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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For more information, contact Ann Hatch in the DCCC system office of marketing and communications at (214) 860-2478.