Bulldogs in Response
Task Force for Hurricane Katrina Relief
Mississippi State University will waive the admissions application fee for all applicants who submit an approved ACT/SAT fee waiver. The scholarship priority date will remain February 1, 2006 for entering freshmen and April 1, 2006 for new transfers. Applicants who are from areas affected by hurricanes may request additional consideration for admissions application fee waivers and scholarships. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Sanderson Center Open to Evacuees (Recreational Sports) The Joe Frank Sanderson Center welcomes hurricane evacuees in the Starkville area to use the recreation facility free of charge. Hours of operation are 5:30 am - 11:00 pm Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 9:00 pm on Saturday and 12 pm - 11pm on Sunday. Evacuees will need to show a drivers license and sign a waiver to gain access. Operation 4-H Relief (Extension Service) Mississippi's 4-H clubs have established a web site for donations and other forms of support for Mississippi's youth. Student Athlete Recovery Fund (Athletics) The Department of Athletics has established a Student-Athlete Relief Fund. MSU has 23 student-athletes whose families have been impacted by the hurricane, according to Director of Athletics Larry Templeton. Of that group, nine student-athletes have major needs. Stansbury Organizes "Coaches Care" Men's basketball coach Rick Stansbury has been selected to participate on the organizing committee of "Coaches Care," which has been formed to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. A major online sports auction will highlight the effort, with proceeds to go to Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that builds homes for low income families. Relief Drive (MBA/Ph.D. Associations) The MBA and Ph.D. Associations of Mississippi State University's College of Business and Industry are teaming up to aid in the recovery efforts by collecting items for Hurricane Katrina's victims. They will also accept checks made payable to "The Mississippi Hurricane Relief Fund" or to John Grisham's "Rebuild the Coast Foundation." Contact them by e-mail or at (662) 325-1891. Student Relief Fund (Student Association) The MSU Student Association has established a Student Relief Fund to aid MSU students affected by the disaster. At the MSU-Murray State game, the effort raised more than $35,000. Those making a contribution may do so online at http://www.msstate.edu/web/ecommerce/gift/, with 100 percent of the funds contributed going to the student-initiated relief effort. Herbert Hall Shelter (Housing and Residence Life) The university currently is housing approximately 113 evacuees in guest housing on campus. For shelter information, contact Shay McDonnall, assistant director for conferences and guest housing, at 662-325-2867. Free Internet Access (Extension Service) The Extension Service is offering refugees Internet access through county extension offices as a way of helping locate family and friends. The Extension Service also is conducting a statewide survey to assess the needs of those in every Mississippi county. Relief Mission (Communication Department & Faculty Senate) The MSU communication department and the Faculty Senate worked with community groups to coordinate delivery of an 18-wheeler filled with supplies to the Gulf Coast. The effort received support from the Starkville Community Theater, local churches, and other groups. The use of a truck was donated by Royal Trucking of West Point, and the group estimates it delivered approximately $100,000 in supplies collected from MSU and community contributions. Search and Rescue Operations (College of Forest Resources & Forest and Wildlife Center) Faculty and staff of the College of Forest Resources and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center assisted Civil Air Patrol search and rescue activities in the lower six counties of Mississippi for missing persons. The college has provided personnel, trucks, boats, generators, air conditioners, chainsaws, bulldozers, water and food to help get MSU Research and Extension Centers in Poplarville, Pascagoula, and Biloxi back in operation and assisted with clean-up efforts in Picayune. Helping Displaced Students (Bagley College of Engineering) The Bagley College of Engineering is accommodating participating engineering faculty members and administrators from Tulane University, as well as graduate students, during the time it takes for Tulane to reopen. The college is offering research laboratories and office space as needed to assist displaced Tulane engineering students. Faculty members also are available to assist Mississippi business and industry with engineering-related issues related to rebuilding. Coordinating Aid and Supplies (College of Veterinary Medicine) The College of Veterinary Medicine has volunteers staffing a primary rescue center in Jackson and Hattiesburg, and has provided medical supplies and equipment to the areas. The college also has established communication centers and is coordinating private veterinary hospital-related activities, among other initiatives. Clothing Drive, Helping Displaced Students (College of Architecture, Art, and Design) Among College of Architecture, Art, and Design initiatives is an ongoing clothes and toiletry drive for Red Cross relief efforts in Vicksburg. In addition, both the