Tremendous community response provides housing for students, faculty displaced by Katrina

Tremendous community response provides housing for students, faculty displaced by KatrinaSeptember 06, 2005Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

On Sept. 2, Syracuse University asked the University and Central New York communities for help in meeting the housing needs of students and faculty who are temporarily relocating to SU because of Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds of people have responded. As of Sept. 6:

• More than 200 people have contacted Hendricks Chapel (315-443-2901) to offer short-term housing for affected students and faculty.
• Orangehousing.com, the Web-based housing marketplace to which SU is referring housing providers and seekers, lists 86 individuals or families who have posted offers of free housing for some or all of the Fall 2005 semester.
• The Office of Off-Campus Student Services (315-443-5489), a principal unit of the Division of Student Affairs, has identified 83 offers of housing from local individuals and families, including both current landlords and private citizens who live near the University. Of these, 35 are rental accommodations, and 47 are sponsored by the property owners and are free of charge to those affected by the hurricane.

“Our amazingly generous faculty, staff and community have opened their homes to these students and to faculty families and have made them feel truly welcome,” says Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “Their kindness in helping people recover from this catastrophe is making a huge difference.”

Hundreds of students and parents from Tulane, Loyola, Dillard and other colleges and universities have contacted SU for help following SU’s offer of help in the aftermath of Katrina’s assault on the Gulf Coast. SU is supporting not only undergraduates, but also law students, graduate students and faculty: SU is offering research and grant-writing support to affected faculty and graduate students (call Gina Lee-Glauser at 315-443-1824 for information about research), and the College of Law is temporarily enrolling Tulane or Loyola New Orleans students who have paid tuition to their home schools and are in good standing (call 315-443-9580 for Law information).

To date, 85 undergraduate students have enrolled and been granted visiting student status through University College. University College continues to advise the rest of the more than 300 affected students who contacted SU to explore the possibility of temporary enrollment. Four graduate students have enrolled. The College of Law has enrolled six students for the Fall 2005 semester. Additionally, SU’s Division of International Programs Abroad continues to work with 86 applicants for study at its overseas centers.

According to Laura Madelone, director of Off-Campus Student Services, more than 200 students, faculty members or families affected by the hurricane have contacted SU for help in making housing arrangements. Offering housing support “is a great way for people to feel that they are doing something to help those who have suffered from this tragedy,” says Madelone. “We-and the people we are working to help-are extremely grateful for this outpouring of support.”

SU will use its News Web site (http://sunews.syr.edu) and other means to provide updates on the situation as it progresses.