Cornell University President Hunter R. Rawlings announced today the university’s decision to open its doors to students and faculty of Tulane University, which was closed due to devastating damage sustained from Hurricane Katrina.
Cornell has developed plans to admit Tulane undergraduate students as well as providing openings for graduate and post-doctoral students. At the same time, arrangements have been made to offer Tulane faculty members support, including the possibility of coming to Cornell as visiting faculty.
details here, via boingboing.
Update: Thanks for all the info below — that was some of the best news I’ve heard all week. Here’s a long list of colleges and universities offering to help
out the displaced: http://chicanas.com/katrina/ (via bitchphd).
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:23 pm
That’s just fantastic! -cvj
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:24 pm
That’s my alma mater! I’m so thrilled and so proud!
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:28 pm
We are doing the same here at Syracuse, here’s an email I just received:
Syracuse University is asking for help from the Syracuse
community in meeting the housing needs of students affected by
Hurricane Katrina who have accepted SU’s offer of temporary enrollment.
In response to a request from the Association of American
Universities (AAU), SU on Aug. 31 offered enrollment on a
temporary basis to students until their home institutions
reopen. As of Sept. 1, more than 300 students from Tulane and
other institutions in the Gulf states area impacted by Hurricane
Katrina had inquired about SU’s offer. Although the University
can no longer accept new inquiries from affected students
because of enrollment capacity, administrators are working to
ensure that the academic and housing needs of these first 300
students are being met, along with the needs of SU’s regular
students.
Housing needs may also involve graduate students and law
students. The University’s grant preparation and research
facilities remain available to faculty members and graduate and
law students from affected colleges and universities. Those
interested should contact Gina Lee-Glauser at (315) 443-1824.
Additionally, the SU College of Law has notified the American
Association of Law Schools and American Bar Association that it
will, for the fall semester, take any Tulane or Loyola New
Orleans students who have paid tuition to their home school and
are in good standing. More information is available at (315) 443-
9580.
Property owners who have apartments to rent, or Syracuse
homeowners who would like to rent or sponsor rooms for students
in their private residences, are needed. Apartments and homes of
greatest assistance will be in the 13210 zip code and/or on a
University bus line.
In addition, local residents who can accommodate short-term
housing needs for students should call Hendricks Chapel at (315)
443-2901 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. to give
their information.
Property owners and residents who can accommodate longer-term
housing needs should visit http://www.orangehousing.com to give
their information. Property owners can submit their information
under the apartment categories listed. Private homeowners can
submit their information under the “rooms for rent in private
homes” and “sponsored housing” categories that will appear on
the website later today. Property owners can specify in their
information whether their homes are best suited for
undergraduate or graduate students.
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:35 pm
Just sent an email to someone in USC’s provost’s office. We shall see what happens.
-cvj
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:44 pm
mine too Athena (alma-mater): I didn’t think the bell-tower had it in itself to do that. Very welcome news amidst all the negative stuff we’ve been hearing all day (esp. that of the New Orleans mayor)
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:52 pm
The universities and colleges in my region of the Northwest have joined this effort. Yesterday they pooled resources to provide ten scholarships each to WSU, Univ of Idaho, and EWU for students whose senior years will be lost at schools in the Gulf Region. They also have opened spaces in their classes for any students who were attending those schools but come from this region. Any freshman from this region who were accepted and planning to, or were attending, universities and colleges in the Gulf Coast are granted clear admission to these local schools as well.Further they are looking into expanding the course selection this year to offer positions to faculty members displaced from
Gonzaga has agreed to take a large number of students, faculty and families from their fellow Jesuit university in NOLA as well as those from MS. Whitworth will be taking some local students attending Christian colleges, and so forth. This needs to be a huge national effort at universities across the country. As a retired academic, i encourage you and your universities to reach out to those retirees and emeriti who have been forced out of their homes, and bring them to communities and welcome them.
September 2nd, 2005 at 5:47 pm
Wikinews has a bunch of colleges that have offered to help New Orleans students out (although last I looked, Cornell wasn’t on that list). It appears that more colleges are interested in helping Tulane students than from other universities, but there’s a bunch of universities offering help to any student affected.
Local NPR was just talking about SU and Cornell’s offer.
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:21 pm
Florida International University made this offer as well. I’m trying to get community members together to offer housing and transportation to these students- they’ll need it!
