HURRICANE KATRINA – Texas Higher Education Response …



HURRICANE KATRINA – Texas Higher Education Response Efforts

Texas Christian University:

Fort Worth, TX

TCU's Harris School of Nursing (HSN) faculty and students are providing disaster mental health volunteer services for Fort Worth's Chisholm Trail American Red Cross, including gathering information on patients at Fort Worth area hospitals, providing child interaction at area shelters and helping with phones at the Red Cross facility. Nursing faculty and students are also helping at seven local hospitals gathering information, identifying and helping match patients that are arriving via airplane and other methods, with their families. In response to the need for additional healthcare professionals, HSN held a training session on American Red Cross Disaster Services, which allowed TCU faculty, staff and students to officially volunteer.

TCU Women’s Basketball Team Members of the TCU women's basketball team took some time out of their busy schedules Thursday afternoon to pay a visit to victims of Hurricane Katrina at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. The Lady Frogs spent a couple hours playing basketball with children affected by the hurricane, talking with victims, reading to children and doing whatever they could to provide a little comfort after the devastating storm.

Southern Methodist University:

Dallas, TX

Red Cross Donation:

On Saturday, the Boulevard became The French Quarter as SMU vs.Tulane offered a celebration of New Orleans. Beads, jazz, and Cajun food were part of the festivities, which culminated in the Mustangs-Green Wave match-up at 1 p.m. in Ford Stadium and the halftime presentation of a check for more than $50,000 to Conference USA for the Katrina Relief Fund benefiting the American Red Cross.

The SMU community continues to offer assistance to the more than 200 students now enrolled at SMU because of Hurricane Katrina's effect on their universities, as well as remaining actively involved in relief efforts for other victims.

From a current AmeriCorps*VISTA serving at SMU:

There's a lot going on here at SMU.  For starters, SMU has taken in 300 Tulane students to house as well as enrolling them at SMU for the semester to take classes so that they won't loose their semester.  It's a little part to help them put their lives back together.  Another thing is that the entire SMU has implemented a 3 week relief effort drive to collect money.  One dorm collected $4,000 in one day!  Student groups are sitting at tables to help collect the money at the student center as well as student groups are collecting money by sign-up sheets around classes (sort of like a pledge).  

Brookhaven College:

Dallas, TX

The Dallas County Community College District Foundation has a Student Emergency Need Scholarship Fund that provides financial assistance to students affected by natural disasters. Students can access these funds for financial relief, primarily for tuition and book costs. DCCC’s package of support includes:

▪ In-district tuition

▪ Financial assistance through the Student Emergency Fund

▪ Online classes; weekend courses; special sections to meet students’ needs

▪ Response teams of DCCC employees who can assist community colleges in affected states who request help as they rebuild their institutions; and

▪ Community-based efforts organized by DCCC students to help storm victims

As of Sept. 22, DCCC has identified 323 students affected by Hurricane Katrina in their system. Of that number, 286 have been waived to receive in-district tuition, and slightly more than half of that group has received tuition and book assistance (154 and 148, respectively).

Displaced students attending DCCC this semester represent the following community colleges and universities:

- Bossier Parish Community College (La.)

- Central Texas College

- Collin County Community College

- Delgado Community College (La.)

- Dillard University (La.)

- Grambling State University (La.)

- Hill College; Jackson State University (Miss.)

- Louisiana State University (several locations)

- Lousiana Tech University

- Lamar State College

- McNeese State University (La.)

- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

- Nicholls State University (La.)

- Nunez Community College (La.)

- South Suburban College (Ill.)

- Southeastern Louisiana University

- Southern University (two locations, La.)

- Troy University-Montgomery (Ala.)

- Tulane University (La.)

- University of Alabama at Huntsville

- University of Louisiana-Monroe

- University of Mobile (Ala.)

- University of New Orleans (La.)

- University of Phoenix

- University of South Alabama

- Xavier University of Louisiana

Brookhaven College

1. Instead of collecting for Katrina evacuees, BHC student clubs are working with a college counselor to assist with supporting new BHC students/evacuees related to their household needs, transportation needs, emotional support and other areas. 

2. Colleen Hager, director of communications and marketing for the North Texas Food Bank, visited the college to talk to faculty and staff members about the need for ongoing support for Katrina evacuees, which may continue for six months to a year – in addition to the agency’s existing need in the region to provide food for the hungry.

