Dear Tulane Family Member, 

February is a busy month at Tulane and an exciting time in New Orleans. Keep up with possibilities and procedures that affect your student's Tulane experience with the topics in this issue:

Upcoming Family Webinars

Valentine's Day Delivery Instructions

Mardi Gras Safety Education & Guest Policies 

Study Abroad Myth Busters

Housing Selection Process for 2026-2027

Housing Accommodations Request Process for Fall 2026/Spring 2027

Freeman Makes Waves with New Business Education Offerings for All Undergrads

Tulane Interdisciplinary Environmental Research & Action Program in Ecuador 

If you have any questions, please email families@tulane.edu.

Warm regards,

Penny Wyatt
Director of Family Programs and External Relations
Division of Student Affairs

Register for one of our upcoming Family Webinars. All webinars will be recorded and posted on the Tulane Family Programs website a few days after the broadcast.

Connecting Students to Employers – Meet Tulane’s Employer Connections Teams - Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Central Time

This webinar will describe how Tulane is committed to connecting students with employers through new initiatives, easier-to-navigate online resources, and guidance from the employer teams across campus. 

Supporting Your Student Through Academic Planning & Course Registration (for Summer and Fall 2026) - Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Central Time

Since Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans coincide with Valentine’s Day this year, Tulane Mail Services is preparing for an especially busy holiday period. To help ensure your student receives any mailed gifts or care packages promptly, we kindly ask families to review and follow the guidance on delivery timelines, addressing requirements, and perishable item pickups on our Valentine's Day 2026 Delivery Guidelines for Families.

Carnival season in New Orleans is already underway! The students’ Mardi Gras Break is Monday, Feb. 16, and Tuesday, Feb. 17. Classes resume on Wednesday, Feb. 18. At Tulane, many departments across campus educate students and implement procedures designed to help them celebrate safely:

Tulane offers two venues for undergraduate students to find the best study abroad program for them: the Newcomb-Tulane College Office of Study Abroad and the A. B. Freeman School of Business Freeman Abroad and Exchange Program. With the application review season underway, both offices have provided some clarifications with their 2026 Study Abroad Myth Busters compilation.

If your student is considering studying abroad, please discuss this content with them. Help ensure that they have the current, correct understanding of the policies and possibilities of our programs. Comprehensive office websites, program models, housing details, application information, and links to our Family Webinar series on Study Abroad are all on the Myth Busters document.

Returning Student Room Selection is Tulane’s structured process for assigning on‑campus housing for rising 2nd‑, 3rd‑, and 4th‑year students. Students will complete an application, identify potential roommates, and select their housing during a designated time slot in the Housing Portal. 

Important Timeline for 2026–2027:

Support for Students:

Housing & Residence Life offers strong support throughout the process, including an upcoming Room Selection tutorial video and live assistance events on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 (10 AM-12 PM) and Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 (2-4 PM). Students can access tools on the website to find compatible roommates, explore housing options through 360° residence hall photos, and contact staff directly for help. 

Parents are encouraged to let students manage their own housing portal using their Tulane credentials, while still guiding as needed.

As students consider housing options for the fall 2026/spring 2027 academic year, they should consider any disability-related housing needs and explore the many campus resources available through Housing & Residence Life, Campus Health, Tulane Hospitality, and the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility.

Students with disability-related needs affecting their housing may wish to submit a housing accommodation request through the Goldman Center. Each request should include documentation completed by a licensed provider. The Goldman Center uses an interactive process and collaborates closely with campus partners to determine reasonable accommodations or connect students with other helpful resources that can address their concerns.
   
If your student has questions, please encourage them to visit the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility website, email goldman@tulane.edu, or call 504-862-8433. 

The Freeman School of Business is making waves by broadening access to business education campus-wide. Beginning fall 2026, all Tulane undergraduates can enhance their majors and gain marketable business skills through three new academic offerings:

Students interested in these new business school offerings should first review the Freeman School's Office of Undergraduate Education website for program requirements. Any questions can be submitted to business@tulane.edu. 

The TIERA program is an immersive, interdisciplinary study abroad course focused on impact and engaged scholarship. The two-week summer field courses embed students in a community-led conservation program in Ecuador led by FCAT, an award-winning Ecuadorian non-governmental organization. Students work closely with highly experienced locals on research projects linked to FCAT’s real-world conservation programs, monitoring reforestation outcomes, developing and marketing ecotourism ventures, protecting endangered species, and improving food and water security. The 3-credit field courses satisfy the public service requirement and take an inherently interdisciplinary approach. Students from all disciplines are welcome, and scholarships are available.

Students can apply here and stay up to date on the TIERA program here. The application deadline is March 2.

Tulane University Office of Family Programs
Email: families@tulane.edu | Web: families.tulane.edu
Toll Free: 877-887-9283