Tulane, dazzling you with gloss and misdirection!

The hard working folks over at newcomblives.com continue to dismiss the propoganda by big, bad Tulane. This is just an excerpt.

By now you have undoubtedly received Tulane University’s very expensive four-color glossy “brochure” outlining its position on the lawsuit to restore Newcomb College.

While The Future of Newcomb College, Inc. cannot afford to produce a similar brochure – nor would we find it ethical to spend our limited resources (for which we owe you our thanks) on a slick propaganda publication such as that – our board believes Newcomb College alumnae and supporters need to understand that Tulane’s clever “wordsmithing” has distorted the truth about Mrs. Newcomb’s intent, the state of Newcomb College prior to the university’s decision to dissolve it, and the status of the new lawsuit to restore Newcomb College. (The new action, Montgomery v. Tulane, has been filed by Mrs. Susan Henderson Montgomery, a great, great grand niece of Mrs. Newcomb, who fits the Louisiana Supreme Court’s definition of “successor” and who is dedicated to ensuring that Tulane honors the intent of Newcomb’s founding benefactor.)

Below are the facts:

Tulane’s Version of the Truth: Mrs. Newcomb did not impose any conditions upon Tulane as to how it should further the higher education of women.

The Truth: Mrs. Newcomb’s bequest was subject to both a condition and a charge, or an expectation of performance. When she made her bequest, Mrs. Newcomb made it clear that her intent was for Tulane to use her donations “in establishing the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College [not Institute] … for the higher education of … girls and young women” and “for the present and future development” of Newcomb College.

What Tulane Says: The Newcomb endowment was created by Tulane.

The Truth: Tulane did not donate the Newcomb endowment. Instead, in 1923, the university took money that Mrs. Newcomb had restricted in her will and used it as the basis for the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Fund, designated as funds “functioning as endowment.” Between 1974 and 1979, Tulane University continued to take and use the funds intended to maintain and support Newcomb College because the university had “financial needs.” By 1996, Tulane returned more than $15 million in Newcomb-designated money that it had taken in the 1970s. (See “Endowing Newcomb Forever” on on the upper right corner of this page.) This was money repaid, not money donated as endowment.

What Tulane Says: Today, the Newcomb endowment funds provide the programs of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute.

The Truth: That is true and it is beside the point. The H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute is not a college. It is an umbrella organization with no academic standing at the university, no dean, no degrees, no advisors, no campus, no student body, and no alumnae association, and the endowment funds were intended for the support of Newcomb COLLEGE and not the Newcomb Institute. Tulane is overstepping its authority in using the funds for this purpose.

What Tulane Says: Degrees have always been awarded by Tulane University.

The Truth: This is yet another example of the deceptive use of semantics by Tulane. Newcomb College graduates received a degree that was granted by Tulane University for fulfilling the requirements of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College or on the recommendation of the Newcomb College faculty. The diplomas were signed by the dean of Newcomb College. The H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Institute has no degree requirements, nor faculty, nor a dean, because it exists in name only.

It's always been about the money. Please, President-Elect Obama, give Scott Cowen the Secretary of Education gig so he will get the hell out of town.

stayin' alive?

Via The Future of Newcomb College listserv:

Breaking News from the Associated Press - Court gives Newcomb College new life

03:03 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Associated Press

A Louisiana Supreme Court ruling Tuesday -- exactly two years after Tulane University merged its undergraduate men's and women's college -- kept alive a lawsuit attempting to revive the H. Sophie Newcomb College for Women.

The plaintiffs -- two descendants of Josephine Newcomb's sister -- say Tulane violated the terms of Newcomb's will by merging its seven undergraduate colleges into Newcomb-Tulane College as part of reorganization after Hurricane Katrina.

Those included Newcomb College, which opened in 1887 as the nation's first degree-granting college for women.

In a complicated 5-2 ruling based partly on Napoleonic law and commentary from that time, the high court ruled that "would-be heirs" can go to court to enforce conditions of a will -- though it refrained from ruling on whether Newcomb's will had any conditions.

But it also upheld a lower court ruling that, as things stand, plaintiffs Parma Howard of Greenville, N.C., and Jane Smith of Columbia, S.C., do not have any right to sue the university.

It said they have not proved that they are Newcomb's heirs -- but sent the case back to district court to let them rewrite their lawsuit to try to show that they are.

