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A group of Newcomb College students and alumnae filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Louisiana Federal Court against Tulane University to keep Tulane from eliminating H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College and absorbing a nearly $41-million endowment.Newcomb offered (women) a chance to plan a successful future, said Paige Gold, a 1977 Newcomb graduate and a plaintiff in the lawsuit. We need our own support systems to help us to succeed. A Tulane without Newcomb may be a good school but it will never be the first-class institution it once was.The case will be heard March 30 to consider the plaintiff's motion for injunction. The consortium of women and alumnae want time to convince Tulane University President Scott Cowen and the Board of Administrators to look for other options.In the interim, Judge J. Carl Barbier told Tulane to refrain from doing anything that couldn't be undone in short order.Under the Dec. 8 Renewal Plan launched by Cowen and the Board, Newcomb College would be eliminated in the fall and all undergraduates would be enrolled through Tulane University.There are about 2,000 students now enrolled in Newcomb.The lawsuit claims Tulane's board does not have the authority to redefine the name of Newcomb College or reassign its funding in order to restructure a post-Katrina Tulane.Cowen and members of the board were not immediately available for comment while attending board meetings until about noon today, Tulane officials said. Lester Lefton, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost of Tulane University, said Tuesday the cuts were final.





