my mind. I’ve just returned from the AACSB dean’s conference, which was held there last week. It’s one of my favorite professional events, and an opportunity to really connect with my peers. The conference is only open to business school deans.

That it was held in New Orleans was a bonus. It was my first time back there since I spent a year volunteering in service of Tulane University after Hurricane Katrina. A huge transformation has taken place since I left in June 2007. The city—and Tulane itself—has really taken off. The disaster has led to substantive change that is easy to spot.

When I started at Tulane in July 2006, New Orleans was not an easy place to live, even in the mostly-spared Garden District. Finding an open grocery store was difficult. The streetcars didn’t run, as the tracks and overhead power lines remained damaged. Many buildings on the Tulane campus, which had largely been devoid of flooding, still showed signs of damage.

The city was struggling, and parents sensed it. Tulane had an average of 1,300 new freshmen each year before Katrina; the year I served, they were down to 800. That’s why I approached them and offered my help: I had the opportunity, and they had more problems than resources to solve them.

Out of adversity, Tulane’s leaders (including my former boss, University president Scott Cowen) took a proactive approach—not just to restoring the campus, but also to reinvigorating the student experience. For example, civic projects have become a central part of students’ education. Tulane has become one of the hottest schools in the U.S., and last year, it enrolled hundreds more freshmen than before the storm.

At the dean’s conference, I had a chance to reconnect with Scott, and to hear him speak about the importance of bringing that same proactive approach to the global issues facing higher education. He said that just as New Orleans rallied to recovery following the storm, we must confront the challenges in higher education.

During the conference, I thought about the greater impact business students have on our communities, whether they are in New Orleans or Washington, D.C. Tulane students’ dedication to serving their community reminded me of AU students—especially in light of this year’s Kogod Case Competition, where contestants battled to find the best solution for OPOWER, a local company that helps consumers use energy more efficiently.

I was inspired by the way the student body at Tulane became so involved in the recovery effort; the connection that they built to their city is admirable. The students have proven to be a relevant, important part of the solution, and their model is one that our students can emulate—it’s a natural extension of the service and commitment Kogod students already display.

I am privileged to have been a modest part of Tulane’s efforts, and I am delighted to see that New Orleans has come so far since my last visit.