College Scholars Faculty Principals

College Scholars is a layered, intellectual community of high-achieving, intellectually curious sophomores of Newcomb-Tulane College. 

Each Scholar participates as a member of an intimate, faculty-led, and student-shaped interdisciplinary cohort in addition to our larger community of College Scholars across ten cohorts. 

Scholars ask and explore big questions, enriching their intellectual, civic and social lives along the way.

College Scholars aims to enrich the intellectual, social, and civic lives of our community members. As a result of participation in College Scholars, Scholars will:

• Feel a greater sense of belonging and fulfilment at Tulane
• Develop meaningful relationships with faculty as well as peers who share interests and goals
• Participate in meaningful experiences that connect to the full range of collegiate life: academic, civic and social
• Connect to opportunities such as undergraduate grants and research, fellowships, leadership opportunities and more to enrich their future at Tulane and beyond

Our year kicks off with a New Orleans-based fall retreat attended by all participants and faculty. (Tentative retreat dates: Aug. 21-23, 2026.) Throughout the school year, faculty lead convenings with their cohort once per month. We also host program-wide opportunities such as regular community dinners and other special events.

Spring 2026:

• Attendance at a one-day orientation and planning meeting
• Participation in the scholar admissions process
• Welcome the new cohort and lead one meet-and-greet
   

2026-2027 Academic Year:

• Attendance at a retreat the weekend of Aug. 21-23, 2026 (tentative) and spring kickoff in January 2027
• Monthly events with the scholars cohort every month that classes are in session (seven to eight in total)
• Attend at least one evening community dinner a semester, provided by NTC
• Sign up for and co-facilitate one conversation at a community dinner during the year
• Availability for one-on-one advising with student members of the cohort (taking the form of regular office hours or informal meetings)
• One hour per week of planning, administration and communication, including monthly attendance submission
• Attend one Faculty Principal team check-in meeting with NTC staff each semester
• Attend group-wide signature events as your schedule permits, especially the end-of-year gathering
• Communicate any individual student or cohort concerns to the Senior Program Manager of Cohort Programs, including attendance and eligibility considerations
• Use an enhancement form to make any requests for transportation, food, materials, etc.
• Track attendance and cohort spending monthly
   

The College Scholars program is administered by Newcomb-Tulane College. Applicants must hold a full-time faculty appointment—this includes tenured, tenure-track, professors of practice, and other non-tenure track faculty roles (with the support of their Department Chair or supervisor). Unfortunately, adjunct and visiting faculty are not eligible to serve as Faculty Principals.

Eligible faculty are invited to submit a letter of interest to Senior Program Manager of Cohort Programs, Justin Lamb, via our application form. In addition to discussing the faculty member's background and interest in the program, the letter of interest should include the following:

• A one- to two-paragraph cohort proposal that aligns with the College Scholars program vision and does not duplicate themes covered by existing College Scholars or other cohort-based opportunities
• A list of proposed activities (field trips, guest lectures, etc.)
• A preliminary programming budget
• Responses to two short-answer questions
   

Faculty Principals are appointed for a two-year term.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025: Application for proposals opens

Tuesday, October 28, 2025: Deadline for application submission 

Mid-November: Decisions communicated to faculty