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:33 pm
Allan Brinkley, the provost at Columbia, just sent around an e-mail containing the following news:
Over the last few days, we have taken steps to enable displaced students from the New Orleans area to enroll at Columbia this fall. We do not yet have an accurate count of how many such students will join us, but we believe that there could be as many as several hundred. They will have the status of visiting students and will be able to take courses for credit, which they can then transfer to their home institutions. We are not asking these students to pay tuition or fees directly and will work out any financial issues with their home institutions once those institutions are again functioning. Undergraduates will enroll as visiting students in courses through the School of Continuing Education. Graduate students will enroll as visitors through the schools in which they wish to study. While we are unable to provide housing, we are working on ways to ensure that the matriculated visiting students retain health insurance while they are here. I hope that everyone in our community will make an effort to welcome these students and help them enjoy and profit from their time with us.
Columbia will also welcome as visiting scholars/visiting scientists those faculty and researchers from affected colleges and universities in that region who decide to relocate temporarily to New York. We will provide them access to our libraries and gym and welcome them to join the academic events of our community. Anyone who knows of a displaced scholar who would like such a designation should contact Jane Acton Chung in the International Students and Scholars Office (212-854-3587; ja378@columbia.edu). She will direct them to the appropriate academic unit.
September 3rd, 2005 at 7:25 pm
Boston University is openning its doors to Tulane students. We in beantown are trying to make room for physics faculty and students, in whatever room we have. And so begins Labor Day move-in.
September 3rd, 2005 at 10:47 pm
Hi. Just found out about USC’s contributions in this area. Here is an announcement, and here are some contact and other details.
-cvj
September 3rd, 2005 at 10:52 pm
Also, any USC people reading might also want to note that there’s a website giving information about the various ways one can donate to the relief effort on campus, either for USC students and families affected by the events, or to other aspects of the relief effort.
-cvj
September 3rd, 2005 at 10:52 pm
Finally, some good news!
September 4th, 2005 at 9:42 pm
Letter from Florida International University:
To: University Community
From: President Modesto A. Maidique
Subject: FIU Joining Hands to Rebuild a Dream
Date: September 2, 2005
In response to the outpouring of concern for Hurricane Katrina’s millions of victims, I wanted the FIU community to know of all of the efforts already begun on their behalf. I also want you to know that more is being planned. For those of you who want to volunteer, there will be many opportunities over the coming weeks where your participation will be most appreciated.
Starting with the Admissions Office’s response to the calls of parents of students displaced by the storm, FIU has opened its arms. On Thursday more than 100 students from Loyola University, Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, Delgado Community College, and several others enrolled in FIU and have begun taking classes. Because of the overwhelming response to this effort, the Admissions Office will open enrollment again next week on Tuesday so that more displaced students will be able to continue to pursue the dream of a college education.
To put on human face on our relief efforts, I want you to know about Julio Del Valle and his wife Dione Carmona. Married just three-and-a-half weeks ago, this young couple left New Orleans just ahead of Katrina’s wrath. They arrived in Miami with just a few belongings and their car. They had nowhere to stay and very little money. Your university, FIU, embraced them. Now, instead of having to cut short their education, they have enrolled here, are staying in the home of an FIU professor and will start work and classes here next week.
Your Health and Wellness Center has already planned two blood drives for next week. The first drive will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6th between the bookstore and the Gold garage at University Park. The second drive will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7th in the bus loop between the Library and Academic I at Biscayne Bay Campus.
Your student government, student organizations and Greek organizations have already mobilized and are pitching into to help organize FIU’s largest ever relief effort.
Volunteers are already planning a concert festival patterned after the successful Live-Aid concerts. We have tentatively selected Saturday, October 8th as a date and will be giving you updates and telling you of ways you can help make this event a success in the coming days.
The proceeds, supplies, food and water that we raise and collect from this event will all be donated to our sister Sun Belt Conference institution the University of New Orleans (UNO), which was hit very hard by this storm. We have adopted UNO, where Julio Del Valle was attending school, and have begun a dialogue with Chancellor Tim Ryan to let him know that help is on the way and to find out what more we can do. When you begin to see next week fraternities and sororities collecting food and supplies, please lend a hand and make a donation. Also, please participate when you see exhibits and activities in the Graham Center sponsored by the Counseling Center and Student Government.
In my nearly 19 years as president of this great university, I have never been as proud as I am now by the culture of caring that I have witnessed around our campuses. Katrina’s fury and path of destruction have left many of us in a state of shock. As our nation and community coalesce around this tragedy, it is important that we proceed with all deliberate speed in our efforts to help the victims rebuild their lives and communities.
If you want to join FIU’s efforts, please contact Mark Riordan in the Media Relations Office at 305-348-2232 or through email at riordanm@fiu.edu.
I want to thank those who have already gone above and beyond the call of duty by reaching out to the victims of this storm.