3. As of Sept. 16, BHC had enrolled 41 students who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Southwestern University:

Georgetown, TX

In order to support faculty, staff and students in their efforts to provide assistance through various organizations offering relief support, Southwestern University is authorizing up to two days of paid leave for staff members and up to two days of approved absences from classes for faculty and students.

Southwestern students, faculty and staff have donated more than $1,000 in cash to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and have also donated more than 40 health kits for hurricane victims. UMCOR is still collecting health kits, flood buckets and school kits. In a separate drive, students collected nearly $1,500 from the Southwestern community to support the American Red Cross. They also sent three carloads of food, blankets and clothing to the Houston Astrodome.

St. Edward’s University:

Austin, TX

St. Edward's was able to offer temporary admission for Fall 2005 to 25 students with previous college credit at an institution affected by the hurricane. Students came from schools including Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans and Our Lady of Holy Cross College. The Office of Student Financial Services is working to assist each student's family on a case-by-case basis.

A committee was formed on campus to address the needs of these new students as well all hurricane victims in a coordinated fashion.  A prayer service was held on campus and a donation drive raised over $6,700 in cash to date and 30 cases of food.

Rice University:

Houston, TX

Rice Volunteer Time (RVT) Approved for Staff and Faculty:

In recognition of the great challenges we face as a community in Houston, Rice is providing up to 8 hours per month of release time from regularly-scheduled work, during the months of September, October and November, for a total of up to 24 hours per employee of "on the clock" time for local volunteer work (i.e. Rice Volunteer Time - RVT).

In support of a sister school stricken by Hurricane Katrina, Rice University has enrolled 106 Houston-area undergraduates from Tulane University for fall semester classes at Rice as emergency visiting students. The students – freshmen to seniors – began their classes Monday, Sept. 12, the start of the fourth week of the 15-week semester.

The High Order of Owl Tailgating Society (HOOTS) collected more than 2,500 pounds of supplies for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

More than 100 students volunteered for CIC-organized trips to the Houston Food Bank, and others went on their own or in groups to evacuee shelters.

Prairie View A & M University:

Prairie View, TX

During the Hurricane Rita evacuation, PVAMU provided food and shelter for more than 1,000 evacuees – including students, community residents and motorists who were stranded on US 290. 

Additionally, we are housing some 60 students from Lamar University who were displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina.  The number of enrolled students is now 63.

In response to the Red Cross in Brookshire, Texas, The Owens Franklin Health Center provided staff and students to help provide health and counseling services to the 300 evacuees being sheltered there. Additionally, the health services staff contributed to a fund to be used for PVAMU student survivors for medication, medical supplies and personal hygiene supplies.

University of Houston:

Houston, TX

Compiled by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs:

1. Enrolled approximately 1400 students after university deadline at in-state tuition rates

2. Established a compressed semester

3. Held two special orientation sessions

- Distributed donated note pads and pens

- Provided a UH t-shirts

4. Housing an administrative team from Loyola University

5. Housing Loyola Law Faculty and later in October will basically house Loyola

1st year students

6. Accommodated approximately 200 students in university campus housing

7. Deferred payment to allow students to secure funds

8. Metropolitan Volunteer Program assisted in securing donations and cloths

9. Students, faculty and staff volunteered in many different shelters across the city

10. University Child Care Center held a teddy bear drive

11. Counseling & Psychological Services continues to hold special and group sessions

The UH Law Center has agreed to host the Loyola Law School’s fall semester, with Loyola faculty teaching more than 100 of their students at the UH campus.

The UH Career Services department has set up a clearinghouse page where corporate, business and governmental agencies can post temporary and/or part-time jobs for displaced workers. Initial response has been extremely positive. A total of 1400 job postings have been received and are being uploaded onto the site. Some of these jobs are in the Greater Houston Area, some are in other host cities, and some are in the New Orleans area itself.

UH has offered assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by making various services available, often in conjunction with community partners. These include:

• The UH Law Center, through a special section of the People's Law School, providing assistance with legal questions, and help with FEMA paperwork by utilizing law student volunteers.

• The College of Optometry providing services related to pre-existing visual impairment and for assistance in finding replacement sets of glasses, contact lenses, and other vision-related items.

• The College of Pharmacy, working through local hospitals and pharmacies, providing services including medication counseling to individuals at the Astrodome.

• The Graduate School of Social Work offering assistance with childcare and with mental health crisis intervention.

• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) providing Hurricane Katrina survivors and friends a support group focusing on personal experiences and immediate reactions. Participants will explore practical strategies for managing stress. Intake appointments and information about services can be found by calling (713) 743-5454.

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