Hurricane Katrina

Although the physical effects of Hurricane Katrina are centered 2,000 miles away, the damage has rippled throughout the country as displaced families are being relocated. The Nevada System of Higher Education is committed to doing all that it can to help those affected by the hurricane. Each of the System’s institutions are doing everything possible to accommodate students affected by the hurricane, as well as raise money to aid those who no longer have homes or jobs.

Chancellor James E. Rogers is vigorously working with the institutions and the Nevada National Guard to protect the enrollment status of our student-soldiers who were activated for relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region. In addition, the Nevada Board of Regents will be considering fee waivers for those students displaced by the hurricane at the Board’s next meeting September 22-23.

Although the situation is constantly changing, with evacuees being dispersed throughout the nation on a daily basis, all eight institutions have, in some way, committed to helping those affected by Hurricane Katrina and will continue to address the needs as they change.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA

The Community College of Southern Nevada is addressing the affects of Katrina by both helping those students whose lives have been disrupted as well as raising money for all victims of the disaster. CCSN has extended its enrollment deadline for students affected by Hurricane Katrina until September 15, 2005 and will be offering fee waivers for the 2005-06 academic year to eligible students, including those victims who had nor previously been registered at a college or university. The college will also be offering a number of compressed classes, which will start later in the fall semester.

CCSN is working with financial aid offices to transfer financial aid and PELL grant funding as well as researching the possibility of being able to offer in-state tuition to out of state students. Students may also take advantage of a deferred payment option, with payment not due until the 10th week of classes. To further aid Katrina students, CCSN will offer psychological counseling to affected students in addition to academic advising.

CCSN has also contacted clearing houses at the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis to offer aid and has provided information to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities for their publication for displaced students.

Furthermore, CCSN has disseminated college-wide e-mails on how faculty and staff may contribute to the relief effort and both the student government and the bookstore are raising funds for the relief effort.

DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Knowing how much total water is being accumulated through rain and humidity, along with temperatures, is important in understanding and planning for disease and other health issues that will result from the aftermath of the hurricane. The Desert Research Institute is helping the National Weather Service in this capacity.

The National Weather Service usually keeps track of the weather - from precipitation levels, to humidity, wind, etc. But when Katrina hit, their resources became useless with the power outage. Therefore, DRI was contacted by the National Weather Service Regional Headquarters in Dallas/Ft. Worth to have DRI work together with the National Interagency Fire Center to get a weather station up and running, with constant data available on the DRI Web site.

A mobile weather station was deployed out of Utah and flown to the New Orleans airport and installed. Meanwhile, Greg McCurdy, a DRI scientist with the Western Regional Climate Center, worked diligently one night from a hotel room (he was out in the field) and one day from his truck, via cell phone and cigarette lighter for power, to have the Web pages up immediately and accessible to the National Weather Service. The mobile weather stations use satellite - needing no electrical power.

The Web site is at: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/katrina/index.html .

GREAT BASIN COLLEGE
GBC has made arrangements to accommodate up to 50 displaced students including offering in-state tuition, transferring financial aid, and arranging housing for 50 students with the Elko Lodging Association (also fielding offers from families in the community who will open their doors to students). In addition, arrangements were made for air transport for up to 50 students with Casino Express, a charter airline based in Elko.

GBC has also enrolled 3 students from Mississippi which included the transfer of PELL grant funding, housing arrangements and efforts to provide relief gear, especially clothing for the coming fall and winter.

To further aid the transfer students, Great Basin College Foundation Executive Board has committed $10,000 to aid displaced students upon arrival and enrollment at GBC, and the college bookstore is offering 20 percent discounts on text books and 30 percent discounts on school supplies to displaced students. The GBC Student Government Association raised nearly $600 for Katrina Relief and the Great Basin College Foundation is serving as a collection point for Red Cross Donations on campus. To raise additional funds, the college is partnering with KELK/KLKO and the Nevada Broadcasters Association, the American Red Cross, the United Way, and the Committee Against Domestic Violence to stage a 12 hour, on-air fund raising marathon broadcast live from the college theatre. Proceeds will benefit Red Cross, United Way, and a National Network of Family Shelters (relief to benefit victims displaced from shelters in the Gulf Coast region.)

Many colleges and universities throughout the country are doing their part to take in Katrina refugee students. GBC President Paul Killpatrick is making contact with Salt Lake Community College regarding students who may be enrolling from the refugee centers in Utah. He has communicated that GBC is prepared to handle students as well. In addition, the college has contacted the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee, which are working as clearing houses regarding opportunities for displaced students, to offer support.

