January 27, 2021
Dear Parent,
Many of you may have seen the communication I sent out earlier today regarding the behavior of some of our students this past weekend. We have experienced a significant increase in the number of positive cases on campus, which can be directly connected to a number of students flagrantly violating COVID-19 safety protocols.
As I said in my message, we know that most students are complying with our COVID-19 behavioral expectations. However, we have received many reports since the beginning of the semester regarding student compliance with COVID restrictions. We have also had reports of local establishments not enforcing COVID ordinances and we have been working with the City of New Orleans to address these issues. We understand that your students are tired of following these regulations, but it is essential that they remain vigilant, especially with new, more contagious COVID-19 variants.
Once again, we need your help. Please insist that your students remain diligent in their compliance with the COVID safety protocols set in place by Tulane and the City of New Orleans. We know this is hard on everyone, and some students may choose to take a leave of absence this semester and rejoin us when the world is a little more normal. I completely understand this. But, if your student has chosen to be here this semester, they must be on board with our expectations around behavior and those regulations that the City of New Orleans has in place. If students are found responsible for violating the university’s COVID-19 expectations, they will be facing suspension or expulsion.
This year has been difficult for everyone. We greatly value the trust and commitment you have shown in sending your student to Tulane during these challenging times. I am so grateful to all of you who have been supporting our efforts to ensure that our students are doing their utmost to protect their own safety, the safety of their friends and the health of all the members of the New Orleans community.
Erica Woodley
Dean of Students
