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.