For immediate release - Sept. 9, 2005
(DALLAS) – All campuses and locations of the Dallas County Community Colleges continue their efforts to help displaced students and evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. Aside from in-district tuition approved by its board of trustees and financial assistance from the DCCC Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund, members of the DCCC community (faculty, staff, students and administrators) are involved in all types of efforts to help storm victims. A list is provided below of systemwide efforts, as well as highlights of individual college projects:
Systemwide
DCCC has offered assistance to help rebuild the Louisiana Community and Technical College System when its member institutions are ready. Dr. Walter Bumphus, former Brookhaven College president, leads that system and has been in contact with the chancellor’s office and the DCCC Foundation. He says, “As you would suspect, we are still assessing our damages to the colleges in the greater New Orleans area. We were unable to get to some of the buildings in the city, as several of them have at least 8 feet of water. Six of our colleges and campuses in the greater New Orleans area are either partially destroyed or permanently destroyed.”
He added, “We have more than 20,000 students and 1,400 employees who have been displaced as a result of Katrina, with most of them having lost their homes as well. We are anticipating that we probably will lose the entire fall semester at our community and technical colleges in New Orleans … . Please know I greatly appreciate all of my friends in the DCCCD; moreover the very generous offer from DCCCD to support our students is greatly appreciated by our board and system chancellors.”
Colleges
Brookhaven College
- As of Sept. 6, BHC staff members have worked with 15 students from affected states; several of those students came to the college as early as Sept. 5.
- Boxes are placed at sites around the campus to collect specific items requested by the Salvation Army, and students in Phi Theta Kappa also are collecting goods.
- Two BHC student clubs, the Muslim Student Associaton and Amnesty International, are collecting items and volunteering at St. Luke’s Community Methodist Church Family Life Center.
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Cedar Valley College
- A total of seven students displaced by Hurricane Katrina have completed registration, and several others are still in the process of enrolling.
- The college is working in conjunction with the Lancaster Community Outreach Center to respond to the needs of those individuals who are housed temporarily within the city of Lancaster.
- CVC’s response includes establishing a communications center to assist people with locating family and friends; providing workforce skills assessment of individuals who are seeking employment; providing workforce training through continuing education classes, if needed; and several other efforts.
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Eastfield College
- EFC Professional Support Staff Association members have helped an EFC employee who is housing seven family members who are evacuees.
- Faculty members in the department of social work/substance abuse have volunteered time for group processing sessions in the areas of grief, depression and substance abuse for Hurricane Katrina evacuees through Mesquite Social Services and the city of Mesquite.
- The child development department is collecting school supplies for children of evacuees; PTK is collecting donations/supplies across campus; and other activities are under way.
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El Centro College
- As of Sept. 6, ECC has registered a total of eight students displaced by Hurricane Katrina: one from Delgado Community College, three from Xavier University and four from Dillard; another eight to 10 may enroll.
- The college has collected toys, games and books, and has made two deliveries to the drop-off at Texas Stadium, with more trips scheduled, coordinated by library staff.
- The food and hospitality program coordinator is working with two local churches, People’s Baptist Church and the Concord Baptist Church, to assist with providing meals and baked goods for the feeding program at those two churches.
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Mountain View College
- One displaced student has enrolled to date, and four others have sent inquiries by e-mail or phone about registration.
- The college is helping with donations to support 70 displaced families who are living at two Motel 6 locations in Duncanville.
- MVC also is collecting donations of personal hygiene items that will be dropped off at area shelters through Sept. 16.
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North Lake College
- The North Lake Journalism Club opened the “Santa Bucks” storage closet last weekend to friends and “house guests” of North Lake students and employees who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. “Santa Bucks” is the annual December program hosted by the NLC Journalism Club and "News Register"; members distribute clothing, food and household items to needy students during the Christmas season.
- NLC has formed a response task force to coordinate efforts throughout the college to assist the victims of Katrina.
- Three displaced students have submitted applications for admission to date.
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Richland College
- Two job fairs were scheduled by WorkSource Inc. and ACS, including one with the Garland Chamber of Commerce and RLC. One of these job fairs focused exclusively on evacuees. A job fair that focused on hiring new employees for Firewheel Town Center was held on Sept. 8.
- The college also is developing Web site content and links that will assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees who are identifying educational opportunities and resources available through Richland College and DCCC.
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LeCroy Center/Dallas TeleCollege
- Employees currently are collecting money for the Red Cross and the DCCC Foundation; they also developed a one-page flier which explains the foundation’s Student Emergency Fund. They are distributing the flier to potential students, most of whom do not have Internet access at this time.
- LCET is collecting clothes and toiletry items for a group of 52 families who are living at the Residence Inn at Coit Road and LBJ Freeway.
- Employees also are collecting furniture and household goods for a family of 15 that is moving into a rental home in Hamilton Park.
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District Service Center (Mesquite)
- Staff members have developed new codes that enable DCCC to admit Hurricane Katrina students who are registering under unique circumstances.
- They have developed other waivers for displaced students, worked with Follett to obtain the 20 percent discount for evacuees attending DCCC and notified appropriate councils throughout the system about new codes and waivers.
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For more information, contact Ann Hatch in the DCCC system office of marketing and communications at (214) 860-2478.