"I'm so pleased," said Renee Seblatnigg, president of a Newcomb alumnae group created to support and publicize the lawsuit and promote the return of Newcomb as a separate college.

Daniel Caruso, who represents Howard and Smith, and Phillip Wittmann, who represents Tulane, did not immediately return calls for comment. Caruso was on vacation, his office said.

Seblatnigg said the ruling is historic. "My understanding is, the court has ruled for the first time in Louisiana history that would-be heirs have standing to enforce a testator's will."

Chief Justice Pascal Calogero wrote that he agrees with the majority opi nion but also thinks that third-party beneficiaries who don't claim to be heirs may also file a lawsuit to make beneficiaries of wills stick to the terms of a donation.

Two other justices dissented for different reasons.

Justice John L. Weimer said he would have upheld the lower court ruling that Newcomb's will did not put any strings on her donation.

Justice Bernette Johnson wrote that although Howard and Smith will be allowed to rewrite their lawsuit, the majority ruling denies them any chance to have a hearing and present evidence about whether they are Newcomb's heirs.

She said that should be the subject of hearings before any other developments in the case.

A group of Newcomb students and alumnae took the university to court in 2006 to try to stop the merger, but a federal judge ruled a few weeks later that they had no legal right to do so. That ruling was not appealed.

Cheers to Newcomb

This morning arguments began in Howard v. Tulane at the Louisiana Supreme Court. This is the suit, and probably the last attempt, at saving Newcomb College. You can read more at nola.com and newcomblives.com.

Since Tulane's announcement to disband the college in December of 2005, I have been up in arms about it. I am a Newcomb girl through and through. Newcomb afforded me many opportunities that would not have been available to me had I been in a general college for men and women, such as the likes of Newcomb-Tulane College. Being a women's college made Newcomb a part of a tight-knit exclusive network. While not all women in the recent past took advantage of this or even realized what Newcomb did for them, for those of us who did, it meant the world.

I understand the arguments to ditch Newcomb. I really do. But there is a part of Newcomb that cannot be saved with the simple creation of the Newcomb Institute. I can't help but feel that eliminating Newcomb after Katrina was the Tulane administration taking advantage during a sensitive time. And a part of me can't help but feel that it's a sexist issue.

In case you didn't get the memo...

Susie Bright is coming to Tulane April 8!

Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: McAlister Aditorium
Street:
McAlister Drive, Tulane University

Susie Bright is a writer, editor, teacher, talk show host, and performer whose most frequent subject is human sexuality. She is one of the first writers/activists referred to as a sex-positive feminist. Visit http://www.susiebright.com to learn more about her work and career, and to start following her blog.

Ms. Bright's books are available at the Tulane Bookstore in the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life, and will be available for purchase during the event on April 8. She will sign books following her presentation.

There is no charge for admission, doors open at 6:45 pm.

Invite all you friends!!

This event is part of the Katrina Warriors Festival. NCCROW is a founding node of the Katrina Warriors Network. Visit http://www.katrinawarriors.net and http://www.vday.org for more info.

Bookmark http://newcomb.tulane.edu/nccrow to keep up with what's going on at Newcomb College Center for Research on Women.

She's here!

As previously reported Gloria Steinem will be speaking at Tulane University this evening.

It's funny, I remember seeing Phylis Schlafly speak a couple years back, sponsored by the College Republicans. Now my girls at Newcomb are bringing the big name in feminism to Tulane. I'm pretty stoked and managed to wrangle ALTR to accompany me.

It's slated for a 7 PM start time, but some facebook message I got says that doors open at 5 and the talk doesn't start until 8. But there will be a book signing and reception following. Newcomb always orders the best food.

On an aside, did you know that Steinem married Christian Bale's father in 2000? I think I've posted that before, but always an interesting bit of trivia.

Gloria Steinem!!

I am so there!

Gloria Steinem, one of the pioneers of the modern feminist movement, will deliver a free lecture March 6 at Tulane University's Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life.

Steinem's speech, which will start at 7 p.m. in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall, is part of the Newcomb College Institute's Powerhouse Speakers Series. It will be open to the public.

A co-founder of New York and Ms. magazines, Steinem, 73, is working on "Road to the Heart: America as if Everyone Mattered," an account of her years as a feminist organizer.

h/t Letters in Bottles