Responses by Higher Education
Every one of the following colleges and universities has made tremendous efforts on the
part of the victims, including the admission of those students whose schools were
devastated by Katrina, and active participation in local Red Cross chapters. For further
information, please go to this website: http://www.masscolleges.org/members/contact.asp
Amherst College
http://www.amherst.edu/katrina/
 Amherst College athletic teams have coordinated a relief effort by filling a rental
truck with supplies to be driven by their own lacrosse coach
 Free tuition will be provided to high school graduates from the affected area
 Over $1,100 has been raised in relief funds
Bentley College
http://www.bentley.edu/about/katrina.cfm

A food and water drive is being planned

A “Campout for Katrina” fundraiser will be used to contribute to relief efforts

Boston College
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/05/leahy-letter-katrina.html
 Hosting a Blood Drive on the 19th of September
 A website devoted to eyewitness reports by alumni in devastated areas
 Provision of temporary emergency housing for dozens of displaced students at St.
Williams Hall
Brandeis University
http://www.brandeis.edu/emergency/hurricanerelief/
 The class of 2009 personally raised a combined $2,500 as part of orientation
activities and the Student Activities Fair
 Student government representatives have been meeting to discuss hurricane relief
strategies
 An Anthropology professor has organized a course on the Katrina crisis, which
will include educational panels
Clark University
http://www.clark.edu
 Residence hall collections have been matched by Best Buy for a total of $12,000 in
Red Cross donations
 A “Katrina Relief Effort” with a benefits concert ($2 admission) that will get
matching funds from Target
 Getting vital supplies to evacuees at Otis Air Force Base via the Black Ministerial
Alliance
Endicott College
http://www.endicott.edu

A Hurricane Benefit Concert on September 18th which includes raffles and games
(A $10 donation is asked for a hopeful goal of $5,000)
Holyoke Community College
http://hcc.mass.edu
 Adoption of a New Orleans community college
 Large-scale fundraising efforts for the Red Cross
 Non-monetary donation drives (supplies)
 Creation of an Alternative Inter-Session to take a group of students into the affected
area to help efforts
Lasell College
http://www.lasell.edu
 Education and volunteering campaigns on relief options
 Efforts to provide free education and housing for displaced students
koconnor@lasell.edu
Massachusetts College of Art
http://www.massart.edu/at_massart/main.html

A supply drive has been organized to provide arts supplies for affected schools

A fee waiver for any affected student who has no outstanding tuition bills for their
original school
kransdell@massart.edu
Mount Ida College
http://www.mountida.edu
 Raising donations for the Red Cross
 A school supply drive to be sent to Louisiana Association for the Education of
Homeless Children & Youth.
 A discussion panel on the nature of New Orleans and the economic impacts of the
hurricane on the city
Mount Wachusett Community College
http://www.mwcc.edu/info/katrina.html
 A volunteer expo on Wednesday, October 5th together with the Red Cross will
provide orientation to interested volunteers
 Volunteers for vital clerical work for the Red Cross can establish themselves through
college contacts (Amanda Landry, alandry@mwcc.mass.edu)
 Establishment of a planning committee to host a fundraising event (Lea Ann
Erickson, lerickson@mwcc.mass.edu)
 Free tuition and fees for courses and distance learning programs for affected students
North Shore Community College
http://www.northshore.edu

NSCC is selling blue wristbands at a dollar each with proceeds going to Katrina
Disaster Relief

The Multi-Cultural Society is donating the proceeds of a recycling drive

On November 4th, a Mardi Gras themed fundraising event is being planned
Northeastern University
http://www.nupr.neu.edu/8-05/hurricane.shtml
 Outreach to Northeastern students from affected areas
 Special student status for non-NEU students who wish to take classes for the
remainder of their displacement
Simmons College
http://www.simmons.edu/about/news/focus/index_hurricane.shtml
 The Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and the Scott Ross Center will
conduct a children’s book drive
 The Simmons School of Social Work may institute courses geared toward hurricane
relief efforts
 The Scott Ross Center is also organizing a “response team” coordinate relief efforts
Stonehill College
http://www.stonehill.edu, KatrinaResponse@stonehill.edu, 1-866-622-9976
 Establishment of Hurricane Response Team to coordinate efforts:
1. Friday, September 16th Fundraising Day: a day of to collect donations
and reach out to affected Stonehill alumni as well as participation in
the National Day of Prayer
2. Project Backpack: collecting and sending school supplies to those
children in the affected area
3. Outreach to Our Lady of the Holy Cross College in New Orleans, a
sister-school of Stonehill
 Several families from the local community have volunteered to house displaced
families and students
 Admission and free tuition to any student displaced by Katrina from New Orleans,
Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida via a special “visiting” status
Tufts University
http://inside.tufts.edu/fs/
 Volunteers willing to double and triple-house in order to accommodate incoming
Tulane students
 Acceptance of nearly 40 Tulane students and collection of tuition payments for
Tulane which will be used to help rebuild the university
 Numerous student-led activities including a fundraising BBQ
 Use of the annual Tufts Community Appeal to provide and channel donations to
charities supporting victims of Hurricane Katrina
University of Massachusetts
http://www.massachusetts.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=generic.9&item_id=236
 Admission to displaced students
 $1500 meal donation to the Red Cross
 Possible adoption of a Mississippi elementary school through the Catholic Campus
Ministries
 The development of a Kids Book & Game Collection as part of relief efforts
Wentworth Institute of Technology
http://www.wit.edu/WITnews/Katrina.html
 Admission to displaced students
 Outreach to missing and displaced alumni