architecture school in Starkville and the Fifth-Year Program in Jackson have offered studio and classroom space to displaced Tulane architecture students and professors. The college has contacted Gulf Coast architects to offer assistance with repair and rebuilding efforts and will collaborate with other schools of architecture in establishing a community design outreach effort to expedite the rebuilding process. Livestock Issues, Helping Displaced Students (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, animal scientists are assisting with livestock-related issues following Hurricane Katrina. An Instant Command Center is located at the Forrest County Agricenter, and MSU personnel are helping organize relief efforts. Agricultural economists are developing economic assessment of agricultural-related damages from the disaster, and the Department of Landscape Architecture has offered temporary working space, Internet connection, and other support for displaced landscape architects, among other activities. Providing Enrollment Information, School Supply Drive (Meridian Campus) The Meridian Campus is disseminating enrollment information for displaced students through the Department of Human Services in counties surrounding Meridian. East Mississippi Center for Educational Development, whose offices are on the Meridian Campus, is collecting school supplies for distribution to refugee students enrolling in area schools. Assistive Devices Drive (T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability) The T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability is launching a drive to collect assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, and other equipment for those displaced. Contact Janie Cirlot-New at (662) 325-1028 or jcirlotnew@tkmartin.msstate.edu to donate or suggest a person in need. Educational Materials Drive (Early Childhood Institute) The Early Childhood Institute in the College of Education is launching a nationwide solicitation for age-specific educational materials that will be distributed this fall as part of a campaign dubbed, “Hurricane Relief: Embrace Mississippi Children.” The institute is collaborating with the MSU Extension Service, MSU School of Human Sciences, Mississippi Public Broadcasting Network, Mississippi United Methodist Conference, and the Mississippi Early Childhood Association. Providing Technology (GeoResources Institute) The GeoResources Institute worked with Gulf Coast emergency responders to identify precise geographic locations for rescue efforts. The MSU team provided expertise in geocoding emergency response calls,Web mapping support, and integrating geographic information systems with remote sensing data sets. Counseling Services (Counseling Center) The Counseling Center will extend its hurricane-related counseling services to faculty and staff, as well as students, without charge. Mental Health Assessment (Department of Psychology and Social Science Research Center) Psychology faculty members and Social Science Research Center research scientists will conduct a Web-based survey of student needs resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Included will be a measure of student stress and mental health issues, as well as the kinds of resources students say would be most helpful. Online Resources (MSU Libraries) The MSU Libraries created a Web site, http://library.msstate.edu/katrina, to provide avenues/information through which students and others could make possible contact with families and agencies. The Library also is providing support to the Mississippi Library Commission and the state Department of Archives and History. |
About the Task Force... In response to the losses realized from Hurricane Katrina, the university continues to respond in significant ways to the needs of its students, faculty and staff, as well as reaching out to others around the state. "It is sobering to realize the enormous impact this disaster has had on the Mississippi State family and on our state," said MSU President Charles Lee. "From the first day after the disaster, individuals, departments and units of the university have mobilized to assist those in need." Lee said that Mississippi State has at least 1,200 students and numerous university employees from the areas most directly affected. "We know that many of them have suffered extensive losses." With reports of devastation mounting daily, Lee said that a top priority is the welfare of MSU students from the affected areas. He immediately announced formation of a task force chaired by First Lady Pat Lee and drawing on key constituencies from around campus. "One of the first efforts will be to make personal contact with as many students as possible from the most affected regions along the Coast," Mrs. Lee explained. "We will be making telephone calls to students from those areas to help identify immediate individual needs, or just to let them know we’re here if a need arises." Called "Bulldogs in Response," the task force will focus on humanitarian needs rather than on university policy matters. "Some adjustments to the academic calendar, as well as special assistance in financial aid, already have been put in place," President Lee said. Among initiatives the task force is launching is a database of volunteers who can be called on in the coming months as the university continues to coordinate with appropriate agencies. |
