University Liaison Committee

MARI tracks actions by Tulane and Loyola that impact our neighborhood and advocates on behalf of residents with the Universities. Some on-going matters involving the Universities include:

• Police Patrol - Tulane pays four off-duty NOPD 2nd District police officers to patrol the neighborhoods surrounding the school (including our area). These extra patrols occur 7 days/week from about 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Tulane suspends these patrols during the summer. In the future, Tulane plans to hire 6 security officers who -- with consent of NOPD -- will patrol these off-campus areas during these hours in lieu of the off-duty NOPD patrols. Tulane also has begun a shuttle through the Broadway/Maple corridors to remove foot traffic from the neighborhood.

• Trash Clean-Up - Tulane has hired a private sanitation company for the fraternities and sororities that are affiliated with Tulane. Receptacles are kept behind the houses, which should eliminate some of the clutter in front of the houses. Tulane’s grounds crew cleans Broadway every Wednesday between St. Charles and Willow, including the neutral ground and gutters. Tulane is also working with the City to arrange extra pick-ups of heavy items at the beginning and end of the school year because of the additional trash generated at those times. Tulane has requested that the City provide environmental rangers to address the trash problems at some of the apartment houses in the neighborhood.

• Student volunteers - MARI has coordinated volunteer projects with enthusiastic participation of area University sutdents. In January, 2006, close to 700 Tulane and Loyola students helped a cleanup of the entire area. On February 3, 2007, a Tulane Fraternity and the Hillel Foundation helpd with the Maple Street Tree Project.

• Off Campus Alcohol Use - Neighbors have significant concerns about the activity of students and alcohol use off campus. Tulane President Scott Cowen acknowledged in an open letter on student alcohol abuse that its no-alcohol in dorms policy pushes alcohol use into our neighborhood. A recent student letter in the Hullabaloo complained that Tulane’s alcohol policy: "leads [students] to drink off campus and wander around New Orleans neighborhoods. It leads them to drive to bars and drive home drunk." MARI continues to ask that the Universities and the establishments that serve students take more responsibility for the conduct of these students.

• Non-Affiliated Fraternities - Several non-affiliated fraternities on and near Broadway have severed their relationship with Tulane. MARI has provided Tulane’s legal department with citations to city laws which might be used to control the unaffiliated groups.