Update on the Wave of Change

November 16, 2017

Dear Tulane Community,

When we announced the Wave of Change initiative last month,we gave a name to efforts that began long before this semester. Many faculty and staff members, students and alumni have been working for years to build a culture where every person feels safe and supported as they learn and lead at Tulane.

With the Wave of Change gaining strength, listening to each of you is our priority. We are grateful for the input you have sent to the website and offered in the Interactive Workshop & Visioning Session, where many of you shared your ideas about ending sexual violence at Tulane. Over the past few weeks, Deans from schools throughout the university have also opened their office hours so that we could hold forums with students, who in turn have shared thoughts and offered criticism.

During the Graduate School of Public Health meeting, for example, students suggested increasing our direct intervention through bystander training and urged us to improve outreach to marginalized groups. At the School of Architecture, we learned that we need to do a better job educating students about their rights, as well as finding ways to disrupt unhealthy definitions of masculinity. In discussions with undergraduates in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, we heard that many students come to Tulane without basic sex education and that we must take on a greater responsibility to teach students about boundaries.

The candor and energy shared during these conversations has been both moving and valuable. We encourage your participation in future meetings, which are listed on the Wave of Change online calendar. Or reach out to us directly by email or via the Wave of Change website. Thank you for standing with us, in continued dedication to the important work ahead.

Thank you,