NEVADA STATE COLLEGE
For Nevada-area students whose college plans were abruptly halted by Hurricane Katrina, Nevada State College has extended its enrollment deadline to Thursday, September 15. The NSC staff will offer assistance with immediate advisement and enrollment assistance. The college offers a wide range of degree programs; including nursing, education, psychology, business, biology, speech pathology and visual media. Classes are available during daytime hours, evenings, weekends and online. Students may obtain additional information from the NSC registrar at 992-2130.

TRUCKEE MEADOWS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The TMCC Alumni Association and ASTM (student government) have been raising funds to aid hurricane victims through the Red Cross. A student event was held on Sept. 7, and an alumni event was held on Sept. 8.

More than 300 hurricane evacuees are being temporarily relocated to Washoe County. TMCC is exploring opportunities to help evacuees including volunteering at shelters, offering free job search support including access to the Career Center, and career workshops, as well as accommodating any evacuees who are interested in courses at the college.

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
As of this date, UNLV has admitted 17 undergraduate and two graduate students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. This group includes Nevada residents as well as out of state students who were enrolled in Gulf Coast area universities shut down by the hurricane disaster. The Office of Admissions is coordinating inquiries from displaced students seeking enrollment at UNLV. Dozens of inquiries have been received and admissions counselors are working with students and their families on a case-by-case basis.

Several specialty and professional areas at UNLV have also been contacted by displaced students or faculty including the Harrah Hotel College, Boyd School of Law, School of Dental Medicine, School of Nursing and College of Education. Faculty in each of these areas is working directly with counterparts across the country to provide assistance as needed, though it is not yet known how many students may end up seeking admission to UNLV. The College of Education has also offered assistance via distance education if needed.

In addition to accommodating student needs, UNLV has set up a special Web page offering hurricane relief information and links to resources for those affected by the disaster. This site offers direct links to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross and AmeriCares, as well as referrals for displaced students and details of fundraising and relief efforts being coordinated on the UNLV campus. The page is linked directly from UNLV’s home page, www.unlv.edu , or may be accessed directly through the following link: http://www.unlv.edu/main/katrinaRelief.html .

To raise funds for all victims of the disaster, the Division of Student Life is coordinating collection stations on the UNLV campus. In addition, on Saturday, September 10 at the UNLV vs. Idaho football game, student athletes collected cash donations for hurricane relief.

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO
As of today, six displaced students have transferred to UNR. The university is expediting admission and providing deferred loan programs, housing assistance and other resources to students from the disaster area who will attend Nevada. Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) President Jeff Champagne is developing a plan that would pay for displaced students' books. If these students have already paid for books, the proposal is that ASUN would reimburse them for their costs.

UNR has also identified 20 students who have listed the disaster area states as home or as the place where their emergency contact is located. All of these students have been personally contacted to see how they are doing and to offer them support. Development and Alumni Relations has established an educational relief fund to assist Nevada students impacted by the hurricane.

University representatives deployed to the Gulf Coast region include two registered nurses with the Orvis School of Nursing. As well, two members of UNR's University Police Department are part of a Nevada law enforcement team assisting the New Orleans Police Department.

UNR is also working to raise funds for other victims of the hurricane. Jot Travis Student Union is taking the lead in organizing and communicating several on-campus fundraising activities. A complete list can be viewed at: http://www.unr.edu/studentunion/events/katrina.htm . The first event, a Sept. 2 benefit concert, raised almost $1,200.

UNR also hosted a community event, "Call to Community — A Remembrance and Response in the Wake of Katrina." This interfaith observance on the university's Quad included small group discussions with topics ranging from strategies to aid individuals in offering assistance, impact on higher education and personal perspectives. The event was interactive , involved students , and counselors were on hand. The Counseling Center is offering one-on-one counseling for anyone impacted by the hurricane disaster .

WESTERN NEVADA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
WNCC will offer tuition and fee waivers for fall term classes to students who were enrolled and paid this fall at colleges in the hurricane affected areas, and who have been displaced or whose colleges are not currently operational.

President Carol Lucey is also communicating with George Boggs, executive director of the American Association of Community Colleges, about the possibility of having a coordinated effort between community colleges and others to provide World Wide Web hosting capacity that will allow "Virtual Campuses" for students at affected schools.

The concept is that each participating school will donate unused WebCT and/or other Distance Learning capacities and services to schools wishing to offer classes online. This space will be dedicated to schools affected by Katrina and would be used to provide online classes for students scattered throughout the country. Students will be able to access their classes from almost any computer, be it private, in an educational setting, or at a public library.

Because the courses will be originally developed by the affected schools, a sense of institutional integrity and coherence will be maintained. Students will have less of a feeling of being disconnected and a greater sense of normalcy because of the familiar virtual surroundings and procedures.