Tulane University
PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY
Changemaker Campus since Fall 2009
“Really, we had no choice,” President Scott Cowen writes. “The fates of the university and the city were one and the same.” In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane University summoned the courage to rethink the role of the university; not just its role in rebuilding New Orleans, but also the responsibilities of the university as an enduring driver of positive social change. Due in no small part to Tulane’s remarkable efforts, social innovators today are transforming New Orleans into an environment for equity, sustainability and visionary change.
By investing in the future of New Orleans, Tulane seeks to inspire the next generation of leaders to develop and invest in creative and cutting-edge solutions. The university’s programming and institutional resources are aligned to encourage, support and advance pioneering and transformative ideas, while providing students with diverse opportunities to learn the practice of social innovation and entrepreneurship.
Spotlight on the Sacks Endowed Distinguished Chair in Civic Engagement and Social Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation Professorships, and the Urban Innovation Challenge
Tulane is currently conducting an international search for the Sacks Chair who will spearhead the development of an undergraduate program in social entrepreneurship. Tulane is focusing on qualifications in the field of civic engagement and social entrepreneurship, whether the individual’s scholarly expertise falls within the liberal arts, business, social work, or some other discipline.
In addition, Tulane is establishing five professorships to constitute a dynamic, interdisciplinary faculty team motivated to support and develop social entrepreneurship across the entire university. These will be renewable two-year terms for current faculty of any school or discipline. Faculty recognized in this way will amplify their impact by establishing social entrepreneurship courses and seminars, and by supporting other initiatives of the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program.
To further cement the impact of Tulane’s Social Entrepreneurship program, the university has partnered with the Rockefeller Foundation to establish the Urban Innovation Challenge (UIC). The UIC is a competition to identify and support the next generation of urban social innovators thinking about systemic social challenges. The UIC will select four Urban Innovators to research, test, and further develop their solutions to specific systemic social challenges. Innovators receive a $45,000 stipend, and they are incubated at Tulane for one year.
Taken together, these three programs will significantly advance and sustain high-impact social entrepreneurship initiatives at Tulane University. “We have learned that when seeking funding to sustain innovative programs, it is essential to set up effective incentives for all stakeholders: funders, faculty, students, and administrators.” says Stephanie Barksdale, Special Assistant to the President and change leader for Tulane Changemaker Campus team.
